Anxiety is something that occurs in people of all ages including children. It is important that we, as adults, recognize and support children when they show signs of struggling with anxiety. It can be hard for children, especially young children, to recognize and label their feelings including feelings of being anxious. Approximately 20% of children and adolescents experience anxiety which can impact various parts of their lives.
The following link from Anxiety Canada discusses anxiety in children and will provide more information on how to recognize and support children with anxiety.
There are different activities and techniques that can support children with anxiety. Supporting children in using different breathing techniques can help them manage their feelings. The following article has breathing activities that you can do with children such as blowing bubbles or blowing on pinwheels allowing children to focus on their breathing. The article also provides other suggestions that can support children such as yoga which will help them get into the practice of an activity that helps to support their emotions.
11 Calming Techniques for Young Students with Anxiety – Brookes Blog (brookespublishing.com)
It can sometimes be difficult to know when young children are struggling with anxiety as it can appear in a variety of behaviors in different children. Using these supports and activities from the above resources will help children learn to recognize and manage their anxiety and they continue to develop throughout their childhood.
