Anxiety in Children
Anxiety in Children
How to Help Children Manage their Anxiety
In this newsletter, we provide you with notes on Leading psychologist: Anxiety is on the rise in children - here's how to prevent it with Dr. Maryhan, an episode of The Motherkind Podcast with Zoey Blaskey.
Host Zoey Blaskey is an executive and life coach and the founder of Motherkind, a personal development platform for mothers. She works with organizations on how to support mothers - leading workshops and running coaching programs to ensure working mothers are heard, supported, and empowered in the workplace.
In today’s episode, she is joined by Dr. Maryhan Baker an experienced psychologist and parenting expert, as well as a mother of two. For over 15 years she has been supporting children, teens, and young adults struggling with low confidence and anxiety.
Save time and read our notes on how to help children manage their anxiety.
Topics Covered in this Summary
How to Know if your Child is Struggling with Anxiety
Helping Kids Manage Anxiety
Resilience and Anxiety
How to Know if your Child is Struggling with Anxiety
All kids are afraid of something, like a dark room, a new school year, or the dog next door. Even though it may be hard to believe, toddlers and preschoolers can get really anxious. In fact, it's a very common feeling.
Anxiety has many symptoms and can look very different from child to child. However, common signs that a child might have an anxiety disorder are trouble sleeping, complaining about stomachaches, and avoiding certain situations.
There are several things you can do to help your anxious children. Above all, discuss your child's anxiety or concerns with them. Support and reassurance that they are not alone in this will be beneficial.
Helping Kids Manage Anxiety
When anxiety starts to get in the way of a child's daily life, it becomes a problem. For example. when it's time for exams, all the kids in school will be nervous, and some may be so nervous that they don't make it to school that day.
When your child is frightened, it can be tempting to say, "Don't worry about it." You're ok." These reactions tell your child she's wrong.
Instead, you can try the following:
Validate their feelings by saying something such as, "It sounds like you're feeling quite anxious right now" or "I'd be a bit nervous as well if I had to speak in front of a large audience."
Then, despite their anxiety, express your belief in their ability to succeed. Say something along the lines of, "I'm sure you can accomplish this." "It's hard to do scary things like this."
Seeing how you handle anxiety can help kids deal with it. Let them hear or witness you manage tension and worry calmly, tolerantly, and confidently.
Resilience and Anxiety
Children who are resilient can recover faster from setbacks. And when kids overcome setbacks and obstacles, it boosts their confidence and makes them feel more capable.
When things go wrong, resilience helps children understand that anxiety doesn't last forever. They know they'll be ok after experiencing uncomfortable emotions.
In addition, experience teaches kids resiliency. Each time your child overcomes a problem, it builds their confidence in their ability to handle the next challenge.
Here are some things you can do to help build your child’s resilience:
Support your child but try not to solve every minor problem or disappointment. For example, if your child isn't invited to a birthday party or doesn't get what they want, talk about how they feel instead of fixing it.
Help your child manage powerful emotions. Your child may be anxious about a sick relative. You could say “I see you're worried about Grandpa. Worrying is ok. But remember, we're helping him get better.”
When your child comes to you with a problem, help them brainstorm ways to address the challenge. For example, if your child is nervous about a test, discuss building a study timetable, effective study practices, and time management.
You can help your child build resilience by being patient and supportive while they go through this process. They could feel anxious; however, this is how you can support them and help them deal with the situation.
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