When children experience a traumatic event or develop a phobia, it can be hard for them to talk about what’s bothering them. They may also have trouble understanding why their parents are acting the way they are. This is why it’s so important to give children the opportunity to talk when they’re feeling anxious or need an adult they can trust.
However, this doesn’t always happen easily. Sometimes adults feel awkward talking to children and end up making things worse by being unintentionally condescending and confusing children instead of comforting them. Luckily, there are ways you can help your child cope with anxiety that don’t involve complicated theories or expensive therapies.
Here are some practical tips on how you can support your child if they’re having a difficult time coping with something that has nothing to do with them personally (such as their parent getting a divorce).
Don’t Be Too Quick to Assume
When children experience anxiety, they’re often overwhelmed and confused by their feelings. They might also feel guilty for feeling anxious, as if it should somehow never happen to them. Unfortunately, this can make them want to hide their feelings even more. Children are usually unaware that they’re being too sensitive or that they’re responding negatively to something. This can cause them to assume that they must be wrong or have something wrong with them.
It can be really helpful to take time to get to know your child and their unique history and circumstances. If you’re having trouble, you might want to try taking a step back and asking yourself, “What am I trying to achieve here?”
Create a safe space for your child to talk about their feelings
If your child is having a hard time talking about something, try creating a safe space for them. This can be as simple as providing a quiet space with few distractions and snacks so that they don’t feel rushed to get out of it. You can also try creating a safe space by being non-judgmental and letting your child know that whatever they say to you will be kept private.
This can be especially helpful when your child is talking about something that has to do with other people, such as a friend’s difficult experiences or a teacher’s rules that are frustrating them.
Make Things Tangible
One of the best ways to help your child understand the source of their anxiety is to help them create tangible “things” they can focus on. This can help your child make their fear of whatever is bothering them feel less overwhelming by giving it a sense of “realness”.
In addition to this, tangible “things” can help your child understand that their feelings are normal and that they’re not alone in experiencing them. This can help your child realize that they’re not “overreacting” and can reassure them that they’re not alone in how they’re feeling.
Try helping your child visualize whatever it is that is causing them anxiety. Imagine pretending that it is already happening and giving it a sense of “realness”. This can help your child understand that their anxiety is a real thing that is happening to other people, not just in their heads.
Help your child understand the source of their anxiety
When your child is feeling anxious, it can be helpful to let them know that their feelings are normal and that everyone feels the way they do when they’re anxious.
It can also be helpful to let them know that they’re not “oversensitive” and that other people experience the same feelings as they do. It can also be helpful to help your child understand that whatever is causing them anxiety is real and that they need to accept it. This can be done by asking your child to picture the source of their anxiety in their minds and pretend that it is actually happening.
Try to help your child understand the source of their anxiety by encouraging them to talk to someone they trust about it or by getting them involved in a project or activity related to whatever it is that is bothering them.
Help your child find meaning
One of the most important parts of helping your child cope with anxiety is helping them find meaning in their experiences. This can be done by finding positive ways to look at whatever is bothering them and finding things that remind them that they’re strong and capable. This can be done by encouraging your child to take action and challenge whatever it is that is bothering them. This can be done by encouraging your child to get involved with a group or volunteer activity that helps them feel like they’re making a difference.
Try to help your child find meaning in whatever is bothering them by encouraging them to talk to someone they trust about it or by encouraging them to challenge whatever it is that is bothering them.
Help your child manage the symptoms of their anxiety
One of the best ways to help your child manage their anxiety is to encourage them to take a break when they’re feeling overwhelmed. This can be done by doing something that you enjoy, such as listening to music or reading. One of the best ways to help your child manage their anxiety is to encourage them to take a break when they’re feeling overwhelmed.
This can be done by doing something that you enjoy, such as listening to music or reading. It can also be done by taking a break from whatever is causing them anxiety and taking a walk. Encourage your child to take a break from whatever is bothering them by encouraging them to take a walk or to do something that helps them calm down.
Don’t forget to take care of yourself!
Finally, it’s important to remember that anxiety can be incredibly exhausting and stressful for both you and your child.
This means that you might be more affected by whatever is bothering your child than they are. Try to keep these things in mind while you’re trying to support your child. Remember that managing your own anxiety can help you keep yourself grounded and focused when you’re helping your child handle theirs. This can make it easier for you to create a supportive environment for your child to discuss whatever it is that is bothering them.
It can also make it easier for you to understand your own anxiety, which can help you understand your child’s better.
