It’s normal for children to show signs of anxiety, worries and fears sometimes. In most cases, anxiety in children and fears in childhood come and go and don’t last long. 

Children also worry about different things as they get older. In early childhood, they might worry about getting sick or hurt. In older childhood and adolescence, the focus becomes less concrete. For example, they might think a lot about war, economic and political fears, family relationships and so on.

If your child shows signs of anxiety, you can support them in a variety of ways:

• Acknowledge your child’s fear.
• Let them know anxiety has a function – it helps protect us from threats and can help us perform better.
• Gently encourage your child to do things they’re anxious about.
• Praise your child for doing something that makes them feel anxious.
• Help them manage their anxiety by setting daily goals.
• Avoid labelling your child as ‘shy’ or ‘anxious’.  Encourage a healthy lifestyle – eat well, sleep well and exercise.

When to be concerned about anxiety:

You might consider arranging a school counselling referral, seeing your GP, or seeing another health professional if:

• Your child’s anxiety is stopping them from doing things they want to do or interfering with their friendships, schoolwork or family life.
• Your child’s behaviour is very different from children the same age.
• Your child’s reactions seem unusually severe.

For more information about anxiety in childhood and adolescence we recommend the Kid’s Helpline website - kidshelpline.com.au - which has lots of hints and tips as well as ‘stories’ to share with your children covering a host of topics including ‘Everybody makes mistakes’ under the Kids 5-12 section.

If you’d like to talk about any of these tips (or anything else), you can contact me via email Amy.Kennedy@mccg.org.au or by phoning through the school on a Friday.

Amy Kennedy

Student and Family Counsellor