In todays modern world, and the hustle and bustle of everyday living, our kids have a lot going on: school, afterschool/evening activities, homework, chores, and tagging along with mum or dad to do family jobs, without a lot of "down time", time to relax, to play, to ponder and wonder, and to just be. This modern day type of living can leave some children feeling anxious. Add to this, exposure to a variety of information through differing media platforms, excessive technology and gaming use, and in some childrens cases, parental stress, different living environments, or other more personalized stressors such as friend, teacher, or school difficulties, illness, lack of sleep, diets containing processed foods, lack of water, and/or minimal physical exercise. All of these stressors can manifest as anxiety.
So how can I tell if my child maybe experiencing anxiety? Here's 10 signs:
1. They become very clingy to one parent (usually mum)
2. They avoid certain situations - a common one here is refusing to go to school
3. They become afraid of specific things, such as a fear of the dark or going anywhere alone
4. They have troubles going to sleep at nights, staying asleep, or will not go to sleep in their own bed/bedroom
5. They will ask you to do things for them they are capable of doing themselves "can you do it for me?" or asks you to speak for them such as "will you tell them?" a lot
6. They complain of sore tummies, headaches, or feeling unwell
7. They are irritable, hyperactive, or the opposite and are withdrawn and won't talk
8. They worry a lot especially about doing things the "right" way
9. They see everything in a negative light or view situations as dangerous
10. They cry often but it is not always clear what is wrong
There are many other signs that your child maybe experiencing anxiety, these are just a few more common ones.
There are many things we can do as parents to help our children with their anxiety naturally. The first step however is to identify if your child is experiencing anxiety, then you can start to address the issue. Does your child display any of the above signs?