Should Parents Worry When Children Like To Talk To Themselves?

Illustration (Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels)

JAKARTA - If there are children who are shy and don't talk much, then there are also children who like to talk, not infrequently they also like to talk to themselves. If this happens to your child or a small child in your family, should parents be concerned?

According to child psychologists, it is normal for children to talk out loud to themselves and it should not be judged as strange or negative behavior. Usually, this 'self-talk' peaks between the ages of three and five, but can last much longer. In fact, many school-age children still like to talk to themselves, whether it's while playing or like they are telling a story.

Ester Cole, a psychologist, said, “This is their role play. Children explore relationships and guide themselves when they do certain things. They might say things like, 'Don't be afraid of the dark. It's okay, I'll hug you' or imitate something the people around them have told them."

In fact, children who like to talk to themselves have a positive impact on them. Kimberly Day, a researcher and assistant professor of psychology, conducted a study on toddlers and preschoolers about their habit of talking to themselves, which she called 'private speech'. The results of his study show that children who talk to themselves while doing tasks are better at controlling behavior and emotions, during difficult tasks.

However, while this is normal and nothing to worry about, if talking to yourself is suddenly occurring more frequently, triggered by a traumatic event, such as the death of a loved pet, and causing the child to become socially isolated, then parents should start act in consultation with a doctor or family psychologist.