Children don’t always have the words they really need to explain when or why they’re feeling anxious – you might spot it because they’re being extra clingy, for example, or maybe they’re frustrated, or perhaps they suddenly have loads of questions at bedtime which delays things, and so on, but it’s hard to really know.
And because it’s hard to know, it can be equally hard to know what to do because the last thing you’ll want to do is dismiss their worries, but you also don’t want to accidentally make them worse. So with that in mind, here are some simple ways to help kids manage anxiety at home – keep reading to find out more.
Keep Things Predictable
Routine can be really reassuring, and knowing roughly what’s happening next is something that helps children feel a bit more secure, even if it’s not obvious why that might be – that part doesn’t matter. So if you can do simple things like have consistent meal times, familiar bedtime routines, regular after-school routines, and so on, that’s going to give your child a great feeling of stability.
And we’re not saying things have to be really strict or that nothing can change because life’s not like that, and things will need to be moved about a bit at times, but keeping a few predictable things in place as much as possible is definitely going to help.
Use Stories To Help Them
Stories can be massively helpful because they give children a safe way to think about and talk about emotions. For example, when a character is worried about something, children can relate to it, and they’re not going to feel like they’re the only ones feeling those feelings. Plus, you can have a conversation about it afterwards, perhaps asking what the character could do next, for example.
Using stories for kids with anxiety can give them some natural coping strategies and remind them that they’re not alone, and on top of that, it’s a great chance to spend some time together, which could be exactly what they need to feel more secure and safe.
Encourage Calm Activities
Quiet activities can help children reset when they’re feeling overwhelmed, and things like drawing, reading, building, colouring, listening to music, and so on, can give them the time they need to slow down and calm down. And even if there’s only a short amount of time for them to do it, that can help – it’s better than nothing.
Some families also find that simple breathing activities can be helpful, and you can also make them playful, like pretending to blow up a balloon or breathing in while counting etc. Keeping it light and relaxed makes it feel much more comfortable and less stressful.
Keep Reassurance Realistic
Reassurance is absolutely crucial, but it tends to work best when it’s also realistic (although still gentle). The fact is that saying everything’s fine might not be believable, and could even feel like you’re ignoring your child’s feelings, which is why acknowledging the issue first is the most important thing.
One thing that can help is to remind them that they’ve been in similar situations before and handled them well, and that can build confidence and help them trust their own abilities a bit more as well.
Top Photo Image Credit: by Vitaly Gariev