Some children are more immature or have more childish attitudes in certain respects, compared to other children their age. This can be totally normal, since each one has a growth rate and its own personality which also influences their degree of maturity. However, it is important to assess attitudes that can be a warning sign that something is not working as it should.
If your child seems immature for his age because he is more dependent, perhaps because he starts to cry when something does not go well or because his behavior is more childish than that of other children his age, you should observe other types of behaviors. The maturity of a child is measured not only by his personality, but by the development of certain skills that must accompany growth.
How to know if my child is immature for his age
There are certain milestones in child development that help determine the correct development of boys and girls in each of the stages of childhood. Although it is not a question of comparing them, but of find a concrete point where to place the degree of development of the children. For example, it is estimated that from a certain age children in general have maturity for the toilet training.
Which does not mean that all children have to achieve it at the same age. Like many other skills that children have to develop, toilet training is maturational. Which in this case is a sign of infantile immaturity. In addition to this, there are other issues that can be a sign that a child is immature for his age.
- Language problems: From a certain age it is expected that children can form sentences of 2 or 3 words. A child who is immature for his age may show a delay in language or difficulty articulating words with more than one syllable.
- Poor motor coordination: Children who constantly collide with the walls and they habitually stumble when walking.
- Delayed toilet training: One of the milestones most related to psychological and physical maturity. The child who is very immature for his age may have trouble putting off the diaper.
All these issues are related to psychological immaturity and can be a sign of a problem that should be treated by specialists. From maturational delay to Autism Spectrum Disorder, which must be assessed by the pediatrician as quickly as possible.
Immaturity or just childish?
There are children who are not immature, but are simply more childish and show it in their behavior. This is the case of insecure children, who need constant attention and they believe that by behaving like a baby they will maintain that attention more easily. It can also be related to age, since at school a child can have a difference of practically a year with respect to the rest of the classmates.
Children who are immature for their age often behave inappropriately, depending on what is expected of them when they reach a certain age. To rule out any other developmental problems, the first thing to do is contact your pediatrician. At home, you can help your child mature through actions and tasks that help you become more autonomous.
Creating a to-do list that you can take responsibility for and getting positive reinforcement afterward is a start. You can also try to communicate with your child, trying to get him to learn to communicate in a more serene way, calmly explaining his day to day. Show interest in their things, so that they feel valued. When your child behaves well, reward him with good words, because then he will understand that this is the way to get your attention and not behaving like a baby.
And most importantly, accompany your child on the path of growth. Help him grow, work on his self-esteem so that he feels capable of doing anything. Because self-love should be fostered so that children learn to value themselves and believe in themselves. This is the first step for your child to be a mature and autonomous child.