'Red flag’ behaviors in children that shouldn't be ignored

Forget monsters under the bed — the real nightmare might be what your kid’s doing at the dinner table, on their phone or when they think no one’s watching.

Child psychologists are warning parents to stop brushing off some behaviors as just “kids being kids” — because these seemingly small habits could be flashing red flags.

Concerning behavior like loss of appetite, aggression and secret screen time might signal deeper distress — and need more than a timeout to fix, experts say.

“These emotional and behavioral concerns need to be addressed as soon as possible so they don’t intensify throughout the years,” Dr. Regine Muradian, a licensed clinical psychologist, told Parade in a recent interview.

Dr. Carla C. Allan, division chief of psychology at Phoenix Children’s, also told the outl