How to React to a Child’s Anxiety
It’s important that parent’s know how to react to a child’s anxiety. This is especially true for younger children who are very sensitive to their parents’ reactions. The response a child witnesses to their anxiety can help improve the situation. Or it can make things dramatically worse.
In some ways, you can compare the appropriate response to your child’s fears and anxiety to the way you respond to their injuries. While we all wish our children would never get hurt, we know that some bumps and bruises and scrapes are inevitable as our young ones take on the adventure of life. What parent would want their child to miss the fun of skating, or biking or whatever because there’s a chance they’re scrape their knee? We give them the best instruction we can, don’t let them do more than they’re ready for, get them protective gear when appropriate and then let them go.
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Most of the time they have a great time and no problems at all. Occasionally they’ll come running in with tears in their eyes and a scrapped knee. You sooth them, clean off the scrape, put a bandage on, give them a hug and turn them loose.
God forbid, but sometimes kids have bigger injuries. I hope nothing ever happens to your kids, but sometimes parents need to take their child to an ER for stitches or a cast.
With injuries, we all know that the appropriate response is different in every situation. It varies with the severity of the injury. In the same way, how to react to a child’s anxiety varies with the situation.
In general, it’s a good idea if you can stay calm and composed and don’t let your child’s fear get you in a twitter. If you become anxious it will only make your child’s anxiety worse.
Then assess the situation and see what response seems appropriate. Sometimes simple reassurance will be enough. At other times you may need to help your child in other ways.
For example, if your child is nervous about going to the dentist, you might do something like talking with your dentist and their staff and taking them to office a few times before their actual appointments. My dentist has some great toys in the waiting. If your dentist has the same, your child could play there for a while and maybe be able to “go for a ride” in an exam chair before they have their actual appointment.
Obviously, this is just an example. My point is that you’ll have to use your best judgment and gauge your reaction accordingly.
The more difficult thing is when your child seems to have frequent, severe anxiety that is limiting their ability to do normal activities. In that situation, you should probably get a “second opinion.” Talk the situation over with your pediatrician to see if they think your child’s reaction is outside the norm.
It’s my bias, but I would be slow to try medications. I respect physicians and nurse practitioners tremendously, but it does seem many of them are quick to prescribe psychotropic drugs even for kids. I much prefer trying something like cognitive behavioral therapy. This works very well and is a useful skill for anyone, child or adult, to master. The issue is that therapists skilled as teaching it are uncommon and not readily available.
One helpful program that everyone has access to is the Anxiety Free Child program. Click here to read a review of it. This program is extremely effective and I think any parent whose child has a problem with excessive fear and anxiety should at least check it out. Especially since it comes with a 100% money back guarantee.
Imagine your child happy and eager to enjoy life. The Anxiety Free Child Program has helped any number of children to regain their natural joy and do just that.
Childhood Anxiety Disorder Symptoms
Tags: child anxiety, Childhood Anxiety, how to react to a child's anxiety