Introduction
When a child is struggling with anxiety, it can be challenging for families to know how to best support them. What parents may not realize is that the answer isn’t as simple as “just relax!” or “you just have to think positively.” Instead, there’s a lot more going on in the mind of an anxious child. Let’s take a look at some common symptoms of anxiety and what you can do if your child experiences these symptoms:
Listen to your child.
Children have a way of communicating their feelings that can be difficult for adults to interpret. They may not always use words, but they often use body language or facial expressions to show their emotions. If you listen carefully, you’ll be able to pick up on the underlying message and emotion behind what your child is saying–even if he or she doesn’t explicitly say it out loud.
Play Fidget Toys
Fidget toys can be a great way to help your child cope with anxiety. Fidget toys are small objects that can distract, focus, or reduce stress and anxiety by allowing the user to constantly play with them. If a parent notices their child repeatedly playing with something like their hair or shirt hem while they’re sitting at dinner, they might want to consider getting them their fidget toy as an alternative distraction tool.
If your child struggles with focusing at school or in other settings where he or she needs to stay still for long periods, try giving him or her anxiety fidget toys as well! The constant movement might help keep him/her focused on something else besides his racing thoughts about being late for class again today because he forgot his homework assignment at home last night when he went out for pizza with friends after school ended early due to inclement weather conditions caused by Hurricane Irma hitting Florida last month…
Visit a Therapist Specialising in Anxiety
If your child has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, it’s important to find a therapist like this anxiety therapist in Melbourne who specializes in helping people overcome their fears. A good place to start is with your insurance company’s list of approved providers. You can also ask your doctor for recommendations or look up therapists on Psychology Today’s website.
Finding the right person for your child may take some time and effort, but once you do, they’ll be able to guide him or her through the process of overcoming anxiety symptoms through therapy sessions tailored specifically for kids (and often parents). The goal of these sessions will be to help children understand how their brains work so that they can learn healthy ways of coping with stressors like school assignments or getting bullied by other kids at recess.
Teach your child how to cope.
- Make sure your child knows that they can talk to you.
- Help your child identify their triggers and how they feel when they are anxious.
- Teach them how to manage their anxiety through breathing exercises, meditation, and other coping skills.
- Teach your child how to cope with their anxiety by recognizing the signs of an impending panic attack (sweating, shortness of breath), finding somewhere safe where they can calm down, taking deep breaths, or doing something else relaxing until the feeling passes (like counting slowly backward from 100).
Admit to Schools for Disengaged Students
You may not be aware of this, but schools are pretty good at helping kids with anxiety, like these schools for disengaged students in Gold coast. They can provide homework help and tutors, as well as a safe space for your child to talk about their feelings and ask questions. If you’re worried about the stigma associated with seeing a therapist or coach, don’t be! Schools often have partnerships with mental health professionals who offer free services to students on campus.
Encourage your child to do one thing every day that scares them.
- You can encourage your child to do one thing every day that scares them.
- It could be something as simple as going into a crowded room or public place, or it could be something more complex, like talking to an adult they don’t know well. The important thing is to encourage them in whatever way works best for them–you might even want to be there with them when they do it!
Set a daily routine and stick to it.
Routine is important for everyone, but especially for kids with anxiety. Having a schedule helps them know what’s coming next and can help them feel more confident that they can handle whatever comes at them throughout the day. If your child has trouble establishing a routine, start with something simple like having him brush his teeth before bedtime or setting aside time after school every day to read together. You can also use apps like Family Time or My Life Organized to help keep track of everyone’s schedules so everyone stays on top of things!
Give your child the tools they need to be successful.
Your child must know that you’re there for them, but it’s also important to give them the tools they need to be successful. Here are some ways you can help:
- Teach your child about their strengths and weaknesses. For example, if your child is strong at time management but struggles with organization and prioritization, then you could help them by teaching them how to manage their time better or get organized so they can work on their priorities first before tackling less important tasks like laundry or cleaning up after dinner.
- Help them set goals for themselves so they know what direction they would like things in life to go in terms of career goals (or even just hobbies), education level desired, etc., this way when there are setbacks along the way we can look back at what we set out originally as our goal(s) and see how far away from those initial ones we’ve come since then which helps us stay motivated despite any obstacles standing in our way!
Conclusion
We hope this article has taught you how to help your child with anxiety. If they are struggling, you must listen to them and validate their feelings. You can also play with fidget toys with them and teach them coping skills such as deep breathing exercises. If needed, visit a therapist specializing in treating children with anxiety issues – these professionals will be able to give more specific advice based on their circumstances!
