Changes in your child’s behaviour could indicate something is wrong. These include wetting the bed; lack of bowel or bladder control; fear of going to school; faking being sick; or they’ll simply tell you, “I’m scared”.
“You’ll see more nightmares, anxiety, more crying, and many children tend to regress, they’ll act younger than they are,” says Marilet Kotzé, a Bloemfontein-based registered counsellor. “Any negative change, you worry.”
She advises parents to check their children daily for bruises or other signs of abuse.
“It’s easier to spot bruises during bath time. Ask them, ‘What happened here?’ Don’t make it a big deal and scare them further.”
She says the best way is to take their doll or teddy bear and ask them to play “school-school”.
“Tell them, you’ll be the teacher…
