Hormones Holding Your Family Hostage?
We’re all familiar with the notion of raging hormones of teenagers, but what if you child isn’t quite a teen yet? Can we chalk up the moodiness, the irritability, the irrationality, and the emotional roller coaster to hormones?
There’s a good chance that you’re noticing some of this typically “teen” behaviour with your pre-teens. It’s fairly common that hormones lead to these kinds of behaviours in kids as young as 12, and it levels off around the age of 14. Another one of the by-products of these hormones can be a change in sleep regulation, so not only do you have a kid who’s hormones are running rampant, but he or she may also be a bit sleep-deprived, making the whole process significantly harder to handle. For both of you.
The best thing for parents to do at this time is to remind themselves to be patient, tolerant, but not to forget about the healthy boundaries. While you may want to pick your battles, hormones is not an excuse for poor behaviour with no consequences. Physical activity has been shown to be amazingly helpful in regulating moods, so make sure that your little tempest is getting enough exercise.
How do you know when it’s more than just run-of-the-mill hormones? Consider the duration; if the moodiness and sullen behaviour has been continuing for most of the time for the better part of two weeks, you might want to consider this is more than just hormones. If your child is complaining about symptoms that seem to be particularly distressing and are beginning to impact his functioning, consider talking to a mental health professional.