Parent’s Ultimate Guide In Managing Anxiety In Children

Recently updated on November 28th, 2023 at 05:11 pm

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Anxiety is something that we may have all faced at some point in our life. Anxiety in children can occur from as young as 5 years old.

It is common to feel anxious, worried or even having sleepless nights. But this is normal when it happens every once in a while.

For instance, your child may feel anxious the day before their exams or before a major sports competition.

Anxiety can become a problem when it exists continuously. It causes extreme fear and worry that can affect a child’s behavior, eat, sleep and mood.

In this blog I will breakdown the following points :

  • WHAT CAUSES CHILD ANXIETY?
  • SIGNS OF ANXIETY IN A CHILD

  • CAN A CHILD AS YOUNG AS 5 HAVE ANXIETY
  • CHILD ANXIETY TREATMENTS
  • OTHER WAYS TO COPE WITH ANXIETY
  • HOW TO HELP A CHILD WHO IS ANXIOUS ABOUT SCHOOL?
  • 8 THINGS TO NEVER SAY TO YOUR ANXIOUS CHILD
  • 24 PHRASES TO CALM DOWN AN ANXIOUS CHILD

So now let’s get started with the basics of child anxiety.

WHAT CAUSES ANXIETY IN CHILDREN?

There are different types of anxiety that your child may face. But generally, they are categorised as Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Separation Anxiety and phobia.

Now let me tell you the difference between all those types of anxiety.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

It happens when a child is worried constantly almost every day.

The reason can be many things. They may worry about friends, homework, social life, technology and more.

GAD kids tend to worry often. It could also be due to things you may never expect.

For instance, feeling anxious about their birthday celebration or social media post not getting the likes they expect.

GAD kids may find it hard to focus in school or to even relax and be able to enjoy the moment.

Depending on the child of your age they may not even talk to you about their worries.

They can find it hard to express their feelings or feel better despite what others say to them.

Separation anxiety disorder (SAD).

This is something I am very familiar with. My toddler faces this every time I leave the house. But as soon she’s in daycare she feels relaxed again.

The problem comes when kids do not outgrow their fear of being away from their parents. This is then known as a separation anxiety disorder.

Especially for younger children starting school this can be extremely difficult. They may hate going to school or even feel sick to go.

Some kids will hold on to their parents or not even want to participate in any activities withou0t their parents.

They may not even want to sleep on their own.

Social phobia (social anxiety disorder).

Kids with social phobia tend to always worry what others think about them and feel embarrassed to say or do anything.

They don’t like attention and would rather go unnoticed in class.

Some kids can even feel extreme anxiety when needed to work in a team or do a presentation in class.

THE GROWTH MINDSET KIT  aims at helping children realise how special they are and also activities to help them understand the support they have around them.

Here are some signs to look out for in your child:

  • Difficulty in concentrating
  • Not sleeping or waking up with nightmares
  • Loss of appetite or refusing to eat
  • Feeling moody or getting irritated and angry
  • Feeling tense or fidgety
  • Clingy
  • Always crying
  • Complaining of pain and refusal to go to school

CAN A CHILD AS YOUNG AS 5 HAVE ANXIETY?

According to Children Anxiety Disorder Association, children experience separation anxiety between the age of 18 months to 3 years old.

It is normal for a child to feel anxious when a parent leaves the room. However, they can be distracted by that feeling.

This is considered more of a disorder when it happens to kids between the age of 7 to 9 years. old.

 

TREATMENTS FOR ANXIETY IN CHILDREN:

There are plenty of treatment options for your kids. But and foremost, talk to your child about what is worrying them.

Reasuree them that you understand their feelings and do not be judgemental.

The NHS describes anxiety as waves that build up and then goes away but may come again. Let them know that their problem can be managed.

Instead of telling your child to “be calm and just do it, you will get over it” find a solution together with them. This is what you can say instead:

“I know you are feeling nervous. What can you and I do to help you with this.?”. Instead of dismissing the problem, explore it together with your child.

Some kids can find it hard to express their feelings.

This is when I love the idea of Growth Mindset For Kids. It is activities that help children express their emotions and overcome challenges with confidence.

