Anxiety in children

2-minute read

Anxiety is a normal part of life and can affect anyone, including children. But as parents and carers, it’s sometimes hard to know the difference between normal worries and something more serious.

Anxiety during childhood

Anxiety is a normal part of childhood. In most cases, anxiety in children is short-lived and goes away after a while. Some examples of normal worries might be:

being shy or being worrying about being laughed at
being upset before and/or after being left at childcare or school
worrying about schoolwork, sport or health

But many children experience anxiety more intensely and more often than other children, stopping them from getting the most out of life.

Signs of anxiety in children

If a child is often anxious, they might:

try to avoid the situation or issue they’re worried about
get headaches and stomach aches often, especially when away from home
have trouble sleeping or have vivid nightmares
worry often
need a lot of reassurance
want things to be perfect and get upset if they’re not

Supporting children with anxiety

If you think your child has anxiety, you can support them by:

acknowledging your child’s fears — don’t dismiss or ignore them
gently encouraging your child to do things they’re anxious about
waiting until your child actually gets anxious before you step in to help
praising your child for doing something they’re anxious about
avoiding labelling your child as ‘shy’ or ‘anxious’

Treating anxiety in children

Kids’ mental health is important. If you’re concerned, see your doctor, a psychologist or a mental health service. Some children have an anxiety condition, such as:

Children who have severe anxiety can benefit from psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or, in rare cases, medication.