Does your child have fears or worries about returning to school?
Does your child avoid social situations? Or need excessive reassurance from you?
Is your child overly worried about their future, health, school, or sports?
If you have noticed these behaviors in your child, especially if they are a change from your child's baseline behaviors, they could be suffering from anxiety. Anxiety can feel overwhelming to your child and to you. Children with anxiety manifest their fears in many different ways. Some act out becoming angry, aggressive, and defiant. Some withdraw, becoming disinterested in activities and family outings that used to give them pleasure. Parents often describe an anxious child as "not themselves", "overly worried" or "overly angry at the smallest thing". If this sounds like your child, know that anxiety is very common among adolescents and children and it is highly treatable (often through therapy and sometimes medication). So, what can you do to help your child with anxiety? First and foremost, attempt to remain calm yourself and then reach out for resources and support.
If you feel your child may need help with their anxious feelings, there are many resources available to you. Some are listed below and remember, you can always reach out to your school counselor or local mental health agency for further support and resources:
https://www.seattlechildrens.org/globalassets/documents/for-patients-and-families/pfe/pe1492.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjvfRtcMhn4Pu2a3xxn6_TsWgqPdhU-3t
https://www.seattlechildrens.org/globalassets/documents/for-patients-and-families/pfe/pe1748.pdf
https://www.seattlechildrens.org/health-safety/keeping-kids-healthy/prevention/youth-mental-health-first-aid/
Thank you Pauline Wray for writing this article.
