CHRIS CALLAND and Nicky Hutchinson, authors of Tackling Anxiety In Schools, share ways to help kids manage anxiety.Discuss these with your children. Do not just talk about happy, sad or angry. Include, for example, anxious, fearful and frightened. They need these words to recognise how they are feeling and know they can, and should, feel those emotions.
There is pressure for them to be happy all the time. Parents want them to be and social media makes them think they should be. Normalise the fact that we aren’t always happy. Explain that emotions all serve a purpose and they don’t need to be covered up. It is good for men to talk to boys about emotions, too.When your children talk about their feelings, give them positive feedback. Tell them: “I’m so glad you’re telling me about it.” Let them know it’s a good thing to do.As adults, we often minimise concerns by saying: “Don’t worry” or we try to rescue them from anxiety by swooping in to sort it out.
But equipping them to address it, by saying: “That must be tricky – what we can do?” is a better approach. Keep it calm. If they see you panic, they will feel worse.This has a massive impact on children’s ability to cope with the ups and downs of life. Take screens out of the bedroom and offer breathing and mindfulness strategies, or yoga, to help them sleep.
Children aged seven to 12 should be getting ten or 11 hours and 12 to 18-year-olds should have eight to nine hours.