How can a child have anxiety? They don't have anything real to worry about...
I have heard this statement so many times throughout my life from family members and friends. I hear it at least once a week from early childhood professionals.
Anxiety and depression affect many children:
7.1% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.4 million) have diagnosed anxiety.
3.2% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 1.9 million) have diagnosed depression.
Even though I've had severe anxiety my entire life. I wasn't diagnosed with generalized anxiety until I was almost 30 years old. As a young child, I was called a "worrywart" and told to "just stop thinking about it" when I had bouts of anxiety. I spent most of my life building coping mechanisms for my anxiety. This "strength" and "resilience" are exhausting.
"Anxiety may present as fear or worry, but can also make children irritable and angry. Anxiety symptoms can also include trouble sleeping, as well as physical symptoms like fatigue, headaches, or stomachaches. Some anxious children keep their worries to themselves and, thus, the symptoms can be missed."
Share stories that help children understand anxiety and anxious feelings.
Embed social and emotional tools into your daily support and guidance strategies:
How will you ensure that the children in your care are given the support they need?
