HELPING ANXIOUS CHILDREN

From time to time children worry and become anxious about friends, school and family. However, some children experience unrealistic worry and prolonged anxiety that impacts their ability to enjoy life.

Some behaviors that are common in overly anxious children include:

• Refusal or fear about attending school on a regular basis,
• Clingy behavior with parents in a way that is inappropriate for the child’s age,
• Fear of interacting with other children,
• Unrealistic worry about the safety of parents,
• The need to be perfect in a way that keeps the child from completing tasks such as homework,
• Overly worried about school performance,
• Fear of trying new or unfamiliar experiences.

For most children, anxiety and worry is a temporary response to a stressor such as changes in the family or a move to a new school. Although these children may, indeed, need help coping with stress and change, once the stressor subsides the anxiety usually goes away. Some children, however, feel continually anxious even when stressors are minimal. Parents may indicate that their son or daughter has always been a “worrier” or “fearful” from an early age.

Parents can take steps to decrease their children’s anxiety by:

• Teaching skills to manage stress,
• Building their confidence to handle tasks that cause the anxiety,
• Praising them when they perform a task that previously made them anxious,
• Encouraging them to talk with a trusted adult when they are worried or anxious.

If you remain concerned about your child’s level of anxiety or worry, it may be beneficial to consult a child psychologist or your family’s physician about effective treatments for childhood anxiety that include counseling and therapy.