Posted by Ilene on September 27, 2003, at 14:39:45
In reply to typical 3 year old behavior?, posted by jgaskins on September 24, 2003, at 15:16:15
> How do you determine the behavior of a 3 year old to be just moody and hardheaded verses bipolar? His mother is currently on Prozac for mood disorders/depression. He has frequent mood swings and has trouble sleeping. He tends to be violent by hitting other children and does not listen to 'no'.
I had two 3-yr-olds, and not only were they different, they were different kids with different people. My daughter was hell on wheels (moody and hardheaded, didn't listen to "no") when she was with me, but other parents lavished praise on her after playdates, and her teachers adored her.
I don't think "mood swings" applies to pre-schoolers. They can go from smiles to tears to smiles in minutes. Many kids can't sleep well (but mine were logs--one slept through a major earthquake). Hitting other kids is probably more common than not. My daughter was a biter, but only for a little while.
Discipline is a matter of staying calm and following through. "Time outs" are supposed to give both parties a chance to get a grip. Speaking from experience, a depressed mom is going to have problems with this.
Having a depressed mom can lead to behavior problems all by itself.
The genetic potential of a mood disorder is there as well. I have no idea whether a mood disorder can be diagnosed in a preschooler.
If this kid is in school the teachers should know if he is truly out of line.
Ilene
poster:Ilene
thread:262983
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030923/msgs/263763.html