Hi,
My 9 year old daughter when she hurts herself (e’g. Nettle stings, stubs her toe, hurts her ankle, gets a scratch, pretty much any injury) she has done this for a few years now but it’s even more so now, where she is much better at hiding her pain. She will say that nothing is wrong and really try hard to not limp, hide the scratch etc. And she will say that there is nothing wrong with her and that’s she’s fine when she is clearly in pain, and even with significant pain.
We (the parents) have been separated since she was 2 years old; and I believe she has learned this behaviour. I am trying to understand the psychology behind this, it seems like a form of perfectionism, or that she is fearful she may be scolded for sharing her pain. I think this is not a healthy way to deal with this for her , and would like to help her learn that it is okay to let me know what she is going through.
Can anyone please help me understand this more, and point me as to how I can help her change this behaviour.
Many thanks