Understanding Our Child's Hidden Emotions Through Behavior... New Work by Renowned Child Psychiatrist Professor Cheon Geun-a

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwanju] "Teacher, will our child be okay?"

It has become an era where communication between parents and children is threatened. Parents are busy with their daily lives, and their children's behavior becomes increasingly incomprehensible. They get angry even before having a conversation. Could something go wrong with our child like this? Am I doing well as a parent?

Cheon Geun-ah, one of the leading pediatric psychiatrists in Korea, whose waiting time for consultation can take up to five years, and a professor at Severance Children's Hospital's Department of Pediatric Psychiatry, has published a new book analyzing children's problematic behaviors titled The Illusion of Knowing a Child's Mind Completely. Through this new book, Professor Cheon helps readers understand the emotional states hidden behind the behaviors of children and adolescents. It guides readers to grasp their child's current feelings, reflect on the parent-child relationship, and even look back on the parents' own childhoods.

The book covers common problematic behaviors and representative disorders that any child or adolescent might experience. It also includes detailed stories from Professor Cheon's 27 years of clinical practice. From the onset of the child's problematic behavior to counseling and treatment in the clinic, and changes in parental behavior, the process of the child's transformation and growth is vividly introduced. By reading the cases shared by Professor Cheon, readers realize that problematic behaviors are not limited to certain children but can be seen even in children we consider ordinary.

The relationship between a child and a parent is deeper than any other relationship. Therefore, parents often 'illusionarily' believe they understand their child's mind best. This leads them to miss their child's warning signs. Children sometimes become excessively distracted and aggressive, or become passive and silent, and may express their emotions through physical pain such as headaches. Professor Cheon focuses more on the emotional state behind the child's problematic behavior rather than the behavior itself. The book guides readers to develop the perspective needed to recognize these urgent signals.

Professor Cheon currently serves as a professor in the Department of Pediatric Psychiatry at Severance Children's Hospital. She has published books such as Children Are Always Right and Mom, I Am Getting Smarter, and appears on various broadcasts. She is a trusted counselor for parents nationwide who seek to understand their children's minds correctly and support their healthy growth, as well as a reliable primary doctor for children and adolescents.