Adults often go through moments of anxiety without consciously noticing. This can bring with it many reactions in the body or emotional manifestations that, at the time they occur, are not recognized as such. Sometimes the manifestations intensify and there is awareness of the anxiety situation, other times this occurs when the episode has been overcome.
In children, what happens is similar, with the addition that it may be impossible for them to identify that what they are going through is an anxiety problem. It is very common for them to experience these stages with anguish or fear without knowing what to attribute them to and that they go through them giving signs that they are having a problem that they cannot solve. Adults must be aware of these signals and know how to react to them in the way that children need.
Anxiety can manifest itself in multiple ways:
- Fear of separating from parents
- Fear of harm to their parents or themselves
- Fear of the dark, animals, natural disasters such as storms or floods
- fear of going to school
- Constant complaints of headache or stomach ache
- In adolescents, anxiety can manifest as an exaggerated concern about their performance in a dance or a sport or about their appearance and their image in general.
Some phrases that children can use to say that they are anxious:
- “What’s wrong with me?”: anxious children express this doubt with remarkable frequency
- “I’m tired”: Anxiety can involve constant reflection and drain the child’s energy
- “Can’t we stay at home?”: If your child prefers to stay in familiar environments instead of living new experiences, no matter how fun they are, it is likely that he is suffering from a moment of anxiety
- “Don’t leave me”: separation anxiety is one of the most frequent in young children and often becomes evident when children do not want to separate from their parents
- “Can you turn on the light in the hallway?”: Fear of the dark is common but can sometimes turn into a fear of being overwhelmed by nightmares.
Key role of parents
To solve these anxiety problems, the role of parents is paramount. They exert a modeling effect on the children that can influence the perpetuation or resolution of the anxiety problem. Dialogue with children is key and they can resort to certain phrases to transmit tranquility and security:
- “Here I am; you are safe”: this phrase together with a hug will serve as a refuge for the child
- “I went through that too”: through this phrase the children will understand that what they are going through is nothing serious or strange
- “Sometimes worries can be good”: this will help the child accept his state of anxiety and be able to solve it without trying to deny or hide it
Can you detect these manifestations in your children? Use these techniques to convey peace and security to them and accompany them while they resolve their stage of anxiety.
*Important: It should be clarified that La Bioguía does not give medical advice or prescribe the use of techniques as a form of treatment for physical or mental problems without the advice of a doctor, either directly or indirectly. In the case of applying any information on this site for this purpose, La Bioguía does not assume responsibility for these acts. The intention of the site is only to offer information of a general nature to help in the search for personal development and growth.
Share on social networks: