How To Help Your Child Feel Less Anxious

Islamabad (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th March, 2019) Every child, just like every adult, feels anxious sometimes. But for some, anxiety can take over, stopping them doing the things they enjoy.Research by Prof Cathy Creswell from Reading University, the author of books on how to overcome anxiety in childhood, has demonstrated that there are things that parents can do to help alleviate their child's anxiety.Here are some tips based on her research and on other recent studies on anxiety.1) Be aware that it's natural for childhood anxiety to move through stages.Four to eight year olds might worry about ghosts, monsters or animals, while older children are more likely to fear getting hurt through real but rare events such as murder, terrorism or nuclear war.2) Don't dismiss your child's fears.Telling them it's never going to happen or implying they're foolish for worrying won't help.

Instead, acknowledge how their fears must be making them feel.3) But try not to arrange life around their worries or you could deny your child the chance to learn that they can cope with the situations they fear.

If your child is afraid of dogs it might seem kind to cross the street whenever you see a dog, but the message this gives them is that they're right to be scared.

This doesn't mean you should force a child to confront something that terrifies them, but instead support them in gradually getting closer.4) If anxiety is becoming a problem, watch carefully to try to identify which situations they struggle with most.The idea is to try to get a good understanding of what they're feeling and when, but without constantly asking them how they feel.5) Ask children open questions.It's tempting to jump in with solutions, but instead make sure you listen while they explain what they fear might happen.

It might be based on a misunderstanding.When I was little I was terrified of getting on high speed trains. I'd stood on the platform while they screamed through the station and assumed that it was like that inside the train too. Until you know exactly what it is that your child fears, it's hard for you to help them.