Anxiety in kids
I had a year in my classroom that challenged me to my core. It wasn’t bad behavior or tough parents. On the contrary - I had amazing students. Some of my favorites and such supportive families. I loved them all. What challenged me that year? I had a very high number of students with varying levels of anxiety.
I had students who had been diagnosed with anxiety disorders, students who were working with therapists, students who were yet to have a diagnosis made. (Or were misdiagnosed with ADHD because this is super common.🤦♀️) It was the perfect storm. It was my favorite bunch of kids but also my toughest. I was a veteran teacher - this was not my first rodeo - but this one felt like a test. 💔
I had students who struggled in the morning before school but were fine once at school. I had students who completely lost their shit when they got home from school. And I had students who at any sign of a peer’s anxiety popping up had an empathetic anxiety attack. Our entire day could go completely off the rails.
I was given tools by the “powers that be”. Those “powers that be” didn’t give me much more support than that. Those same “powers that be” wondered why our test scores weren’t great and why I had kids misbehaving in the lunchroom. I was given a tub of “mindful” toys and breathing guides that in all honesty…made things worse.
If any of these families are reading this - this is 100% not against you or your child. ❤️ This is more of an apology. It’s an apology that at that moment - I hadn’t put the tools together. I didn’t trust myself. If anything I added to the problem.
Taking these few years away from teaching made me realize that I knew exactly what to do. I had done it with my own kids. BUT it still haunted me that these sweet families were struggling. I started doing more research to understand anxiety in kids and I started seeing preventative steps that could be taken.
The signs of anxiety in kids can be varied. For example:
Stomach aches
Pulling away from friends or family
Overly clingy
Pulling out hair or scratching skin
Excessive fear
Overly worried
Big mood swings
What I also found in my research was how often anxiety is misdiagnosed in kids. It can present in so many ways that it’s not fully understood yet. Well meaning doctors often misdiagnose anxiety as ADD and ADHD, depression, even low levels of autism to name a few. Think of the crazy things that anxiety does to you… and then throw that into a little body.
So…what do we do? How do we change this outcome or prevent it from happening or to start to build a healthy relationship with anxiety? These are some of the areas that you can begin to focus on:
Sleep
Routine
Focused attention
Regulating high fiber meals
Connections
Choice and empowerment
Exercise
Reducing or eliminating social media and screen time
Decreasing information overload in the home (news, politics, global warming.)
Reflecting on your own levels of stress and anxiety
“Ok - great - but how do we dig into this further?” I’ve put this all together for you in a great training. You will learn how to calm the storm and how to pick up the pieces and build a more resilient and determined platform. You can check that out here.
Parenting is TOUGH! We all need a helping hand. But I believe in you.
You got this!!! 🫶
(The information contained in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your and/or your child's qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your child's medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this post.
This author does not recommend or endorse any specific medical professionals, treatments, procedures, or medications. If you have concerns about your child's mental health, please consult with a licensed therapist, psychiatrist, or other qualified mental health professional.)