THE GROWTH MINDSET KIT also helps kids manage their anxiety using worksheets and positive affirmation. 

The other most common treatment for anxiety is to go to a therapist that specializes in helping families and kids manage their anxiety.

The therapist will support, provide activities and praise your kids in the process.

They will learn how to avoid their fears or even how to overcome those fears.

During therapy parents will also be thought how to cope with an anxious child.

Hence, it is good to seek professional help if you are dealing with a child that has an anxiety disorder.

If you are in the UK then visiting your GP is the first step. They will guide you with what you can do next and even book your child in for therapy.

OTHER WAYS TO COPE WITH ANXIETY IN CHILDREN:

Think of activities your kids like to do and when they are feeling worried you can remind them of the fun things they can do to help them calm down.

Print out the activities and have it in their bedroom so it acts as a reminder to your child.

This is an example that I made for my nephew.

You can leave a comment at the end of the blog post and I can make a similar one for your child that can you can print out and keep in their bedroom.

Managing anxiett

HOW TO COPE WITH AN ANXIOUS CHILD?

Here are some strategies to help you cope with an anxious child:

  1. Help your child manage and NOT eliminate anxiety

When a child is anxious the goal is not to eliminate it but rather help your child manage it.

I understand that we do not want our children to be unhappy. But your child will have to learn how to manage their anxiety.

Over time the anxiety might disappear but that will not happen overnight.

Hence management is the best coping strategy and not elimination of anxiety.

2. Keep helping your child to face their challenges

Do not avoid things or situations just because you know your child will be anxious about it.

Avoiding such situations will not help your child in the long run.

However, do know their boundaries. Sometimes a child can cry not because they are being manipulative but rather feeling comfortable.

Always comfort and reassure them that they are safe.

Over time they will have a coping mechanism that works for them.

Don’t forget to check out the growth-mindset kit made to help kids overcome anxiety.

3. Set goals and expectations

A child can feel anxious especially when they are in school when they do not have goals and clear expectations.

Goal setting activities can help a child understand what they want to achieve and how they will achieve it.

You can read more about goal setting for children here. 

Express confidence in your child and let them know that there is nothing wrong with failing or not achieving their goals.

There will always be setbacks. You can use real-life examples of how successful people fail but eventually succeeded through determination.

Download the THE GROWTH MINDSET KIT with Inspirational failure stories.

4. Do not belittle your child’s fear

You might think your child’s fear is unreal. But we all have different fears.

Be empathetic towards their fears but also at the same time do not amplify it.

Instead, try to help her understand that sometimes worries might not necessarily become a reality.

You can write down their worries with them at the end of the day and then pick the right words that will make it go away.

Use the exercise sheet below. It has many other anxiety management activities.

 

5. Help your child express their feelings.

Rather than asking leading questions, for instance, ” Are you worried to go to school tomorrow”, ask them an open-ended question: ” How are you feeling about school tomorrow?”

This will encourage your child to talk about their feelings.

Sometimes even with such open-ended questions, a child might not be willing to talk about emotions.

This is when you should introduce the idea of journaling to your child. 

Using the right journaling queues your child can draw or reflect on their emotions.

You can check out the Growth Mindset Kit which consist of daily journaling pages aimed at helping kids reflect on their feelings.

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6. Let your child know they are loved

Appreciate your child and use positive affirmations with them on a daily basis.

Let them know that you appreciate the effort they are making in trying to deal with their anxiety.

Related : 101 positive affirmations to say to your child

Sometimes when your child is feeling anxious or worried they may think that they are not good enough.

You can have your child write down fun things they did with their family each week.

This can be a reminder for your child on how much their family loves him.

Check out THE GROWTH MINDSET KIT which has activities for kids to start loving themselves and face challenges with confidence

7. Think about different scenarios with your child

It can help your child if you think about situations in which their worries come true- how would your child handle it?

For example, a child who is afraid about what other people think about them might be worried about their appearances. So we talk about that.

If someone says something unpleasant, what would you do? “Well, I would learn to ignore, walk away and find better friends.”

And what if you get bullied for it? “Well, I would tell Mom and report it to the school.”

