How To Keep Your Kids' Anxiety At Bay. 4 Tips That Help

By Author: John Sarkis
Total Articles: 32
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As parents, it can be difficult to watch your children struggle with anxiety. It is a serious issue that can have a significant impact on your child’s quality of life and mental health. Thankfully, there are things that you can do to help your child manage their anxiety and keep it at bay. A Dee Why children’s centre shares some tips and techniques that you can use to help keep your kids’ anxiety under control.

Help Them Identify Their Feelings:

It’s important to help your child understand their feelings so they can better manage their anxiety. Anxiety can present itself in many ways and often children are not able to identify the feeling. Let them know that it is normal to feel scared, worried, or overwhelmed and that it is OK to ask for help.

Try to encourage your child to use words to describe their feelings. For example, if they are feeling anxious about a school project, ask them what that feeling feels like in their body and how it makes them think or act.

Encourage Them to Talk About Their Worries:

According to a Dee Why children’s centre, talking about worries and concerns ...
... can be a great way for children to understand and manage their anxiety. Parents need to create a safe and open environment for kids to talk about their worries, without fear of judgement or criticism. Make sure your child knows that you are listening and that it’s OK to talk about whatever is bothering them.

Teach Them Relaxation Techniques:

There are many different ways to teach relaxation, but here are some popular strategies suggested by child care centres Dee Why:

- Deep breathing: Have your child take slow, deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. Encourage them to keep track of the breaths and count each one.

- Imagery: Have your child imagine a peaceful scene like a beach, a forest, or a garden and ask them to use their senses to explore the scene. Ask them questions like “What do you see?” and “What do you hear?” This technique helps kids visualize a peaceful place and feel more relaxed.

- Progressive muscle relaxation: This technique involves tensing and releasing muscles in order to relax the entire body. Start with the feet and work up to the face, tensing each muscle group for 10 seconds before releasing.

Help them Differ Between Real Threat & False Alarms:

When faced with stress and anxiety, it can be hard for them to tell the difference between real threats and false alarms. Talk to them about what a real threat looks like (such as an emergency or dangerous situation) and then contrast that with a false alarm, which is an exaggerated fear. You can also show your child how they can assess the risk of a situation in order to determine if it’s a real threat or a false alarm.

Anxiety is a common issue for many kids and can affect their daily lives. Learning how to manage anxiety is an important skill for both adults and children alike. Besides following the tips listed above, talk to the staff at a reputable child care Dee Why for further help.

At Dee Why Kindergarten we work hard to create a comfortable, inclusive and warm environment where your child can grow. We want your child to feel loved and cared for every day, so they can thrive in a happy, relaxed and comfortable environment. For more visit http://deewhykindergarten.com.au/