Helping Your Child with Fears and Worries 2nd Edition: A self-help guide for parents

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Teenagers are more likely to have social anxiety than other age groups, avoiding social gatherings or making excuses to get out of them. Creswell, C., Parkinson, M., Thirlwall, K., & Willetts, L. (2019). Parent-led CBT for child anxiety: helping parents help their kids. Guilford Press. Item Type: So talk with them about their fears. Play and creative activities can help as well. Making up stories together is a great way to talk through their feelings. Life Kit Now Is A Good Time To Talk To Kids About Civics Encourage kids to (re)discover their 'flow'

But if your child's anxiety is starting to affect their wellbeing, they may need some help. What makes children anxious? Severe anxiety like this can harm children's mental and emotional wellbeing, affecting their self-esteem and confidence. They may become withdrawn and go to great lengths to avoid things or situations that make them feel anxious. What are the signs of anxiety in children? Written by two of the UK’s foremost experts on childhood anxiety, this extremely useful guide will enable you to understand what is causing your child’s worries and to carry out step-by-step practical strategies to help him or her to overcome them, including: When kids and teens face new things, they often feel a mix of emotions. Facing something new — even when it's a good thing — can be stressful. It's natural to feel excited about what's ahead — and to worry about whether they're ready to handle it. Soothe and comfort. At times, kids and teens may feel overwhelmed by worry. In those moments, trying to talk it through isn't likely to help. It might help more to offer comfort and understanding. Remind them that you're there to help them through things that happen. Teach them to use calm breathing to relax their mind and body.Your child's terrified, hiding in a corner under the blanket. Sound familiar? What are they scared of? A spider? A monster under the bed? Or, the thought that you might give them broccoli again?! If your child is old enough, it may help to explain what anxiety is and the physical effects it has on our bodies. It may be helpful to describe anxiety as being like a wave that builds up and then ebbs away again.

The "chaos and the busyness" of kids' lives interferes with their natural mindfulness, Jain and Tsabary say. They suggest encouraging children to notice the thoughts that pass through their minds, but recognize they have the choice to accept the thought or not. Worries related to being habitually bullied or experiencing regular conflict or distress either at home or school Does your child suffer from fears and worries that affect their behaviour or keep them awake at night? Your little one might be afraid of imaginary or magical things, or have big worries about real everyday things. They might be scared of the big bad wolf in the fairy tale, or of a barking dog down the road.Here are seven ways to help your child manage their anxiety — or reclaim their superpowers. Encourage kids to make friends with their worry Lots of people experience worry and anxiety although for some people it can impact on everyday life and get in the way of school/college, socialising and even home life. The types of anxiety that are most common but cause a lot of distress include: Children who have had a distressing or traumatic experience, such as a car accident or house fire, may have anxiety afterwards.

First and foremost, it's important to talk to your child about their anxiety or worries. Reassure them and show them you understand how they feel. Persistent refusal to leave the house or attend/ take part in activities such as school, hobbies, interests, seeing friends. distraction can be helpful for young children. For example, if they are anxious about going to nursery, play games on the way there, such as seeing who can spot the most red cars Once you realize that a thought doesn't have power over you and that you can literally just observe it and let it pass, you then decide which thoughts you wish to choose to react to," Tsabary says.

Other ways to ease anxiety in children

Children often find change difficult and may become anxious following a house move or when starting a new school. Worry isn't all bad. It can be helpful as long as it doesn't last too long, become too intense, or happen too often. It's better to recognise their anxiety and suggest solutions to help them, so they can go to the sleepover with a plan in place. Other ways to ease anxiety in children Every kid can feel anxious at times — but the last two years of interruption have taken a serious toll on children's mental health. Worry is a caution signal. It's a natural response to a big event, change, or challenge. Worry is a way of thinking and feeling ahead: "Am I ready for this? What's going to happen? Is it safe to go ahead? What do I need to do to get ready? How will I do it? What if I feel nervous?"