Continuing the article titled Addressing Common Childhood Problems from a Psychological Perspective (Part 1), the continuation will be written below. 5. Nail-biting: Address it immediately by providing psychological safety to the child, meaning without making them feel cornered. Foster a positive self-concept. Respond to complaints with full attention.
Help the child develop good nail care habits. Provide activities that distract the child from their nails. Involve the child in helping to solve their own problem by discussing it with them. 6. Drawing on the living room walls: Provide a special area where the child can freely doodle. Support the child because when scribbling, they are actually training the coordination of fine motor muscles, which will lead to higher and more complex activities like drawing or writing.
Not only that, but the child also learns to focus attention on a specific task while doodling. Guide their scribbling by forming curved and straight lines like the letters a, i, u, e, o. Stay calm and engaged; stop nagging. 7. The fearful hero: Recognize the initial process of fear and anxiety formation. Reintroduce what they fear by fostering a sense of enjoyment.
Treat it gradually and patiently. Address it with full affection, without resorting to force. 8. Daydreaming: Distinguish between excessive and natural daydreaming. Give the child opportunities to engage in this activity, as daydreaming or fantasizing is closely related to the development of creativity. Try to understand the content of their fantasies.
Build effective communication. Help them find solutions; this will prevent the child from being emotionally burdened. Approach it with high optimism. 9. Always curious: Understand the developmental stages in Psychology. Provide sincere answers; this can further encourage the child's enthusiasm to learn new things they haven't known before, thereby enhancing their competence in creativity, which is the ability to discover a problem clarified through questioning.
Deal with it patiently. 10. Sleep-talking/Night terrors: Recognize the child's emotions. There's no need to connect this with (supernatural) house occupants that cause chills. Create a warm atmosphere for the child's soul, for example, by hugging and kissing gently. Try to create a cool and peaceful atmosphere when the child is going to sleep (for example, by reading a bedtime story).
Avoid excessive physical and emotional activities before bedtime. Try to ensure that we ourselves are also in a stable emotional state (calm). 11. Shyness: Stop comparing. Stop cornering them. Strive to accept them as they are. Rebuild the self-confidence that has been underdeveloped. Offer sincere words. Provide encouragement. Give opportunities to appear in public.
Involve them in various competitions. Stop measuring abilities by comparing the child to others. Stop demanding that the child be overly accomplished; let it be if they haven't won yet. Stop excessive demands. Stop always belittling the child; this will only lead to the child having a less positive self-concept. 12. Easily anxious: Understand the developmental process in Psychology.
Eliminate demands (must be tidy, must always perform optimally, must sit at the dining table for breakfast, always be a sweet child, must sit and do homework with a threatening tone like "I don't want my child to be a stupid child in the future!", and other ambitions). Try to change your facial expression to one full of smiles and affection. Accept the child as they are, complete with all their shortcomings.
Try to give a little leeway. 13. Hyperactivity: Accept the child's condition and guide them with full patience. Be aware that there might be brain damage as a cause of hyperactivity; try to have them examined by medical professionals. Study the stages of psychological development; rest assured, this is not permanent. Look for complications arising from emotional wounds due to the treatment they received, making them a victim.
A wiser attitude is needed from all parties. Strive to understand their condition and guide them in performing some simple, tangible activities. Discard negative stigma/prejudice/mental blocks. Continuously accompany this with effective communication patterns between the child and parents or caregivers. 14. Drawing with the left hand: Stop reminding them with annoyance.
Stop arguing with the child. Identify whether this is left-handedness or not. Reconsider, and it would be better to eliminate/remove negative stigma/prejudice/mental blocks. Accept it naturally with an open mind. Stop forcing them; this will only lead to various mental health problems (mental disabilities), such as anxiety or stuttering. References: Psikologi Seri Anak 2 Mengatasi Problem anak sehari-hari.
Dr. Seto Mulyadi. 1997. Jakarta: PT. Gramedia