How to communicate with an anxious child The problem of anxiety in young children is a very common phenomenon. Parents begin to worry that their child is afraid of the dark, dogs, or even peers. All this causes big problems, the child often worries, sleeps poorly, and begins to get sick. Such things can lead to negative consequences, so it is very important not to let things take their course. We will talk further about how to help a child cope with anxiety and grow up courageous without low self-esteem. A child’s anxiety largely depends on the level of anxiety of the adults around him. High anxiety from a teacher or parent is passed on to the child. In families with friendly relationships, children are less anxious than in families where conflicts often arise. An authoritarian parenting style also does not contribute to the child’s inner peace. Both boys and girls can be susceptible to anxiety, but experts believe that in preschool age boys are more anxious; by the age of 9-11 the ratio becomes even, after 12 years there is a sharp increase in the level of anxiety in girls. As practice shows, the formation of childhood anxiety is a consequence of improper upbringing of the child. For example, parents of anxious children often place excessive demands on them that are completely impossible for the child to meet. Sometimes this is due to dissatisfaction with one’s own situation, with the desire to realize one’s own unrealized dreams in one’s child. Excessive demands from parents may also be due to other reasons. Thus, having achieved a high position in society or material well-being, parents, not wanting to see their child as a “loser,” force him to study and perform various tasks beyond measure. There are also frequent cases when parents themselves are highly anxious, as a result of which they do not allow him to make the slightest mistake. Some parents, trying to protect their child from any real and imaginary threats to his life and safety, thereby form in him a feeling of his own defenselessness against the dangers of the world. All this does not at all contribute to the normal development of the child, the realization of his creative abilities and interferes with his communication with adults and peers. Most parents of anxious children are not aware of how their own behavior affects their child's character. Thus, sometimes “unprepared” parents, upon learning that their child has any fears, take the wrong position. They begin to either persuade the child not to be afraid, or make fun of him. Both can only contribute to increased fear. A large number of remarks, shouts, and jerks can cause in a child not only aggression, but also anxiety, and sometimes both. Such parents can be advised to write down, at least during the day, all the comments that they have made or would like to make to the child. At the end of the day, you can note those that contributed not to the improvement, but even to the deterioration of the relationship with your son or daughter. If these comments included threats of impossible punishments, then such parents need to learn to restrain themselves and think about what they say to the child. A favorable psychological climate greatly contributes to the harmonious development of the child’s personality and reduces the level of anxiety. Parents should communicate with their children as much as possible, organize joint trips to the zoo, the theater, exhibitions, and go out into nature. Since anxious children often have a need to love and caress someone, it would be nice to have their own animals at home: a cat, a dog, a hamster or a parrot. Caring for your beloved pet together will help build a partnership in the form of cooperation between parents and child. Parents of anxious children will benefit from relaxation exercises, which, when performed together with their children, promote not only physical relaxation.