Ways To Help Your Child Manage Anxiety

Every child becomes anxious from time to time. Whether it’s being afraid of the dark, not wanting to leave a parent’s side, or something else entirely they have had a moment of fear. It is natural to be afraid of somethings because some fears have been passed down for generations. Despite this do not brush off the child’s fear too quickly. For the anxious child, the fear is very real and difficult to understand. When a child is feeling anxious let them talk about their anxiety. Let them explain to you why they are afraid of the situation. Pay attention to their body language and how they respond to your questions. In doing this you will see how best to further help them. They may need encouragement or something more however since you know them best, only can you know what that is.

Things To Remember When Talking With A Child About Their Anxiety

• The goal isn’t to eliminate anxiety but help the child manage it.
• Do not avoid things just because it makes them anxious because this may reinforce the fear in the long run.
• Do not ask leading question - you want to really know what is going on.
• Make the anticipation short by not talking about their anxiety too much.
• Model healthy ways of handling anxiety.

Goldstein PhD, Clark . (2018). childmind.org. What to Do (and Not Do) When Children Are Anxious. Retrieved from https://childmind.org/article/what-to-do-and-not-do-when-children-are-anxious/

NATAL- Israel’s Trauma And Resiliency Center. (2018). www.afnatal.org. Supporting Your Children in Times of Stress. Retrieved from https://www.afnatal.org/supporting-your-children-in-times-of-stress/