The plan was to get a group of old college friends together over the holidays. You’d been looking forward to it for weeks, regaling the kids with stories of all the fun you had in school and assuring them that they’d make new friends; a great time would be had by all.
But when you arrived at the party, your sweet four-year-old put up a HUGE fuss, hid behind your legs, and wailed, “I wanna go home!”
A room full of strangers, most of whom are bigger than your little one, coupled with lots of noise, and lots of other children can be overwhelming. The anxiety from novel situations, new people, and the unknown may result in a mild case of the jitters for some children. It can also cause full-blown anxiety in others.
Anxious behaviors can be difficult for both parents and kids. Anxiety is normal when a person is under stress or in danger. In young children, anxiety may take the form of whining, crying, nervousness, fear, shyness or obstinate behavior. Children often don’t have the language skills to describe exactly what they are feeling. And when parents get frustrated with what appears to be a simple situation, they only compound the problem.
Here are some tips to help you assist your children through anxious situations
While many children deal with temporary anxiety from time-to-time, it is important to get help if your child’s anxiety is affecting their everyday life. If your child begins to avoid new situations, has trouble eating, difficulties sleeping or demonstrates radical behaviors initiated by anxiety, talk to your child’s pediatrician. Healthcare professionals can provide solutions for overly anxious children.
Back To Top
Temper Tantrums… Prevention & Solutions that Really Work!
To help combat these behaviors, let’s look at why tantrums...
Becky Danielson, M.Ed., has two of the best job descriptions, wife and mom. She is also a licensed Parent & Family Educator, co-founder of 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting, and the co-author of Raising Little Kids with Big Love and Raising Big Kids with Supernatural Love along with Study Guides. The series is available on Amazon. Becky and her family live in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Subscribe to the parenting newsletter at FaithFirstParent.com and the quarterly newsletter at 1Corinthians13Parenting.com for parenting tips, strategies, and resources to equip and encourage you on your parenting journey.
