1. Anxiety & Fear in Children By: Heather Praml, M.Ed., NCC School Counselor Cedar Hill School October 2006

2. What is Anxiety? Anxiety is the subjective sense of worry, apprehension, fear and distress. It is normal to have these sensations on occasion. Two components: physical sensations (headache, nausea, sweating) and emotional (nervousness and fear). Severe anxiety can affect a child’s thinking, decision-making ability, perceptions, learning and concentration.

3. Causes of Anxiety Disorders Psychological: Combination of increased internal and external stresses overwhelm normal coping abilities Genetic: Anxiety disorders tend to exist in families where a parent or sibling also has an anxiety disorder. Medical: It is important to exclude medical diseases as the potential causes or contributors to anxiety disorders.

4. The Anxious Child All children experience anxiety. It is expected and normal at specific times of development. The anxious child may seek a lot of reassurance, be overly tense or uptight, or be quiet & compliant. A child may have separation anxiety (fear about leaving caretakers), a phobia (fear of the dark), or social anxiety (few friends outside the family).

5. What Can Parents Do? Take your child’s fears seriously. Let him/her know you care and that his/her feelings are okay. Use encouragement and praise for coping with and approaching a feared situation. Offer support, saying, “I know you are afraid of going into the water. I’ll be with you to make sure you are alright.”

6. What Can Parents Do? Continued… A child’s fear will usually abate if he feels he has some control over it. When dealing with a new situation, letting the child know what to expect in advance can help them deal with their concerns. Help your child understand that some fears are appropriate (not touching a hot stove, not going with a stranger, not running in front of a car etc.)

7. What Can Parents Do? Continued… Do not try to tease your child out of the fear, i.e. saying, “be a big boy” or “act like a grown up” Help the child think of a way to handle the fear; do not avoid it. Do not let up on discipline and limits in order to appease a fearful child. The child needs the security of limits. Reinforce coping, do not rescue.

8. What Can Parents Do? Continued… Be aware of your own reactions; children are tuned into their parents’ moods and fear can be contagious. Know that fears may not disappear overnight. Encourage good sleep habits, reduce stressors and avoid stimulants

9. Books & Resources The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn Indigo Dreams: Meditation and Relaxation Bedtime Stories for Children, Improve Sleep, Manage Stress and Anxiety by Lori Lite What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety by Dawn Huebner

10. Books & Resources Coping with Anxiety: 10 Simple Ways to Relieve Anxiety, Fear & Worry by Edmund J. Bourne and Lorna Garano SOS Help for Emotions: Managing Anxiety, Anger and Depression by Lynn Clark Monsters Under the Bed and Other Childhood Fears: Helping Your Child Overcome Anxieties, Fears and Phobias by S.W. Garber, M.D. Garber & R.F. Spitzman

11. Books & Resources Keys to Parenting Your Anxious Child by K. Manassis Taming Monsters, Slaying Dragons: The Revolutionary Family Approach to Overcoming Childhood Fears and Anxiety by J. Feiner & G. Yost Jessica & the Wolf: A Story for Children Who Have Bad Dreams by T. Lobby & T. Dixon

12. Books & Resources Into the Great Forest: A Story for Children Away From Parents for the First Time by I.W. Marcus & P. Marcus Night Light: A Story for Children Afraid of the Dark by J. Dutro Scary Night Visitors: A Story for Children with Bedtime Fears by I.W. Marcus, P. Marcus & S. Jeschke

13. References for this Presentation http://www.aboutourkids.org/aboutour/articles/about_ anxiety.html www.keepkidshealthy.com/welcome/conditions/anxiety _disorders.html http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=The+Anxious+C hild&section=Facts+for+Families http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/ CA-0007/default.asp http://www.nmha.org/reassurance/children.cfm