Millions of U.S. children are living with anxiety and this time in the school year — it can be a bit overwhelming with tests, quizzes and exams.
Anxiety in children can lead to symptoms like stomach aches, headaches, irritability.
It can push a child to procrastinate, withdraw, or isolate themselves to focus on school and the pressure they feel.
Parents can help ease anxiety by offering to watch your child practice a presentation, carve out free time to give them a break from studying, ask open-ended questions to monitor how they’re doing and most importantly listen.
”We wanna just acknowledge and validate. Yes. It makes sense to me. If you’re feeling nervous, I get that. That immediately puts their mind at ease because they see that there’s nothing wrong with them for feeling that way,” said Jody Baumstein, licensed therapist of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Strong4Life.
Healthy practices like prioritizing good quality sleep, balanced nutrition, physical activity, and reducing screen time can also help set a child up for success.