Managing Anxiety About Your Kids

This is not medical advice. Please see your qualified clinician.

“I am so worried about the First Day of School! I hope my kid likes her teacher.”

“I am so anxious about my kid’s tryouts. I am worried he won’t make it!”

“I am so worried that my kid will be bullied again. What would I do?”

Sound familiar?

“If I don’t worry about my kids I’m not doing my job as a parent.”

   Not true.

   While worry is inevitable, anxiety need not be the required characteristic of an A+ parent.

   Worry is thinking about a problem or potential problem. Rumination is when the worry becomes meditative, unchecked, and lacks plans to solve the problem. You know you are ruminating if you find it hard to control your worry, the thoughts are repetitive, and you aren’t taking steps toward a solution. 

How to Manage Your Anxiety About Your Child

1. Notice your excessive worrying. You may find that your body gets tense, you get a headache, or you can’t sleep when you ruminate.

2. Pause to journal about your anxiety. When you do this, set a timer for no more than 10 minutes. When you hear the timer go off, quit journaling.

3. Read over the entry looking for references to a solution. If you see a step toward a solution, add the step to a to-do list or put it on the calendar.

4. Remind yourself that you are modeling calm problem-solving to your child.  Anxious adults often have had parents who modeled anxiety.

While parenting is a labor of love, it need not be fuel for anxiety. See a professional if your anxiety is affecting your work, relationships, or physical health in negative ways.