Managing Anxiety & Worries in Children
Just like adults, children and young people feel worried and anxious at times.
But if your child’s anxiety is starting to affect their wellbeing, they may need some help to overcome it.
Children tend to feel anxious about different things at different ages. Many of these worries are a normal part of growing up. However, anxiety becomes a problem for children when it starts to get in the way of their day-to-day life.
When young children feel anxious, they cannot always understand or express what they are feeling. You may notice that they:
- become irritable, tearful or clingy
- have difficulty sleeping
- wake in the night
- start wetting the bed
- have bad dreams
The NHS Choices website has lots of useful information on managing your child’s anxiety and worries, you can see this by visiting: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/anxiety-in-children/
If your child’s anxiety is severe, persists and interferes with their everyday life, it’s a good idea to get some help.
A visit to your GP or School Nurse is a good place to start. If your child’s anxiety is affecting their school life, it’s a good idea to talk to their school as well.
Alternatively, parents and carers can also get help and advice around children’s mental health from Young Minds’ free parent helpline on 0808 802 5544 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am-4pm).
