Childhood is supposed to be a time for fun, not worry. But an alarming number of our kids are feeling anxious. The Young Minds Matter survey conducted by researchers in America found one in 14 Aussie kids has an anxiety disorder. There are lots of common causes of anxiety in kids and lots of different reasons why children will worry, and that will also differ by their age. So, for example, separation anxiety is a normal developmental stage that happens for all babies at around six months of age, and that’s normal.
What are the Causes of Worry for Little Children?
For little kids, common worries loud noises, the dark, being separated from mum and dad, strangers, animals like dogs, monsters, and that kind of thing. And then, as kids get older, their worries change. They might start worrying more about fitting in with friends and being accepted at school and amongst their peers. Performing at school, performing at sports, music, or whatever they do in their spare time.
How Do I Know When To Worry About My Child’s Level of Worry?
When it’s getting in the way of normal activities, for example, if I get a bee sting on my hand, I might feel a bit nervous the next time I see a bee, and that’s a completely normal common reaction that we’d all have. But if my worries get to the extent where, say, I don’t want to go to the park to play with my friends anymore because there might be a bee there, or I’m too nervous to leave the house in case there’s a bee outside. That’s when we start to think, okay, I need to enlist some extra help here.
Parenting Prospectus Has Three Main Tips To Help You Manage Your Child’s Anxiety
Tip One: Talk About It:
Talking about what anxiety is, what that might be like for your child, and working out what their triggers are so it might be working out where in their body they feel anxiety: a sore tummy today or a racing heart. Or, if you notice your child’s looking anxious, talk about what thoughts they might be having and what’s making you hide today, and then talk that through.
The goal is not to get rid of anxiety; that’s unrealistic; all children will anxious. It’s to help your child understand that they can tolerate and manage the distress associated with anxiety so that anxiety itself doesn’t become a scary thing.
Tip Two: Model Healthy Behavior
So if you’re feeling stressed, say, “Look, mum’s feeling a bit stressed at the moment,” and talk about how you’re getting through that, so “I’m going to take a few big deep breaths. I’m going to think about the problem and possible solutions, and then I’m going to feel better once the worry passes.”. Try to know how to help build confidence for Sensitive Children.
Tip Three: Validate Their Feelings
So, for example, your child might feel worried about a math test. You might say, “Of course, you’re feeling worried; math tests are a bit scary, aren’t they?” and then you help them to confront that fear and say okay, you can take a few deep breaths, you can tense and relax your muscles, you can practice some maths at home so you feel prepared for tomorrow, and then you help them to confront their fear so that they know that they can deal with this anxiety and that it’s going to okay.
If you still have concerns, If a parent is worried about their child’s levels of anxiety and thinks they getting to a point where they’re getting in the way of their child living out their everyday life, there lots of places to seek help. The first port of call could their GP, and they can help you get in touch with community services or private services like clinical psychologists who can help your child talk through their worries with things like cognitive behavior therapy.
