Anxiety and phobias are extremely real for a lot of children, and as a parent, you do not have to despair and feel hopeless. There are things you can do to help your child deal with anxiety, you can teach your child the skills they need to cope with anxiety so that they do not feel paralyzed by it. Here are a few great ways to start:
• Be sensitive to your child's feelings. To you it might seem odd that they are going through anxiety and fear over something that seems trivial to you, but to them, it feels like a real fear and you need to understand that and be supportive. Encourage your child to talk to you and let them know that you are there for them, and never punish them for how they feel.
• Do not cater to whatever fear your child is fearing. For example, if you are taking a walk with your child and you approach a dog, and your child has a fear for dogs, do not cross over to the other side of the road specifically to avoid the dog. If you do that, the message you are sending to the child is that indeed dogs are something that should be feared. Instead, support the child as you come close to the object that they fear.
• Teach your child the techniques that will help him or her cope with the anxiety better. Relation techniques and breathing exercises can help your child become calmer, and therefore reduce their anxiety levels.
• When your child becomes anxious or you notice a rise in her anxiety, reinforce calmness in yourself. Encourage the child to face the situation that is making them anxious and use positive reinforcements that will communicate to the child that they can overcome this new challenge that they have to deal with.
• Encourage your child to take part in activities that they enjoy. Physical activity and exercise have been proven to release stress, so the less stressed your child is, the less the anxiety levels will be.
Parents should not feel hopeless when it comes to helping their children deal with anxiety, help is available.
