3 Signs Of Lack Of Affection In Children

Tom Robbins says that “it is never too late to have a happy childhood.” However, it is important that if we detect signs of lack of affection in children, those gaps are healed. Because no child deserves to be in constant need of the food that most nurtures emotionally: love.

Now, what signs do we have to watch? How do we know that a child lacks affection?  Below we will discover some indications that may be informing of this very unconstructive and desired situation. Let’s go deeper.

The need for childlike affection

Adequate psychological development in children requires affection. That is, all the affection that is given to a child in his childhood will be reflected in an adequate maturation. In this way, you will be clear about your identity and feel confident over the years.

Now, do not confuse affection with excess of effusiveness or pampering. We are talking about affection, the affinity that one has for children, the sincere approach and of course, the intention of creating a healthy and full relationship with them.

If the little one has the necessary affection, he will consolidate his personality. Affective experiences will help you to integrate, to find frames of reference and to learn to act in different circumstances.

On the other hand, we must remember that from the affection that the child receives in his intimate environment, he will learn what to expect from the outside world. That is why we say that this is the basis for children to learn to know and relate to each other.

Signs of lack of affection in children

The signs of lack of affection in children often show us that something is wrong in their relationship with their parents. The problem is usually somewhat deeper: in general it can be a consequence of the caregivers’ ignorance of what their child really needs.

This can cause all kinds of problems during development. For example, some children with a lack of affection will  develop conflictive or aggressive behaviors or a great feeling of insecurity or distrust.  That is why it is so important that we learn to detect the following signs of lack of affection in children.

Lack of emotional control

This is a vital sign, very common in children with emotional wounds. Little by little, little by little, they learn to control their emotions thanks to affection and interpersonal relationships with their close circle.

Thus, a child who has had a poor affective environment will have serious problems recognizing not only emotions, but also social norms. In this way, of course, you will not know how to behave correctly with others.

In addition, you will be unable to identify the emotions of the people with whom you interact, both negative and positive. For this reason, he will show a great lack of empathy, which could cause all kinds of confrontations and senseless anger.

Thus, these types of boys are much more vulnerable even if they do not show it. This problem is usually found more in boys than in girls. The former are usually brought up to be strong and repress their emotions. Therefore, if we suspect that our child may be suffering from this problem, we must focus on improving our communication with him.

Isolation and conflict

Another of the signs of lack of affection in children is found in the relationships they establish with other people. If they are usually dominated by conflict or are directly non-existent, it is clear that there is a problem.

It is very common for a child with affective problems to show little social ability. Which leads him to isolation or directly, to establish conflictive relationships due to his lack of knowledge to establish other types of dynamics.

On the other hand, children with these problems show  little respect for the emotions of others. This aggravates the problems of frustration, lack of understanding of others and anger with the world.

Unsafety

Finally, children with emotional deficiencies  tend to show a great feeling of insecurity. This is because they have not had an optimal development from which to create an adequate concept of themselves.

This insecurity is demonstrated through very determined behaviors. For example, they tend towards self-defense, avoid facing difficult situations, withdraw and isolate themselves or directly try to control or create conflict.

As we can see, lack of affection in childhood can bring all kinds of negative consequences. If you detect that your child or any other child shows any of these symptoms, it  is essential that you try to connect with their feelings and make them see that you care about their well-being.