how to help your anxious child

​Anxiety in children and young people is becoming increasingly common, and sometimes it can be hard to know what to do when your child seems overwhelmed with anxiety or worry.
Here's a quick tip to help:
 
Small steps
Do you ever avoid doing something that makes you anxious? It’s very common. I’m nervous about driving on the motorway as I might miss my turning off and end up in Scotland! Daft really, but avoidance is a coping strategy. Not driving on the motorway is the way I choose to deal with my anxiety.
 

​It’s the same for children, and anxiety in children and young people is very common. There are a lot of things you can do to help and encouraging your child to face their fears is one of them. I don’t mean throw them in at the deep end, but acknowledge that their fear is real to them, and then encourage baby steps towards overcoming that fear.
 
So, if you have a child who is scared of dogs take them somewhere where you know there will be dogs and just watch from a safe distance to start with (or even just watch some cute pu then gradually increase this challenge until your child can stand next to you on the path while a dog walks past, then move on to the next step etc. Remember to praise your child for facing up to their fears. If you have an anxious child, this sort of support is important and will help to make a difference.