Signs of Anxiety in Kids and Strategies to Help Them Cope
Parents naturally want to protect their children from life’s challenges. However, sometimes these perceived dangers manifest as intense worry or fear. Anxiety among children can be a silent struggle, and recognizing its signs is the first step toward providing the support they need.
What Age Does Anxiety Start in Children?
Children who are as young as 6 months to 3 years old can have separation anxiety. They may cry and seek attention when separated from you. This normal phase should end around age 2 to 3.
However, that doesn’t mean it should end there. Children can still feel anxious, no matter how old they are. As they grow older and learn more about life, they experience worrisome moments, such as the first day at school, public speaking, or hospital visits.
Some may outgrow these negative feelings, while others might not. Anxiety becomes a problem when it starts disrupting their day-to-day activities. This feeling can affect your child’s overall wellness and may stop them from doing things they enjoy.
Signs of Anxiety to Look Out For
Anxiety affects your kid’s thoughts, feelings, body, and behavior. Discover the signs to look out for in your child:
Physical Signs
- Having difficulty sleeping
- Wetting the bed
- Experiencing headaches or stomach aches
- Feeling hot or sweaty
- Taking short, shallow breaths
- Finding it difficult to concentrate
- Having panic attacks — characterized by a racing heart and chest pains
- Crying often
Thoughts
- Thinking negative thoughts
- Worrying about the present or future
Behavioral Changes
- Avoiding everyday activities, such as going to school or meeting friends
- Have angry outbursts
- Eating more or less than normal
- Isolating oneself
- Repeating certain behaviors
- Self-harming
Different Types of Anxiety
Six common types of anxiety disorders can affect children:
1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Children with GAD often immerse themselves in negative thoughts about seemingly normal scenarios. For example, they might worry about going to school, the weather, or a loved one’s safety. Having this mental disorder makes focusing in school challenging.
2. Social Anxiety Disorder
Also known as social phobia, this condition is characterized by the fear of what other people will think or say. The constant fear of doing something embarrassing prompts a child to avoid social situations, such as public speaking, attending parties, and participating in group activities.
3. Separation Anxiety Disorder
It’s normal for babies and young kids to be clingy when they're apart from their parents. Sometimes, growing children still have this fear. A child with this condition may miss school because they can’t do things without you.
4. Selective Mutism
This type of anxiety is an intense form of social phobia where a child can’t talk in certain situations. For instance, your kid might speak with you but refuse to do so when at school. Children who have this condition are often misunderstood as timid.
5. Panic Disorder
Intense fear may trigger physical symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pains. Panic attacks can happen anytime — this fact alone can make a child ashamed, prompting them to stay indoors.
6. Specific Phobias
A phobia is a crippling, unrealistic fear of an object, animal, individual or situation. Common phobias include fear of clowns, dogs, thunderstorms or flying in a plane. A child with a phobia may avoid situations where they think they may encounter fear. For instance, a kid who is afraid of snakes may refuse to go to a zoo.
What Are the Possible Causes?
Several factors may affect your child’s anxiety, including:
- Genetic factors: Your child has an increased risk of anxiety disorder if you or a family member has it.
- Environmental and life stressors: Exposure to stressful situations — such as family conflicts and financial issues — can cause anxiety. Alternatively, the loss or death of a loved one can make kids anxious.
- Social situations: Fear of judgment or experiences of bullying may trigger social anxiety.
- Academic expectations: Some parents may expect their kids to excel in school without recognizing that each child has a unique learning style. For example, a parent may wish their child to do well in math without knowing that young girls and boys behave differently in relation to learning this subject. Girls who struggle with math tend to hide their weaknesses rather than solve problems.
How Can You Help Them Cope?
Here’s how you can help your child overcome their anxiety.
1. Validate Your Child’s Fear
Avoid dismissing your child’s worries, no matter how small they may seem. Your priority is to validate their feelings. Instead of saying comments like “You can do it,” try more comforting remarks, such as “I know you’re feeling scared, and I understand you. What can I do to help you?” That way, your child feels they’re not alone.
2. Help Them Face Their Fears
Respecting your kid’s anxiety doesn’t mean you support them giving in to the fear. They must understand that life’s not all rainbows and butterflies. Things can be scary, but that’s OK. Encourage them to take small steps and support them along the way.
3. Spend Quality Time Together
Set aside quality time every day without gadgets. Take this opportunity to find out what’s worrying your child or make them happy through these kid-friendly tools:
- Roll With It: This unique coping skills kit helps your child identify their emotions and deal with them in a fun way, increasing their emotional intelligence. This kit includes dice filled with coping strategies, boredom buster cards with activity ideas, a mindful mat for anxiety-relieving exercises, a star-shaped stress ball, and a write-and-draw tablet.
- “How Do You Feel” Poster Set: These posters can help your kid make you understand how they feel. This set includes a poster featuring kids demonstrating 20 different emotions, coping strategies, and other resources for better social skills.
4. Know When to Seek Professional Help
Visit a mental health professional if:
- Your child’s anxiety is not going away or getting worse.
- You think it’s slowing down your child’s development.
- The anxiety is affecting their academic performance and relationships.
- Physical symptoms happen often.
- Your child is engaging in self-harm.
Help Your Child Manage Anxiety
Kids deserve to experience joy, happiness, and peace. Identifying the signs of anxiety before negative emotions worsen can help your child build resilience and navigate life’s challenges with their head up high.
Sources:
- Anxiety in children
- Anxiety disorders in children
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/mental-health/anxiety-disorders-in-children/
- Anxiety Disorders (for Parents)
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/anxiety-disorders.html
- Phobia
https://www.health.harvard.edu/a_to_z/phobia-a-to-z
- Getting Girls Into Math
https://www.mathschool.com/blog/parent-resources/getting-girls-into-math
