Anxiety in Children and How to Help

Everyone gets anxious from time to time, including children. Whether it’s starting a new school, or anticipating mom and dad going away on a trip, there are things in life that are expected to make kids (and grown ups) feel anxious. But how to you know when it’s a problem in your child?

In this article from understood.org, the differences between normal anxiety and an anxiety disorder are outlined in a helpful chart so parents and caregivers can be aware of the types of anxiety that are generally a normal part of childhood versus a more serious anxiety disorder.

Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash

According to the article, typical anxiety may include “what if” questions and risk avoidance, but these occasions will generally be isolated and shouldn’t cause meltdowns or significant stress. Being sensitive when kids are feeling anxious and helping them work through the situations are usually enough to reduce the stress of the situation and allow the child to move on with their day.

On the other hand, a general anxiety disorder will cause kids to worry about a lot of things, like school, sports or what will happen in the future, and may even have physical effects like headaches or stomach aches. There are also specific types of anxiety disorders like separation anxiety or social anxiety disorder. In these cases, there are things parents and schools can do to ensure the child can function normally ranging from therapy, avoiding triggers and even medication.

If you are concerned about your child and their anxiety, check out the article here.

Additional resources:
Helping your child overcome a fear
Signs of anxiety in young children