5 Things to Do When Your Child Is Anxious
We all feel anxious at some points in our lives. For parents, watching our children feel anxious can be difficult and heartbreaking. However, by learning how to provide a safe, supportive space in which your child feels free to express themselves, you play an essential role: You help them manage their anxieties, allowing them to feel calm and confident once again.
Here are some things you can do to help your child when they are feeling anxious:
Show affection.
A hug, a kiss, or even just a gentle pat on the back can let your children know that you're there for them and that you care. If you and your kid are the affectionate type, it might come naturally for him or her to sit on your lap or cuddle with you for comfort. On the other hand, sometimes simply being close to you is enough to help your child feel better. Simple acts like giving them a glass of water also helps and shows them you care.
Ask them to describe how they feel.
Often, simply expressing their emotions out loud can help bring some relief and release the tension that your children are feeling. As a parent, it is important to be empathetic and understanding, recognizing that even though their worries may seem small or irrational to you, they can still feel very real and scary to your child. Once you have a better sense of their concerns, you might even be able to brainstorm solutions or come up with strategies for coping with similar situations.
Do breathwork together.
By engaging in slow, deep breaths with your child, you can help them to relax and ease their tension. This involves sitting down and focusing on your own breathing while also guiding your child to pay attention to their own respiratory rhythms. In doing so, you can help your child calm themselves down and regain a sense of inner peace and stability.
Remind them that what they are feeling is temporary.
Without dismissing their feelings or telling them to simply stop, reassure your child how this too shall pass. Remind him or her about the different difficult situations and emotions they’ve already overcome. Allow them to recall and bring back their own strength and resilience.
Do something together with your hands.
By taking the time to do something calming together, you can help your child to feel less alone in their anxiety and more supported by you. Doing something with your hands can also be a great way to help your child feel more relaxed and grounded. It's a reminder that there are things in the world that are safe and predictable, and that can be really comforting when anxiety feels like it's taking over. This could be cooking, baking, gardening, drawing, painting or even doing a puzzle.
This is why we love arts and crafts so much - it aids in soothing anxiety and on the flip side, it nurtures their self-esteem, stimulates their imagination, enhances their problem solving skills and detoxes them from the effects of tech! With Loomini, we offer top quality crafts that will not only bring a smile to your little one’s face, but have been designed and approved by certified therapists to help aid your child through stress management and overall social-emotional learning skills or SEL!
