Helping kids cope with anxiety

We all have had anxiety at one time or another. A big project due at work. The stress of the upcoming holidays (and they’ll be here before you know it.) Worries over paying those unexpected car-repair bills.

Even though adults might think kids shouldn’t have a care in the world, children have anxiety, too. We stumbled across a wonderful article by Dr. Clark Goldstein, the founder of Growth Psychology in New York City, who addressed how to help your child cope with anxiety. We share some of his thoughts and suggest you read his article for more in-depth information if your child is facing anxiety and stress.

1. Help your child manage her anxiety. Don’t try to remove the things that trigger her stress. Instead, if you help her tolerate the anxiety, it will reduce as time goes on.
2. Don’t avoid things that make him anxious. Removing him from the situation that causes anxiety when he starts to react negatively shows him that is how he can cope with the anxiety. The cycle likely will repeat itself.
3. Listen to your child’s fears but don’t discount or validate them. Tell her that you understand that she’s afraid about something, such as a dental appointment, and that it is OK to be afraid and that you will be by her side to get through it together.
4. Talk and think things through with him. Discuss what he is afraid of and develop a plan to cope with those fears. For instance, what if he worries that he will get on the wrong bus after school? What would he do if he is the last one on the bus and he doesn’t recognize his house? You two can develop a strategy that he will talk to the bus driver and ask the driver to call you or another loved one right away. Having a plan that you’ve created together will help reduce anxiety.
5. As we said, parents face anxiety, too. Your kids can perceive how you handle your stresses and will pick up on how you get through difficult circumstances.