A to Z Resource Guide
Helpful tools and reliable online resources you can trust.
Anxiety is a pervasive problem for children today. They are being raised surrounded by constant exposure to the internet and the news, social media, and now, a pandemic. It would be surprising if most children didn’t experience some degree of anxiety.Dr. Dunlap
Most of the time, anxiety is easily handled with at-home relaxation techniques and by allowing our children to talk about their fears.
Anxiety is considered a medical problem when it starts to interfere with a family’s daily life and activities. For example:
It is normal for a child to go through phases when they don’t want to separate from their parents (even older children go through this), even when their parents need to go to another room. However, if this lasts longer than a few months, or if it gets so bad that the child refuses to go to school, or the parent can’t go to work without causing severe distress in the child, this might be anxiety that needs to be addressed.
Anxiety can often present in surprising ways, especially in young children. They might not show actual fear. Instead, they might have severe and unrelenting melt-downs during transitional times like bed time or leaving the house. They might simply refuse to do certain activities they previously enjoyed (like going to the park). This is because children are unable to vocalize their fears and therefore they are externalizing their internal feelings.
If you are at all concerned about your child’s anxiety, you should bring this up with Dr. Dunlap. The following articles and websites might be helpful as well.