Anxious Children – Things to Do and Not to Do
2629 day agoChildren also experience stress but for those who suffer from anxiety disorders, handling their worries is extremely challenging. In fact, there are severe cases of this kind of disorder which may lead to children’s behavioral changes such as the following: lack of appetite, excessive or not sleeping, or they may even stop attending school. Additionally, children may be chronically anxious even when they haven’t had any negative experiences and managing this can be extremely challenging for both parents and children.
Although dealing with children’s anxiety is a difficult task, there are several ways to help your little ones overcome this. Listed below are some of the things you should and should not do if you have children who suffer from anxiety:
The Dos
Help Manage Anxiety Instead of Eliminating This
No parent would want to see their children unhappy but removing or avoiding the things that triggers their anxiety is not a long-term solution to the problem. Although doing this will make children feel better for a certain period of time, it will eventually spark their anxiety since they were not able to learn how to tolerate this. Instead of keeping your children away from the factors that trigger their anxiety, help them handle this and also teach them how to function well despite suffering from such attacks. Over time, their anxiety will lessen or fall away. One way to manage anxiety is to play and enjoy the outdoors and one of the best toys to play with is Whistlecopter’s Original Copter since this also helps develop a child’s motor skills, hand-eye coordination, as well as coordination in general while providing a lot of fun and enjoyment.
Set Positive and Realistic Expectations
You can never reassure your children that everything will be perfect – that they will not fail the test, or that no one in the class will dislike them – since this is unrealistic. However, you can make them feel confident when they face their fears by having realistic expectations and by telling them that they will be able to handle the situation no matter what happens. This will help lessen their anxiety while helping them gain enough confidence which will prevent them from worrying about failing to meet expectations.
Practice Soothing and Relaxing Routines
You can make a routine for relaxation exercises to help your children deal with anxiety; during bedtime, you can also encourage them to read a fun or interesting book or do breathing exercises instead of letting them watch TV or play with other gadgets. Another way is by encouraging them to do helpful mental exercises such as thinking of four doors and what good things would be behind each of these; this routine will also help them feel that they are more in charge of their schedule.
The Don’ts
Never Take Over your Children
It may be tempting to take over and do things for your children especially when you see them worry about failing; this may help them feel better at the moment but this also gives them the message that you don’t believe they can do it. Eventually, your children may think that they cannot do it by themselves which can cause their anxiety to increase. Instead, teach your children how to encourage and do a task themselves which will give them the reassurance they need.
Do Not Pass on Your Fears
If you are anxious or worried about something, try your best to keep this to yourself and stay positive or neutral. This does not mean that you cannot have any worries, but if you often show your children signs of anxiety, this will give them the message that they must be scared and this may eventually discourage them to explore and try new things. Try showing your children how to deal with anxiety through humor; this is one way to help them deal with the world as well as the absurdities and mistakes of life.
There are numerous ways to reduce anxiety in children and these include therapy, medication, as well as natural techniques such as having a proper diet, getting regular exercise, as well as sufficient amounts of sleep. Regular exercise is among the simplest ways to lessen the symptoms of anxiety, and one way to get exercise is by playing with the coolest and amazing toys from Whistlecopter such as the Bubble Gun Nemo which Lights Up with LED. This toy promotes outdoor play, thus, allowing children to explore their surroundings while getting physically active, having fun, and releasing stress hormones that will help deal with anxiety.
Another important thing when raising children who suffer from anxiety is not to confuse anxiety with inappropriate behavior. It is still essential to set reasonable expectations and limits for your children, as well as to have consequences for inappropriate behavior. Having these along with love and acceptance will raise confident children.
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