Child anxiety: symptoms and what to do to combat it

The world of children is governed by its own rules, and in certain aspects we adults have some difficulties to interpret them. In childhood, life is experienced in a different way, and the psychological aspect of the little ones it does not have to be easy for caregivers to understand, be they parents or tutors.

This is something that must be taken into account especially when assessing the importance of recognize the signs of childhood anxiety early, in order to put a brake on them. In this article we will talk about this phenomenon, more common than it seems.

• Related article: "The 7 types of anxiety (causes and symptoms)"

What is child anxiety?

Childhood anxiety appears when, during childhood, children feel that the experience they live in a moment given, or over a broader stage, bypasses them, without there being a clear or relatively easy solution to approach.

Although anxiety disorders in childhood are something quite specific that it does not have to occur in In all cases in which a child feels anxiety, this last phenomenon is more frequent than is believe.

Situations that enhance its appearance are, for example, an education based on punishment, the existence of abuse or bullying, the obligation to attend many extracurricular activities, etc.

Thus, it can be said that childhood anxiety is a psychological and physiological phenomenon in which the person enters a state of alert in a sustained way, experiencing symptoms based on rumination (obsessive and “looping” thinking) and hyperactivation of the autonomic nervous system that negatively affect one or several areas of the child's life, such as family life, learning in the educational center to which attends, etc.

• You may be interested: "The 6 stages of childhood (physical and mental development)"

Symptoms of anxiety in boys and girls

Of course, childhood anxiety has a common basis in the way all human beings, regardless of age, experience anxiety. However, the symptoms are expressed in another way, since the vital moment in which the little ones are found entails, of course, other ways of interacting with the environment and trying to adapt to it.

Thus, although in practice each case is unique, in general childhood anxiety is reflected in the following symptoms. Each of them does not have to indicate the sustained presence of anxiety, but if there are some at the same time, it is probably the case.

• Fear of being alone.
• Semi-automatic tics and stereotyped behaviors (hair pulling, nail biting, etc.).
• Crying.
• Need to be physically in contact with the caregiver, constantly.
• Crisis of anguish when separating from caregivers.

Secondly, in the case of anxiety disorders, other more specific symptoms may appear depending on what the problem is. For example, in the case of phobias, crises occur in response to specific stimuli.

Helping Children With Anxiety

These are some tips to follow to help the little ones overcome and mitigate their state of anxiety.

1. Give clear behavior guidelines

Many times, anxiety appears as a reaction to a chaotic environment, which is not understood. For example, it is not uncommon for childhood anxiety to arise in experiences in which there is a perceived contradiction in the rules of behavior to be followed at home.

That is why it is important to be consistent with these standards, not forcing children to obey arbitrary and changing rules, and above all make sure they understand them and understand why they make sense, even through very simplified explanations about their usefulness.

2. Communicate more and better

At a certain age, young children are they are able to express in words what it is that makes them feel bad. The fact that her cognitive skills are not yet fully developed does not mean that her point of view should not count; in these cases, quite the opposite.

3. Show them support

The fact that a child feels protected by an adult makes them lose fear of the environment, since feels that even if he makes a mistake and does something wrong, the presence of the caregivers will act as a mattress or shock absorber.

4. Give them affection

Not all stimuli have to be based on information expressed through words. Shows of affection are essential for proper development during childhood, and in fact it is necessary to rely on it so that children develop adaptive attachment styles.

5. Explain that they shouldn't feel bad

When experiencing anxiety, it is easy to fall into the trap of blaming yourself. This also occurs in the case of children, so it must be made clear that it is a phenomenon in which, consciously, we can only influence indirectly.