Helping your Child Cope with Social Anxiety

Many children of all ages battle with the feelings of social anxiety every single day. In a nutshell, social anxiety is the fear of being around other people and interacting with them.

Children with social anxiety may struggle in school, afraid to interact with their peers or teachers. The fear may become so bad that it leads to poor school performance or bullying.

If you think about a time in your life where you felt nervous or anxious about a situation where there were a lot of people, that's just dipping a toe into the water of how children who struggle with social anxiety feel.

However, with encouragement and support, your little ones may find ways to cope with their feelings, well enough to function within situations that make them feel uncomfortable.

How to Help your Child Deal with Social Anxiety

1. Talk to your child about his feelings.

Being so young, it’s easy for your child to be confused about his feelings and what happens when he is around other people. Think back to your own childhood, and those certain times when you were unsure what to think or do. It can be an isolating feeling for sure.

If you see the signs that your child is struggling with social anxiety issues, talk to them about their thoughts. Let them tell you what they feel, what they are thinking...what makes them nervous or what brings on these feelings of uncertainty.

They may not even know themselves until they have the free rein to start talking about it with you.

2. Provide them with strategies to self-calm during anxious times.

We have all felt anxious or uneasy at some point in our lives. It’s normal, and as adults, most of us have a few tricks up our sleeves to combat those feelings and help ourselves calm down. Children need to have these same techniques!
Teach your child to take calming breaths as needed. Let him know it’s okay to remove himself safely from the situation that is making them anxious for a little while. You may want to inform his teacher of his feelings and explain he may need alone time throughout the day.

3. NEVER let your child think they are wrong about their feelings.

If your child needs you, be there for him without judgment. Also, don't lecture him or try to make him feel as if their feelings and thoughts don't matter. Empathize with him, sympathize with him, and then spend some cuddle time with him. All of these actions will let him know he has someone to trust with his anxiety while helps him calm down and not feel ashamed.

4. Encourage your child to try new things.

If your little one isn't being active in their school or with their friends because of their anxious feelings, give them a bit of encouragement. Notice I did not say push or force. The worst thing you can do is force a child to face his fears.
Instead, build your child up by letting him know that trying is best is all that matters to you.

Offer to go with him to a park, playground, or local museum. Let him know you will be there to stand beside him as long as he needs you. By encouraging your child to slowly to branch out of his comfort zone, it may start to help him feel more comfortable in unfamiliar settings and some of that anxiety may start to dissipate a bit.

Society anxiety isn’t easy for a child to deal with, but you can help by being a supportive, loving parent (caregiver, babysitter, etc). Try a few of the suggested tips above to encourage and boost their confidence. If none of these help, you may want to seek outside help to get your little one the care they need for their social anxiety.

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