5 Easy Ways to Help Your Child With Anxiety
It can be so difficult to watch your child struggle with anxious feelings. You might try to take away the stressor, or you might encourage them to face their fears "head-on" because you worry about them being able to survive in a world that does not value caution. You are not alone. Do you recognize any of the signs below in your own child?
What are some of of the signs of anxiety in children?
finding it hard to concentrate
not sleeping, or waking in the night with bad dreams
not eating properly
quickly getting angry or irritable, and being out of control during outbursts
constantly worrying or having negative thoughts
feeling tense and fidgety
frequent crying
being clingy
complaining of tummy aches and feeling unwell
One of the most impactful things you can do as a caretaker is to let your child know that they are safe to tell you their feelings. Safely allowing them to explore these fears and giving them the tools and language to address these fears lovingly empowers them to grow into their own confidence.
5 easy ways to talk about anxiety with your child:
Have them identify triggers for anxiety such as large crowds, animals, etc.
Reassure them that these feelings are perfectly normal.
Tell an age-appropriate story about a time as a child when you felt anxious.
Discuss how anxiety can show up in the body, maybe even pointing to each body part such as the stomach or head.
Walk them through breathing exercises or grounding exercises (name 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can smell, 2 things you can see, etc.)
Do you worry you won’t know what to say or you’ll say the wrong thing when your child is feeling anxious? Try the scripts below and adapt them to your child’s needs:
"I see how scared you feel because of all these new people. Let's stop to take a few breaths so we can feel more comfortable in our bodies. I trust you to let me know when you're ready"
"I'm wondering if you feel anxious because of the storm? What are some ways we can practice breathing calm into our bodies?"
"I see you tapping your foot. It seems you're feeling pretty anxious about school right now. I love how honest you are with me about your feelings. Let's do some belly breathing together and see who can breathe out the longest"
