Question
The child is three years old and has been taken care of by grandparents at home. Recently, the child suddenly became reluctant to talk, ignoring others and not interested in playing with other children, but still has many things to say to grandparents. The child currently attends kindergarten, and it was heard that after he got his pants dirty at school, he didn’t want to talk for a day. It is unknown whether this is related. There has been no previous treatment, and it is not believed to be a genetic disease. I hope to understand if this situation indicates a psychological issue in the child.
Answer
As children grow older, changes not only occur physically but also mentally. According to Erikson’s stage theory, he divides the psychological development of children into several stages: the first stage, trust versus mistrust (0-2 years); the second stage, autonomy versus shame or doubt (0-4 years). Your child is only three years old and has a high degree of plasticity. As long as parents accompany their child through this stage with care, they can help the child overcome feelings of shame and grow healthily. Parents should actively communicate with kindergarten teachers about the child’s situation, encourage and praise the child more at school, avoid bringing up the pants-staining incident again, and indirectly educate the child on how to report to the bathroom. Starting from small matters should yield good results.