What are some ways to reduce anxiety in children?
Children, like adults, experience worry and anxiety from time to time. Some children may even be too anxious to play normally. New research suggests there are things parents can do to help their kids manage anxiety. Six practical and effective approaches found in research on childhood anxiety disorders are summarized below:
- Don't say: Don't worry, it won't happen.
Acknowledge the child's fear, tell the child that the fear will not remain unchanged, and be prepared to face anxiety and fear in different periods. No matter how old your child is, don't simply ignore their worries, anxieties, and fears; simply reassuring them that none of these things will happen, or implying that they are foolish, will not fundamentally help your child avoid anxiety. Instead, what parents should really do is face up to and acknowledge their children's fears and concerns, and show understanding.
- Don’t change your routine because of your child’s worries
There is no need to help children figure it out, but let them figure it out on their own, and if they ask for help, help them. Don't change your routine around your child's worries and fears, or you won't have a chance to show them that they can handle the things in life that scare them.
If your child is afraid of dogs and sees a dog approaching, you may want to rush your child away. But if you do, the message will be that kids are right to be afraid of dogs. Instead of changing your life around your child's fears, it's not about forcing your child to face something that scares them terribly. Instead, you should support them in working through their fear step by step until they are comfortable with it.
- Don't help them find answers, but listen patiently.
Instead of always asking "what's wrong", observe your child's behavior and get more information. Communication is key. This requires parents not to always ask their children how they feel, but to let the children fully understand when and what they feel. Be sure to listen carefully to discover the reasons behind your child's fears.
Usually, it is easy for parents to help their children figure out solutions, but instead, parents should ask their children to explain what they are afraid of and listen carefully, because what the child is afraid of may be based on some kind of false perception.
Only by knowing what the child is worried about can we provide appropriate help.
- Ask questions to help them understand that anxiety is redundant.
For example, you can ask them what happened in the past, and it may happen that something scares them. Slowly help them understand that the worry they have about something is not actually possible, or that if it did happen, they are perfectly capable of dealing with it. And encourage children to develop mental strategies and tactics that allow them to manage their fears and worries.
- Slowly test their fears.
Help your child learn coping strategies, make plans, and praise and reward each step completed. Praise helps children build self-confidence.
- Occasional anxiety is normal.
Worry is part of life. What we need to learn is how to cope. Life is not about being perfect, it's about learning how to make life better.
However, if anxiety often plagues children, causing them to avoid what they should face every day, or even miss some important links, it is necessary to seek more expert advice.
Parents can read a book to learn about strategies that can be used, or contact a doctor for help starting cognitive behavioral therapy. One thing to keep in mind is that you can't expect to eliminate all anxiety from your child's life.
The ultimate goal of parents is to help children get used to the uncertainty in life, not to eliminate all worries.
Learning to control their emotions is also part of a child's growth.
When we are adults, we are better able to deal with the worries and fears in our lives because we know where to look at them, and we can handle most problems with ease.