Anxiety in children is real and it's traumatizing

 

 Like adults, children are also worried and anxious from time to time.  Some children may even be too anxious to play normally.

 The latest research by Professor Cathy Creswell of the University of Reading in the United Kingdom shows that parents can actually do some work to help their children alleviate anxiety.

Children between 4 to 8 years old may be afraid of ghosts, demons and even everyday animals.

 Excessive anxiety in parents' lives affects children's health

 Professor Chrisville has written several books on how to overcome childhood anxiety, and summarized the six practical and effective methods found in the research on childhood anxiety.

 1) Don't say: Don't worry, this kind of thing will not happen

Older children are more likely to worry about encountering things that do exist in life but rarely happen, such as murder, terrorism or nuclear war.

No matter how old your child is, don’t simply ignore their worries, anxieties, and fears; simply comforting them that these things will not happen, or suggesting that they think so stupidly, will not fundamentally help children avoid anxiety.

 On the contrary, what parents should really do is to face up to and acknowledge their children’s fears and worries, and understand them.

2) Do not change the daily routine due to the child's worries

Don’t change your daily life around your children’s fears, otherwise they will not have the opportunity to learn that they can cope with the things that scare them in life.

 If your child is afraid of dogs and sees a dog coming from the opposite side, you may want to take your child to avoid it.  But if you do, the message is that the child’s fear of dogs is correct.

 Not to change lives around children's fears does not mean that children are forced to face those things that make them terrified. On the contrary, they should be supported to overcome fear step by step until they can face it calmly.

 3) Don't help them find answers, but listen patiently

This requires parents not to always ask their children how they feel, but to understand how and when their children feel.

 Make sure to listen carefully to discover the reason behind your child’s fear.

 It is usually easy for parents to help their children come up with solutions, but on the contrary, parents should ask their children to explain what they are afraid of and listen carefully, because the children are afraid that what happens may be based on a wrong perception.

 You can only provide adequate help if you know what the child is worried about.

 4) Asking questions to help them realize that anxiety is unnecessary

For example, you can ask them what has happened before, and things that they feel afraid of may happen.

 Slowly help them see that the worry they have caused by something is actually impossible at all, or even if it does happen, they are fully capable of responding.

 5) Slowly detect their fears

 Encourage and help children develop psychological strategies and tactics so that they can manage their fears and worries.

For example, if they are afraid to perform on stage, ask them to ask themselves: What is the worst possible scenario?

 Are you afraid of forgetting the lines?  Still afraid of falling on stage?

Every time you complete a step, praise and reward your child.

 At the same time, let them ask themselves: What is the best situation?  Will the performance be exceptional, or the scouts will come and ask them to act in a Hollywood blockbuster?

 The biggest possibility is that it will neither be the worst nor the most exciting, it should be somewhere between the best and the worst.

6) Occasionally anxiety is normal

However, if anxiety often causes problems for children, makes them avoid the things they should face every day, or even miss certain important links, then it is necessary to seek more expert advice.

The ultimate goal of parents is to help children become accustomed to the uncertainties in life, not to eliminate all worries.

 Learning to control your emotions is also part of your child's growth.

 When we become adults, we will better deal with the worries and fears in our lives, because we know from what angle to look at problems, and most of the problems we can deal with freely.