By now our children would have had a couple of months settling into one transition or another; whether that’s going to a new school, starting nursery, welcoming a new sibling, or possibly a new living environment. Such transitions can cause anxiety in our little ones.
This anxiety can present itself it a lot of different ways all under the umbrella of behavioral concerns. It will be important to remember that this behavior comes from emotionally learning how to adjust and adapt to these life transitions. After reading so many concerns on my web site and Twitter account, I felt compelled to leave some easy tips below to help you get through this phase.
However, there is one piece of advice that is not below that I want to address, it’s that we, as a family and as adults, need to adapt, too. Some of us find it much easier than others. For the others it means learning how to become more accepting of the circumstances and to look at what we can do to alter our mindset.
I say this because ultimately our children are affected by the energy we create in the environment we live in. Being conscientious about how we behave models great examples, which children will learn and mimic. So do remember what transitions do come also pass. And what moves shifts us from one space into the next.
Easing Anxiety Tips
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- Listening to your child’s concerns gives them an opportunity to see you are available to STOP and talk about what is worrying them.
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- Look to help problem solve. Asking them what they think gives them time to think and process what will make it better. This empowers the little ones. For example: Perhaps they are feeling tired and wanting to be home from nursery sooner.
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- Make sure their routines at home are on par helps creates stability. Provide your child with an environment that is a place they can rest have fun and sleep well. It will help the body unwind and release their stress.
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- Let them be involved in the transition of whatever is happening at that time. It makes them feel like part of the family. For example: organizing their toys in a new home, choosing baby clothes from a selection, checking they have everything they need in their rucksacks (backpacks) for school, etc.
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- Keep physical with your kids. Archery, playing ball, running, swimming, walking, dancing, all of these will help to raise the “feel good factor” levels.
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- Have friends around to play with and enjoy the experience. It is important to balance anxiety with lots of fun experiences. It helps children get through those pockets of difficulty with transitions.
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- Confidently reassure your children and let them know that this phase will pass. Our children depend on us and should be able to count on us. Remember your words are important. What you do has as much impact as what you say. When our children can trust, they feel safe and protected
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- Trial runs always help our children to adapt to new situations. They can grow and learn to expect what then becomes predictable. For example: nursery every morning, play group every afternoon, friends they build relationships with and a house they can call home.
Copywritten by Jo Frost
