Dr. Jordan: Kids and Anxiety

(STLMoms) – Whether it’s over wrecking your dad’s priceless car or more realistically, school, peer pressure, not fitting in — kids can be faced with anxiety.  Behavioral Pediatrician Dr. Tim Jordan talks about some ways to help overly anxious children.

WHAT CAN WE AS PARENTS DO TO HELP OUR KIDS WHEN WE SEE THEM STARTING TO FEEL ANXIOUS?
1) help kids have body awareness of when they are startingto get anxious…headache, stomach ache etc.-
then teach them ways to calm themselves down
-stay in the present- fears are always about what MIGHT happen in the future
- repeat a mantra- word or sentence that is calming
- journal what they are feeling and thinking- get in out! vs. ruminate- girls are famous for thinking thoughts over and over and making mountains out of molehills
- do a reality check- a lot of perfectionistic teens worry about grades/tests when the truth is they have always gotten good grades when they put the effort in