Anxiety is a natural part of our human life. Did you know that even a baby who has just become sufficiently aware of the presence of his/her mom may cry due to anxiety when the mother leaves the baby alone? As kids grow older and become more conscious of their own abilities, limitations, and how failure will make them feel, anxieties develop into fears.
Many kids will have a more normal ability to find their own methods for coping. A more nervous child may need more reassurance and support from the people they trust. It’s stressful when our child is failing to do something that we know they enjoy or might be successful at. Parents need to recognize that the child is going through some form of anxiety and nip that in the bud in the growing years, otherwise it’s likely to become a fear and the child may find it more difficult to get over a fear than an early stage anxiety.
In the younger ages’ anxiety starts with loss of familiarity ( mother leaving and stepping away, going to a new school, meeting with unknown people etc.). As kids grow older anxiety comes from fear of failure or fear of parental or teachers’ approval and children try hard to gain this approval.
As parents, we should encourage our child to tackle the anxiety instead of empowering the anxiety. Do not underplay their anxiety by telling them “it’s nothing”, because they feel that the parent does not relate to their problem. Instead talk through it and deal with it empathetically. Be with them physically in situations that make them anxious to be able to observe and deal with the situation. This will make them feel empowered and the anxiety may vanish over time. Share your life situations with them – they will be able to draw parallels, to observe your reaction to the situation and that may help them deal better with theirs.
Follow it through once you have your specific action plan and then give it some time to work. Note that nothing will work overnight, but it’s the secret to helping your child to cope with anxiety.
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