How To Tell if Your Child is More Anxious Than Others

All kids experience anxiety when growing up. But how can you tell if your child is more anxious than others? Find satisfying answers in this article.

Fearless people would ignore genuine dangers like hot stoves and red lights, which would result in a lot of bodily harm if we didn’t have any fear at all. However, it is not uncommon for concerns and anxieties that begin tiny to balloon out of control. A threat can appear even when there is no immediate danger. Anxiety might therefore become a hindrance to normal activities.

If you’re dealing with children and teenagers, how can you tell when they’ve reached a point where their mental well-being is in jeopardy because of their high anxiety levels?

The Reaction May Determine What is Perfectly Normal

Let’s have a look at a few imaginary scenarios:

  • When it comes to heights, 6-year-old Stacy is a little apprehensive. When Stacy receives an invitation to a friend’s birthday party at the neighborhood playground, she decides to try out the high climbing frame for the first time. A fear of falling and harming oneself prompts her to confide in her mother.
  • Louis, who is eight years old, used to look forward to his annual birthday party. An unexpected illness now strikes on the eve of every social occasion. Rather than stating the obvious, “How do I know if people like me??” Louis commonly asks these kinds of inquiries, and they often come out of the blue: “Do you believe people are attracted to me?” How would I feel if everyone mocked my plight?”

As a result, although Stacy has expressed concern, her concerns are more in line with those of a child her age. Her buddies may have inspired her to try climbing because she hasn’t got a lot of practice with climbing gear. This type of sporadic anxiety, common among children of the same age group, isn’t very alarming. What you do with the situation, though, is what really matters.

Even though he never stated it outright, his parents are aware of the fact that he has stopped doing something he used to like, and in a way that is distinct from other kids of his age. As someone who regularly imagines the worse, he is frequently asking himself “what if…” questions.

Next, what’s going to happen?

Parents’ own experiences and knowledge of how anxiety works may influence how they respond to either of these scenarios. Obviously, we didn’t learn that in school! Another adult may encourage her fears about climbing by saying, “Yes, that does appear risky,” and if Lily doesn’t get to do so, she may become even more concerned.

It’s possible that her fear of climbing has spread to other aspects of her life because of additional stress in her life, such as transferring to a new school and perhaps a natural predisposition to be extra careful.

When it comes to Jack, it appears that he is already feeling apprehensive. Parents may respond in two very understandable ways to their children’s anxiety: they may be protective and soothing, or they may lose patience and tell the youngster to ‘get over it.’

Isn’t it surprising that a child’s anxiety can be increased by either of these responses? For example, a youngster who is anxious may be unwilling or unable to do certain things, such as leaving their parents’ side, having difficulty sleeping, or worrying about future activities or tests.

Their symptoms may be more “worry ill” than “medical sick,” such as regular headaches or stomach problems. Anxiety in certain youngsters manifests itself in a variety of ways, including irritability and erratic behavior. Dialing your child’s doctor or school might help you determine whether or not their anxiety is normal.

Waiting and hoping that anxiophobia will improve on its own?

In many cases, it takes parents and caregivers a long time to seek professional help for their nervous children or teens. Waiting and hoping that the child will ultimately grow out of the difficulty, they often only do so after a long period of time, eventually realizing that things are getting worse. This is quite reasonable, and it’s crucial to emphasize that seeking such assistance at any time is never a waste of time.

Although it doesn’t matter if your child is clearly nervous, learning more about how anxiety works and effective techniques to deal with anxious sensations is quite beneficial (such as sadness or anger). You may wish to assist your child, or teen avoids troubles in the future, or you may need help right now. As a parent, you can utilize a variety of methods to assist your child in overcoming their anxiety and becoming more confident and capable. Anxiety isn’t something to be concerned about!

Meaningful articles you might like: When Is Anxiety a Concern for You and Your Child, Having Fun Is The Best Antidote To Anxiety Right Now, Treatment for School Anxiety in Children