Topic - Big Boy Syndrome. When I see boys in my practice who are at the 90 percentile of height and weight, they often experience what I call the “Big Boy Syndrome”.
Parents, teachers, friends and others have expectations that are way beyond the maturity level of these boys. They mistake size for maturity.
This even happens in children who are not tall. We expect kids who are very bright to have judgment consistent with their “smarts”. Usually, this is not the case.
To be mature means that you are fully grown and fully developed. Just because some aspects of a child seem to be mature, does not mean that they have achieved maturity.
Watch their behavior; check their judgment. Are they willing to accept responsibility and constructive criticism? Do they benefit from their mistakes and improve their performance as they go along? How do they cope with adversity?
Determine your own definition of maturity and help your child achieve it. But don’t be fooled by their size, intelligence or other talents.
