Children become anxious when they cannot express their feelings or communicate well with other people. Parents should always be on the lookout for symptoms of anxiety and be ready to provide the much-needed support for their kids. If talking does not do the job, then there are other ways to minimize the child's anxiety.
One way to encourage children to talk about their worries is to ask the child to create a worry list, according to the Huffington Post. By writing down these fears and worries, the child learns to confront his fears until it becomes less intimidating. This will also allow the parent and child to work on these worries one by one.
An anxious child should be taught deep breathing exercises and simple techniques in relaxation. Ask the child to take a deep breath and then slowly count to three before exhaling. Sometimes, it is easier to let the child use a small paper bag for the deep breathing exercise.
Chronic anxiety can put even the most relaxed parents into panic mode, as per Child Mind. Unfortunately, this will only exacerbate the anxiety being felt by the child. Instead of eliminating anxiety or the identified stressors, it is better to help the child find ways to manage his emotions. Once he learns how to manage this, it will ultimately go away and allow the child to resume his normal activities.
Anxiety disorders are common among children below 10-years-old, according to Mommy Edition. There are various factors why a child can become anxious including genetics, people or even the environment. Consult a doctor and make sure there is nothing wrong with the child physically, and if his tests show he is medically fine, then teaching him to manage his anxiety attacks would be next best thing to do.
