Signs of Rebellion

Age Differences

• Children who don't have the vocabulary yet to express themselves as they go through an independence-seeking stage, such as 2-year-olds do, make the continual barrage of "No" harder for parents to understand. While teenagers have the language skills they don't always have the insight into their emotions that help them through this phase. Physical and emotional signs, however, help parents better identify rebellious behavior. Rebellion signs for young children may include yelling, crying and throwing toys. Elementary school age children may signal rebellion by refusing to follow the normal household routine. Preteens and adolescents may defy parents in many ways, from wearing clothes they know their parents don't like to ignoring house rules to behaviors that put them at risk such as using drugs or getting tattoos or piercings without proper medical attention.

Misbehavior and Rebellion

• The difference between misbehavior and all-out rebellion sometimes is a matter of interpretation, but other times children act out in dangerous ways. Parents sometimes fail to see gradual changes in child behavior when families spend little time together. Children grow and follow fashions and fads, and adults out of the cultural mainstream see this behavior as a rebellious act. Major rebellion, however, involves more serious actions, such as drug use. The signs of major rebellions, according to Teen Challenge USA, may include stealing family money, lying and dropping out of school. In these cases teens may be blindly rebelling against their families or society.

Miscommunication or Rebel

• Open channels of communications help avoid major childhood rebellion, according to the American Psychological Association. Signs of testing the boundaries include challenging home rules, including failing to do assigned chores or staying out after curfew, and defying school rules such as arriving at school late or failing to go at all. Parents frequently fail to acknowledge problems or overreact to small signs of rebellion. The APA recommends setting aside time each day to sit down to talk and listen to your child in a respectful way to discuss the reasons for the child's rebellious behavior.

Life Triggers

• While some rebellion is triggered by the natural quest for independence, other times rebellion happens when families go through life changes such as divorce or major illnesses. The rebellion signs vary with age. Distress signals for toddlers in a family divorce include clingy behavior, problems sleeping and long periods of anger. Preteens and teens sometimes turn to drugs or sex as a way of showing frustration and anger with the new living arrangement. Children at all ages feel abandonment, fear and rejection and have personal ways of dealing with the loss of one parent, including finding new friendships with kids distrusted by parents. If you suspect your child's rebellion is more than a phase or is harming him, speak to your family's pediatrician or seek counseling.

Independence Signs

• Kids use rebellion to signal the time for exploring new challenges. Typical signs of this normal adolescent development stage, according to psychologist Carl Pickhardt, include non-conformity and non-compliance. Non-conformists defy society norms, including dress and hair styles. Children also challenge home and society by refusing to be bound by the rules. Although these normal behaviors allow kids to establish a sense of independence, Pickhardt warns that it can also create danger when children fail to understand the consequences of actions.