A child often gets a pass for inappropriate behavior due to immaturity. Some children are more well-behaved than others. Others have minor behavioral issues that can be addressed. And then there are young ones who may be on the path to becoming "emotional vampires". In the book Emotional Vampires, by Albert J. Bernstein, "human creatures" are described as persons whose psychological issues drain others around them. An adult emotional vampire may not have developed his psychological or emotional issues late in life. Improper childhood development often contributes to problems manifested during maturity. Parents must take early childhood development very serious and keep a watchful eye out for the signs of potential narcissistic traits.
Narcissism in a Child
Narcissism has been described as a "Me first!" attitude. Children embody such an attitude because they are only capable of understanding their own needs. The self-centered phase is one a child absolutely must grow out of or else the youngster is at risk of becoming a narcissist. Narcissism is not "cute" in adults. It destroys relationships and creates havoc for many people. Curtailing such issues means examining the root causes and working to reverse their impact.
Contributing Factors to Childhood Narcissism
A common source of blame for a child's narcissistic development would be a parents overvaluation. Parents simply take praise to an unhealthy level by leading the child to believe he/she is superior to other children. This, in turn, creates the child's perception his/her needs are more important. On the opposite end of praise is abuse and the abuse could even come from outside the home. Overbearing teachers or classroom bullies might lead to overcompensation in the form of narcissism. Parents might not only never realize the cause of narcissism, they may never recognize behavior indicative of this troubling trait.
Trouble in School
To use the mantra "Even good kids don't behave nicely all the time" may end up being a disastrous means of ignoring serious problems. A child who refuses to cooperate in school by following rules or listening to teachers or being dismissive or respectful towards other children might be in the early stages of a psychological disorder. Children who dismiss adults by saying "Don't tell me what to do!" is out of the ordinary behavior-wise. Parents must consider reports of such conduct as major alarms.
Explore Counseling
Parents and guardians must accept their abilities to assist a child with emotional or psychological problems are limited. Counseling, however, may prove very helpful and reduce the chances of the young one becoming a narcissist in his/her teenage and adult years.For assistance, talk to a professional like Northside Center.
Share10 January 2017
Hello, my name is Melony. Welcome. I am here to talk to you about child development. As a young adult, I studied child development in my elective courses. I wanted to learn about the factors that help kids grow into functional adults. I studied all of the different ways this process can go wrong. Although I cannot use this info for my career, I am glad I studied this topic in great detail while in school. I will use this site to help others learn all they can about healthy child development. Please feel free to visit my site anytime to learn more.