This is just an example, you can walk through your child’s anxiety with them and think about different scenarios to resolve it.

This will help ease their mind.

 8. Model positive ways of managing anxiety.

The best thing you can do for your child is to show them how you handle anxiety.

Kid’s watch what their parents are doing and will take it every small thing that you do.

Talk about your own anxiety with your child and also the calming strategies that you use.

By showing them your fears you help them connect with you and they can feel even more open to talking to you about their worries.

HOW TO HELP A CHILD WHO IS ANXIOUS ABOUT SCHOOL?

The summer has ended and the kids are sharpening their pencils and packing their clean backpack.

A lot of excitement at this time of the year when children are finding out which friends will be in the same class.

But that excitement is not for every child. For some children going back to school can cause anxiety and stress.

Some kids will start worrying about homework, passing exams or even if they will make new friends.

This period can be particularly difficult for kids transitioning from middle school to high school.

5 Ways To Manage With Back-to-School Anxiety

1.Prepare

Find out the basic information about the next academic year. For example :

  • Extracuriculur activities
  • Library opening hours
  • End of term exams
  • Bank holidays
  • Visit the school playground and meet up with teachers and other students

Let them know it’s ok to worry

At the first week of the school itself, let your child know what to expect.

For instance, if your child is going to high school then let them know that life in high school can sometimes be a bit difficult but the key is to find the right set of friends.

Let your child know if at any time they are worried or feeling isolated that they can always come and speak to you at any time.

Most importantly let your children know that it is normal to feel worried.

You can use the printables below to help your child deal with any anxiety they may be facing in their daily life or at school. 

 

2. Show Empathy

Be ready to listen to your child’s worries.

Be specific when asking your child what they are worried about. It could be :

  • Academic
  • Social
  • Screen use (cyberbullying, sexting, etc)

You can prompt questions to your child when you are in the car or even going out for a walk.

Talk to them in a casual method as it makes it less intense and they can feel easier to express themselves.

During this time give them your undivided attention and keep your devices away.

Remember to not be judgemental about their fears.

Don’t forget to check out the growth-mindset kit made to help kids overcome anxiety.

3. Focus on Positives

Once you have identified their fears, it is time to shift the attention to positive thoughts.

Write down their fears on a piece of paper then on the other side brainstorm how you can change that fear into something positive.

For example :

“I am not good in maths” / “I will take extra classes to be good at maths”

“I do not have any friends” / ” I am good at making new friends”

“No one likes me” / “I am loved”

Remind your child how amazing they are and how much they are loved. A simple exercise like this will instantly boost their self-confidence.

You can use the printables below and help your child to start loving themselves again.

Focus on small things that bring happiness each day

Sometimes we can get too engrossed in our worries that we forget about the little things that are good in our day.

Journaling their thoughts at the end of the day can help children be reminded about the kindness they received from other people and things they loved about their day.

Some children can find it hard to talk about their feelings.

Journaling is a great way for them to reflect on their emotions and express their feelings.

By using the right journal that prompts the right questions you are able to help your children express those emotions.

You can check out The Growth Mindset Kit that is designed to help kids express their feelings.The kit prompts them with 4 important questions:

  1. What your child loved about the day?
  2. Was someone kind to your child or did your child showed kindness to anyone?
  3. Did anything upset them during the day?
  4. Their plans for tomorrow.

4. Be Connected

Try to add this to your morning routine :

  • Say “I Love You” to your child every day before they go to school
  • Use essential oils that can help them stay calm
  • Print out a motivational quote and stick it in their room

And finally, pay attention to your own behavior. If you are an anxious parent then your child can sense that.

Children take cues from their parents. The confident and calm you can model, the more your child will believe they can overcome anything that comes in their way.

Be supportive but firm.

When saying goodbye in the morning say it with positivity.

If your child is nervous then talk to them calmly.

It can go something like this “I see that school is making you scared, but you still have to go. Tell me what is bothering you and we can talk about it.”

5. Create a study plan

Having a simple study plan can be useful for kids that are worried about keeping up with homework, exams, and deadline.

8 THINGS TO NEVER SAY TO YOUR ANXIOUS CHILD:

According to PSYCOM, when a child is feeling anxious parents may see things that can dismiss a child’s feelings.

