Different types of anxiety and when to be concerned.
Anxiety in children is pretty common and it often comes and go and don’t last long. Children develop anxiety at different developmental stages. For example:
Babies and toddlers often fear separation, loud noises, heights and strangers.
Preschoolers (3-5yo) start to show fear of being on their own or in the dark.
School age children (6-12yo) might be afraid of supernatural things (e.g. ghosts), social situations, failure, criticism or tests and physical harm or threat.
Worry and fear are different forms of anxiety. Fear usually happens in the present, while worry happens when a child thinks about past or future situations. For example, a child may be fearful when she sees a dog and also worry about visiting a place where the dog presents.
When to be concerned about your child’s anxiety? Social, separation and generalised anxiety are common but when they started to affect children in the ways below, it might be a good time to seek professional help:
Your child’s anxiety is stopping him from doing things he/she wants to do or interfering with his friendships, schoolwork or family life.
Your child’s behaviour is very different from the expected developmental stage. Excessive fear of separation in children above 8yo.
Your child’s reactions seem unusually severe. For example, extreme distress or hard to be settled when you leave him/her.
Some people are more likely to be anxious because anxiety runs in the family – just like eye colour, for example. Anxiety can also be learnt through experience and also by observing the family members.
Certain things in a child’s environment might also increase the child’s chances of becoming anxious. For example, if a parent is overprotective of a shy child, it might help the child in the short term, but it can increase the child’s anxiety overall. Also, it is important to be your child’s safe haven during the early age to not escalate the anxiety by not forcing the child do what he’s afraid to do or saying empty threats to get him or her do what you want them to do.
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