Anxiety is one of the most common mental health challenges children and teenagers face. In fact, it's estimated that 1 in 20 kids will need help managing anxiety. As a parent, watching your child struggle with anxiety can be overwhelming and confusing. With so much conflicting advice, it’s easy to feel lost.

This article is here to offer practical advice and support for parents and children dealing with anxiety. You play a crucial role in helping your child manage their worries, face their fears, and lead a more fulfilling life.

Let’s start by understanding what anxiety is and how to recognize normal fears versus anxiety.

What Are Normal Fears and Worries?

It’s completely natural for children to have fears at different stages of their lives. Knowing what fears are common at each age can help you better understand when typical worry turns into anxiety.

• Infancy (0-6 months): Fear of losing their caregiver, loud noises, or intense stimuli.
• Later Infancy (6-12 months): Separation anxiety from caregivers and fear of strangers.
• Toddler Years (2-4 years): Fear of the dark, imaginary creatures, or burglars.
• Early Childhood (5-7 years): Worries about animals, injury, natural disasters, or media-based fears like diseases.
• Middle Childhood (8-11 years): Anxiety about performing poorly in school or sports.
• Teen Years (12-18 years): Worries often revolve around peer rejection and fitting in socially.

These fears are a normal part of development, but when they become extreme or irrational, it may be a sign of anxiety.

What Is Anxiety? The Fear Response

Anxiety is a normal emotion and a part of the body’s natural response to danger. It’s our alarm system, designed to keep us safe in threatening situations. For instance, anxiety helps us when crossing a busy street or preparing for an important test by sharpening our focus.

But for some kids and teens, this fear system can be overly sensitive—like a smoke alarm that goes off for a burnt piece of toast as it would for a real fire. When their anxiety response is triggered too often, it can leave them feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.

The key to helping your child manage their anxiety is recognizing when this fear response has been activated. The better you understand the signs, the better you can guide them in regaining control over their worries.

What Happens When My Child Feels Anxious?

To learn more about the physical and emotional changes that occur when your child or teen experiences anxiety, check out “The ABC of Anxiety” for more information.

By understanding your child’s anxiety and how to manage it, you’re taking an important first step in supporting their emotional well-being. Stay tuned for more tips and strategies in upcoming posts!