Here are a list of words that have been suggested to avoid during chronic anxiousness:

Don’t worry.

The worry won’t go away by telling her to stop worrying. By telling her to not worry it is implying that her worries are unreasonable.

Instead, say this: Can you tell me more about what is worrying you?

It’s not a big deal

For an anxious child their worries are a big deal. It is affecting their lives and relationships. Hence, it is a big deal.

Instead, say this: I can see you are feeling anxious, let’s take a few deep breathes together

You will be ok 

Anyone that has experienced an anxiety attack knows that being told you will be fine might not be the best thing to hear.

Instead, say this: I am here,  let me help you.

You can also try doing some mindful coloring to help ease off the anxiety.

You can use the GROWTH MINDSET coloring pages made for kids.

Don’t be afraid

Kid’s can be afraid about things that may seem unreasonable for you.

Just like how I am afraid of butterflies. If someone tells me don’t be afraid when I see one it is not going to get rid of that fear.

However, PSYCOM emphasis the need for having conversations to help get rid of fears.

Instead, say this: Le’ts talk about it.

Let me do it for you

I understand as parents we always want to fix things for our kids.

Seeing them worry brings in our protective feelings. But doing things for them will not help them learn the coping mechanisms of managing anxiety.

Instead, say this : What can I do to help you get through this?

Stop overthinking

This can cause an embarrassment in your child. They are overthinking because they are anxious.

I am sure that can happen to any of us.

Instead, say this: Let’s breakdown your thoughts. And try to turn things to be more positive.

Again, you can use positive affirmations here or even motivational quotes to help them think positively.

Check out Motivational Quotes made especially for kids.

 

24 PHRASES TO CALM DOWN AN ANXIOUS CHILD:

  1. Can you scribble or draw what is worrying you.
  2. I love you, you are safe here
  3. Let’s take a deep breathe together
  4. I can do this, I have got help
  5. I am a warrior and unstoppable
  6. This fear will go away
  7. This feeling will go away
  8. Talk to me about your fears
  9. Close your eyes, and picture this_____
  10. Lets do something fun together to calm down
  11. You are not alone
  12. I understand your feelings
  13. Let’s breakdown those thoughts
  14. Le’t think of all the good things you did this week
  15. Let’s think of all the people who love you
  16. Let’s go for a walk together
  17. How can I help you?
  18. You are so brave
  19. How can I support you?
  20. Let me hold you
  21. Let’s write a new story
  22. Can I hold your hand?
  23. Can we write this worry in a journal and close it?
  24. Should we meditate together?

You can also read out 101 positive affirmations to tell your child on a daily basis to give them confidence.

 

Before you go, check out THE GROWTH MINDSET KIT, aimed at helping children face challenges with confidence.

Inside THE GROWTH MINDSET KIT  :

  • Daily journaling pages (52 pages)
  • Learn to love yourself worksheets (6 pages)
  • Learn to be thankful and give back to others worksheets (3 pages)
  • Inspirational Quotes (20 pages)
  • Inspirational failure stories (6 pages)
  • Inspirational coloring pages (10 pages)
  • Dealing with anxiety activities and worksheets (9 pages)

 

  • Goal setting and being productive worksheets (7 pages)
  • Being mindful, content and discovering gratitude activities (10 pages)
  • Travel bucket list and travel journal pages(4 pages)
  • Family activities pages (3 pages)
  • Encouraging kids to review books activities (5 pages)
  • Monthly review activities (4 pages)

 

A quick peek into THE GROWTH MINDSET KIT  made just for kids aged 7 – 18 years old

139 pages of fun, positive and growth mindset activities

 

 

 

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Parven founded Kids N Clicks after obtaining her MSc in Corporate Governance from the London School of Economics. She worked as a business studies and digital marketing lecturer. Internet Matters recognizes her profound knowledge of online safety, dubbing her an Internet safety expert. At Kids N Clicks, Parven keeps abreast of the newest apps. Drawing from her teaching background, she fervently promotes screen-free activities for students and encourages introspective thinking through journaling, games and writing prompts.

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