What Do Kids Do When They Are Jealous?

Jealousy can be confusing to recognize because kids don̵7;t usually come right out and tell you if they̵7;re feeling these unpleasant emotions. If you̵7;re playing a guessing game with your child̵7;s negative behavior, look for telltale signs that will give you clues about possible jealous feelings lurking inside your youngster.

  1. Definition of Jealousy

    • Jealousy does not involve one emotion or thought process, and it often includes a variety of different behaviors, according to an article published in Child Development. To help you recognize jealous behaviors, consider jealousy a pattern of feelings, thoughts, and behaviors that occur in response to specific social or psychological situations. Generally, jealousy occurs in response to a threat of the loss of someone special.

    Temper Tantrums

    • You may see an increase in temper tantrums if your child is experiencing uncomfortable jealousy, according to the Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children. When a child feels unbearable frustration or anger, he may explode in a temper tantrum. The anger associated with jealousy often fuels a temper tantrum, according to the Women̵7;s and Children̵7;s Health Network. Feelings of jealousy may also mingle with fear and feelings of rejection.

    Sadness

    • A child experiencing jealousy might have strong feelings of grief to process, reports Aha! Parenting. For example, if the jealous feelings involve a sibling, and the youngster feels sad and threatened about his relationship with his parents, he will probably exhibit highly emotional behavior -- including crying and whining -- as he processes his pain.

    Aggression

    • Aggression is a common outward sign of jealousy, states the American Psychological Association. Possessiveness often connects with jealousy, which may fuel aggressive behavior. A child might lash out with physical aggression toward a sibling or a peer, acting on jealous anger. A youngster might also display aggression with teasing or bullying. He could also misdirect jealous aggression toward parents.

    Competition

    • Kids who feel competitive toward a sibling or peer might be acting out of jealousy, according to the PBS Kids website. The emotions that fuel jealousy might spur a child to focus on striving to outdo a sibling. The youngster may become so intent on someone else̵7;s activities that she forgets about pursuing her own dreams and goals.

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