When parents make a decision that disrupts the life of the child, or they make certain decisions regarding their education, travel, shifting houses, or even introducing a new partner, it can cause the child to be hampered with a range of emotions. It can lead a child to be unhappy. The sole goal of parenting is that the child should be happy. Many times children feel unhappy but they can charm the parents into thinking that they are actually happy with fake smiles, carrying on their routine, and doing nothing out of the ordinary.
The life of our children is filled with both ups and downs. Sometimes children deal with it, the rest times, they become an unhappy child. After the age of two, the child starts experiencing many new changes in their lifestyle and surroundings, and they will start expressing more emotions. Every child becomes unhappy, but they bounce back after their parents’ support and love. But, in spite of your many tries, if you are still not seeing any changes, then you can seek help.
But to recognize if your child is happy or unhappy, it’s difficult for some, as children are apt at hiding unpleasant emotions and incidents. If you wish to understand how you can rid yourself of the question “Is my child happy”, then read on, as I have listed the signs of an unhappy child.
Signs that your child is unhappy:
1.Withdrawal
Withdrawal is one of the first signs of a child being unhappy. If you see them not playing with their favorite toy, indulging in their hobbies, playing with friends, and if you see them alone, then it could be a sign of your child being unhappy. This could make many parents wonder why is my child unhappy. Observe their behavior, and sit them down if you think they are getting lonely.
2. Sleep cycle
When your child is battling with unhappy thoughts, they will either sleep a lot due to mental exhaustion, or they will stay up all night thinking and over-thinking their thoughts. To us, it may seem that the child has nothing to be unhappy about, but no matter how small to us, their unhappy thoughts are quite distressing to them. Too much or lack of sleep is one of the glaring signs of unhappiness.
3. Mood
The signs of unhappiness children, in this the low mood and energy is quite obvious and at the top. If your child isn’t smiling, laughing, or expressing joy anymore, then it can cause the parents quite some concern. Children are very expressive with their emotions whether by verbal cues or non-verbal, hence if you see them not expressing their joy anymore, or it’s less than before, then it could be that your child is unhappy.
4. Don’t enjoy their daily activities
No matter how many times you ask the children to eat, sleep, study, or do their chores, they will always revert back to activities and games of their interest. Children’s unhappiness can cause them to take a break from all the activities. They will either sit quietly or stay in their room. They will either engage less or not at all in the activities ad hobbies that they enjoyed before.
5. Academia
If your child is experiencing a major shift in their life and emotions, their academics will naturally suffer. An unhappy kid will never be able to focus and retain what he or she is seducing. They might be consumed by their unhappy thoughts so much that they don’t comprehend their syllabus and studies. There is also a possibility that they will neglect it completely, and miss exams and assignments. Hence, their sipping grades will be a sign for you.
6. Low self-esteem
If you are searching for unhappy child signs, then one of the most common yet missed is their low self-esteem. Their unhappiness will cause them to overthink negative affirmations automatically. This overthinking will cause them to have lower self-esteem. Their low self-esteem will make them question their choices, answers, and themselves. They won’t raise their hand anymore to give answers or actively participate in competitions, etc.
7. Tiredness
An unhappy toddler will be tired too often. They will be lethargic, and slow in their steps. Toddlers usually run around and are high on energy; but if they are unhappy, they will have lower levels of energy. Their step will lose their hop and spring, and you will see them lounging around the sofa and lie on bed often.
8. Restlessness and irritability
The child will be restless and easily irritable. When parents see this, they ask themselves why is my toddler unhappy. They will lose patience quickly, and not solve problems that are big and time-consuming. They will get irritable often and will snap back at their friends, parents, and others.
9. Appetite
One of the common signs of unhappiness is the loss of appetite. They will push their food around the dish or table or throw it away. They will complain about the taste, the vegetables, the dish, etc. to get out of eating it. They may even stay in their room and refuse to eat as well. They will eat lesser meals in the day and that too in very small portions.
10. Hopelessness or worthless
The signs of toddler unhappiness is them feeling hopeless or worthless. It’s hard to detect such emotions in a toddler, and they themselves may not realize and recognize it, and feel irritable. Their hopelessness and worthlessness can be seen in the way they play and act. If you see them hunched over a video remote controller but no longer confident to play it, it could be because they feel worthless. Sometimes toddlers are unhappy due to the loss of a family member, and such a situation makes them feel hopeless as there is no escape from feeling sad.
For parents, to see their child unhappy is quite disheartening. But if you recognize the signs, then it is easier to get to the root cause. Sit them down and talk to them. Once you know the cause of their unhappiness, you can support them and help them. If the problem seems irresolvable, then you can seek the help of counselors and other figures.