It's not always easy being a kid; trapped between high-stakes testing, piles of homework, and socializing on and offline, bad days are inevitable. However, when the bad days become bad weeks or more, that's when parents start to worry about their child's anxiety.
As Kids Health noted, anxiety is just another form of stress although this may be handled and shown by the kids differently -- physically or emotionally. Symptoms of anxiety can linger for a while or come with a sudden force; however, there are some symptoms to look out for:
- Excessive worrying
- Trouble sleeping
- Restlessness or fatigue
- Trouble concentrating
- Irritability
If you suspect that your child is experiencing stress and anxiety, there are a few things that you can do to help. The first one is to let them talk about their feelings without judgment. Therapeutic relationship consultant Crystal Rice told She Knows Parenting that you should "keep trying things until you see a sliver of something."
She recommends talking it out properly depending on your child's age. Among her suggestions include a talk during dinner or before bed time, or even taking on the problem indirectly, like through a play (for the younger ones).
Learn to validate your child's feelings. Rice shared, "validating the child's feelings is imperative, because we risk them shutting us out if they feel we just don't understand. Even with small children, it's important here to validate that the child has anxiety so they can learn to trust and identify the feelings that they have."
"We need to let the children know that the feeling they're having is understandable, normal and could be very frightening to them," she added.
Parents should also help their child process these complex feelings. "This might be through challenging their cognitive thoughts, empowering them within the situation that is causing them anxiety, or through play, where alternative scenarios and outcomes might be presented," Rice recommended.
If you can't see progress or can't figure out the root cause of your child's anxiety, it is best to talk to a professional therapist, as they are trained to help with these sorts of problems. As for the possibility of having to take medication, this should serve as a last resort.
