Why are kids so anxious?
I wonder why kids are so anxious these days….
Let’s take a minute and think about what September looks like for most kids:
1. It’s the start of a new school year. We drop them off for a week straight wherein most of them don’t find out who their teacher or classmates are going to be until the next week.
2. New sport teams and possible tryouts
3. New bus drivers, new Administrators, new daycare providers etc…
4. Predators in the school yard…what?
That’s right…I dropped off my daughter the other morning and was greeted by another parent with the warning off…beware, there was a bear sighting this morning!
I really noticed the build up this year as the end of summer rolled around. My kids were faced with the question “Are you excited for school” at least 4 times a day.
For most, the new school year isn’t a big event. For others, this NEW start can be overwhelming! Keep this in mind and get your kids talking about how they are feeling. The best thing you can do is model how you take on new events. With outloud dialogue, let your kids know that you find it helpful to:
*breathe
*count to ten
*go for walks
*massage your cheekbones (i.e. kids can build up a lot of tension in their jaw bones especially if they are nail biters or teeth clenchers in the night)
*drink lots of water
*rehearse internal positive mantra “September is always crazy, go with the flow…”
Something to keep in mind: Experts estimate that up to 75% of all medical disorders are directly influenced by stress.
Nothing is going to go in from an intellectual standpoint if your kid is stressed out…fill up their buckets everyday before they head out the door!
Tags: anxiety
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