As adults, we can relate to fear of doing something new, or unusual. They say one of our biggest fears is - having to speak in public! We may feel fear, but there is no real danger present. If adults have difficulty rationalizing that, then imagine their anxiety and children having to deal with new situations almost every day of their lives! It's called growing up.
Would we, as parents expect our children to react more maturely than we do? Is it reasonable to load a child with our stress and anxiety?
There is an obvious connection between parental anxiety and children suffering anxiety. They are more likely to have an anxiety disorder if they have a parent with anxiety issues.
Parents can do a lot to help the children by trying to keep their fears under control. It is grossly unfair of us adults to expect to keep our anxiety, and children not keep theirs. We should keep our adult emotions in check.
It is more difficult for anxious children to pay attention and focus. This can be seen as agitation and hyperactivity. A key fact is that treatments for ADHD can involve the use of heavy drugs. If you go the route of using medication, then use remedies that are natural, benign and not dangerous. Be wary of anxiety and children getting pushed into heavy drugs.
Separation anxiety and children are linked when they have difficulty leaving their parents to attend school or camp. They avoid staying at a friend's house, or being alone. Often, they will "cling" to parents and may have trouble getting to sleep. Separation anxiety may be accompanied by depression, sadness, withdrawal, or the fear that a family member might leave or die.
Social anxiety and children involve displays of excessive fear of social and personal performance situations. They are concerned that they may do something embarrassing or humiliating, or others will think badly of them. These children constantly feel as if they are "on stage", which can lead to crippling self-consciousness.
One of modern life blights is anxiety, and children, especially, suffer its consequences. Parents who note symptoms of severe anxiety in their child or teen can help by seeking help early. Early treatment may eliminate the issue quickly and help prevent future problems.
Anxiety in children can disappear as quickly as it came. Too many parents are too concerned with daily chores and work to take time off during the day and just have fun with the children. Families that play together, stay together. Taking your focus off the problem and enjoying time together will calm the situation, and the child. Playing can help you deal with your own anxiety and children are better off too.
Young children are not usually aware that they are worrying. They may not see their fear as excessive or may not be able to verbalize their feelings and thoughts. This is normal. Parents need to trust their instincts in deciding whether their child's anxiety is more severe than normal.
If you decide go the route of using medication, then always use remedies that are natural, benign and not dangerous. Be wary of anxiety and children getting pushed into heavy drugs.
When it comes to anxiety and children, the parents and caregivers can do a lot to help. Anxiety can take many forms, and may range from the natural fear of real danger all the way through to chronic, excessive worry and obsessive fear that seems to bear little relation to reality.
Nothing burns energy like anxiety, and children often waste energy by worrying constantly about future events (which may never occur), past events (which cannot be changed), social acceptance, family matters, their personal skills (or lack of), and grades at school.
Oftentimes, they will be judging themselves by making negative comparisons in unrealistic ways. They may compare their skills with an Olympic champion, or a rock star. Inevitably, they will judge themselves as inferior and the bond between anxiety and children just gets worse.
Some anxiety disorders are more common in childhood and at specific stages of development. Separation anxiety disorder, for example, is more common in children around 6 to 9 years old.
All children experience a certain level of anxiety. The connection between anxiety and children is made the day they are born. They are obliged to cry to get their needs met, and the noise does the trick. Older children may be very quite and exhibit clinging behaviors.
Sometimes, it is very difficult to identify anxiety, and children can be masters at camouflaging their feelings. A certain degree of anxiety in children is quite normal. But, when the fears become overwhelming and out of control, they might be suffering from a more serious condition.
There can be a connection between anxiety and children not wanting to go to school. Maybe it's more than just receiving bad grades. It may range from bullying to just a teacher they don't like. It can be difficult to determine, and it is up to the parents and school officials to watch out for this.
Refusing to go to school is not the one and only game plan for displays of anxiety and children. Sometimes, it is the staff, teachers, and director who don’t want to go to school! We can relate to job stress. Why should children react differently? However, anxiety in children with conditions such as separation anxiety or social anxiety can show up as a refusal to attend school.
Oftentimes, diagnoses of attention deficit disorder, ADD are really just anxiety. And children have been subjected to treatment that can, at times, cause more problems than it resolves.
If you decide to try medication, then always use remedies that are natural, delicate and certainly not dangerous. Be wary of anxiety and children – never pushing them into heavy drugs.
There should never be a connection between anxiety and children. Parents hope their children will lead happy, carefree lives as they grow up. But, there is so much daily stress in modern life, that it’s very difficult - almost impossible, to hide our anxiety, and children see these adult cares.
All children experience some level of anxiety at one time or another. Recent and dramatic shifts in the world economy, have many adults experiencing extreme anxiety, and children cannot, but share, in its negative effects.
Small children are much more aware than we would like to think. They may display intense, distressful anxiety, and children, of toddler size, may scream uncontrollably at the thought of being out of sight of their parents. This anxiety will get even worse if the parents are fighting.
Statistics show that the number one cause of family friction is - financial worries. These worries can only be worsened by the economic crisis. So, try harder than ever, to keep to yourself your anxiety and children keep on playing as they should. Heavy discussions should be behind closed doors. Avoid talking about worries in front of the children.
Would you expect a baby elephant to carry the weight of the world? Of course not! You wait until the elephant grows up before you put on a full load. Unfortunately, too many parents don’t give their children the carefree childhood they deserve. We, all too often, expect the children to grow up way too fast. Big mistake!
Parents should be on the alert for early signs of anxiety, so they can minimize them.
Anxiety and Children's Reactions
overwhelming, intense fears about the safety and guaranteed continuous presence of parents and caregivers
refusal to go to school, often with the excuse that they can't be sure the caregivers will not slip away during their absence
frequent aches and pains, and other physical ailments, which may not be real at all
extreme reluctance to go to sleepovers and being away from home
clinging to the caregiver as if their lives depended on it
panic when the parents are not together
difficulty sleeping, bed-wetting, and nightmares
compulsive worrying and fantasizing about things that "might go wrong"
low self esteem
and lack of self-confidence
Anxiety and children can, and should, be kept separate. Early access to treatment can reduce difficulties to a minimum. There are many treatments, which may include family counseling, medications, psychotherapy, and consultation with teachers.
If medications are used, then the more natural they are the better. Too many modern synthetic medications carry collateral effects that can do more harm than good.
A comprehensive range of medications that can reduce anxiety and children will like, can be accessed via the links. Just click on any of the links.
