Practical Ways to Support Your Anxious Child

Are you worried that your child has a lot of anxious feelings, or seems worried a lot of the time? Everyone feels worried or anxious at points in their life. Normally, there’s a specific reason behind it.

Your child may be worried about schoolwork, moving schools, or coping with a significant change in their life. Children can also become anxious if they have a traumatic experience.

Signs of feeling anxious include:

• Nightmares and night terrors
• Wetting the bed
• Difficulty sleeping, broken sleep, or waking very early
• Becoming angry, or sudden mood swings
• Withdrawing from friends and social situations
• Lack of concentration
• Negative thoughts
• School refusal
• Eating much more or less than usual
• Problems at school

Some children are naturally more anxious than others. Anxiety becomes a problem if it affects your child’s wellbeing.

For example, you’d expect your child to feel anxious before they take an exam. It’s healthy for them to learn how to deal with these feelings.

But it’s a problem if their anxiety about exams affects their sleep, overall health, or stops them from going to school. Specialist medical professionals can make a diagnosis of anxiety.