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Overprotecting Children from Discomfort<\/p>\nCertain behaviors could cause even the most loving parents with the best intentions to enhance their child\u2019s anxiety without realizing, experts reveal.<\/p>\n
Antonia Coulson, 34, an accredited life coach and European wellbeing and culture manager, has outlined the common habits that may cause anxiety amongst children. In today\u2019s society, it is so easy for parents to feel chronically stressed and to constantly be rushing around, but Coulson, from the U.K., reveals how these are just some of the patterns that can lead to hypervigilance, emotional dysregulation and fear of failure as children develop.<\/p>\n
Newsweek also spoke to Dr. Sam Zand, a board-certified psychiatrist and CEO of Anywhere Clinic, about the common behaviors which \u201chave the potential to create anxiety\u201d when exhibited frequently.<\/p>\n
Read More on Family & Parenting<\/p>\n
So, what common habits could be heightening children\u2019s anxiety?<\/p>\n
Overprotecting Children from Discomfort<\/p>\n
While it is natural for parents to protect their children, doing so all the time can prevent a child from building resilience, frustration tolerance and confidence in their own coping strategy. It is good for children to feel frustrated, disappointed and to struggle at times. <\/p>\n
Zand said: \u201cIf a parent is constantly keeping their child from being at risk for failure or always trying to correct them, these behaviors limit their child\u2019s ability to develop a tolerance towards discomfort.\u201d<\/p>\n
This was echoed by Coulson, who explained that children build confidence through learning. When adults remove all their discomfort and solve every problem for them, children may begin to “internalize the belief that they cannot handle difficult situations independently.”<\/p>\n
\u201cOften, the goal is not removing all anxiety from a child\u2019s life but helping them learn they can move through difficult situations safely,” Coulson said.<\/p>\n
Constant Reassurance<\/p>\n
Constant reassurance can lead a child to become dependent to regulate their anxiety, rather than gradually learning to tolerate uncertainty. Over time, this can \u201cstrengthen anxious thought patterns\u201d Coulson says, because children do not learn how to manage the feeling themselves.<\/p>\n
Coulson said: \u201cIf a child is repeatedly reassured whenever they feel uncertain, they begin relying on external reassurance rather than developing trust in their own ability. This can reinforce the belief that uncertainty itself is dangerous or unmanageable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Instead, parents benefit from staying calm, validating their child\u2019s emotions and communicating confidence in the child\u2019s ability to cope.<\/p>\n
Rushing and Overstimulation Within the Home<\/p>\n
Busy schedules, always rushing and multitasking can dysregulate a child\u2019s nervous system. If a household feels hurried and stressful, a child\u2019s body may also remain in a heightened state of alertness.<\/p>\n
“When caregivers are consistently hasty or over-correcting their children, or expect absolute perfection of their kids, then the level of stress and level of safety their child feels has been increased,” Zand said.<\/p>\n
“Children cannot have perfect parents rather, they need predictable parents because they will allow children the opportunity to experience and develop in an environment where they have the potential to be uncomfortable, increasing their potential to develop.”<\/p>\n
Emotionally Unpredictable Reactions<\/p>\n
If a child does not know how an adult is going to respond emotionally, this may fuel their anxiety and lead to hypervigilance as they seek predictability for safety.<\/p>\n