Tips for Calming an Anxious Child
Calming an anxious child might make you start to feel a bit anxious as well but the good news is that there are tips that can help. If you’re ready to process and help your child learn how to deal with their own emotions and actions, these simple ideas just might be the perfect way of making it happen.
Don’t forget that when a child is anxious, there is typically some sort of underlying reason why. Instead of jumping to conclusions or feeling frustrated with them, take the time to figure out why they’re anxious in the first place.
This simple question or observance can help you both find a common ground much more quickly.
Is it normal for a child to have anxiety?
Yes, the answer is yes. Some people might feel that children are “too little” or “too young” to be dealing with the effects of anxiety but that doesn’t always mean that it’s the truth.
Anxiety can rear its head and show up in anyone at any given point in time. In fact, anxiety is often a response mechanism.
If your child is showing symptoms of anxiety, there are so many things that could be triggering that. All you need to worry about is being there for them and helping them out any way that you can.
Does childhood anxiety go away?
It can, and for some children, it does! There are others though that will deal with the symptoms of anxiety for their entire lives.
The sooner that you can address worries about anxiety, the better. When a child continues to have these feelings and thoughts and doesn’t have outlets or ways to express them, they’re not going to have any way to get rid of those worries and anxiety that they are having.
At what age does anxiety peak?
For children, the peak time for anxiety tends to be between the ages of 5-7. While I’m not certain as to why this tends to happen during this time, it could be for a number of reasons.
This is the timeframe that many children are starting school which might be a whole new concept and adventure. If they’re worried about leaving home or leaving out into the world and meeting new people, this might be something that triggers their anxiety to flare up and start.
Is my child’s anxiety my fault?
I feel this. So much. When my children are anxious, I automatically go into the mode that it’s all my fault. Is it? Maybe…but maybe not. There are so many times that we, as parents, don’t always say or do the right things.
And to be honest, one of my biggest worries about our kids growing up is that I’ve done damage to them and their ability to make it in the world. But deep down, I also know that everything I say or do is out of love and I want to protect them and their lives.
If there is a chance that anything that I’ve done has given them anxiety, then I know that this is something that I’ll do my best to help correct as well.
Tips for Calming an Anxious Child
If you currently have an anxious child, just know that you are not alone. There are thousands upon thousands of other parents and families out there that are dealing with the same worries and concerns.
These tips might not be the perfect solution but they can easily help or start you down the path of trying to help your child have less stress and anxiety.
Let Your Child Speak
If your child has something to say, let them talk, and sit down and listen. They are people, just like all of us, and their words are just as important as ours.
If they are ready to talk about what is bothering them or what is on their mind, sit down and give them the floor. Holding onto thoughts and emotions isn’t good for them, so when they want to talk, let them speak their minds!
Praise Them For The Positives
Sometimes we just don’t give our kids enough credit or praise when it comes to acknowledging everything that they do. Even if it’s something little, let them know that you are proud of them.
In their book, it’s not little. It might be one of the hardest things that they’ve ever had to do and you won’t know that until you take the time to appreciate them and their talents.
Teach Them How To Relax
Stress is something that will just continue to build, no matter if it is a child or an adult. When adults deal with stress, we tend to have the mental capacity to know how to deal with it and how to move forward in getting past it.
When it comes to kids, they haven’t developed that knowledge or experience quite yet. This is where your help and guidance comes into play and is super important in their daily lives.
Teach your child breathing techniques, coping mechanisms, and other stress-relievers so that they can start to learn how to self-soothe themself during this time.
Encourage Them To Put One Foot In Front Of The Other
Stress causes a lot of people to pump the brakes and pause what they are doing. This doesn’t have to be the case. You can easily teach your child how to overcome anxious feelings so it doesn’t disrupt their daily life.
While anxiety isn’t something that will just “poof” go away, it is something that can be tackled head-on to overcome.
Calming an anxious child is going to require you to put in time and effort but you’ll be amazed at the growth that your child will show. Why let them try to figure out these big emotions on their own when they’re still just so little and tiny themselves?!
Instead of focusing on the negative, jump in, and help your child see that there are more positives in the world than not. This can bring about hope, energy, and confidence that can ultimately squash their worries and fears.
Do you have any other tips for calming an anxious child?
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