It is not unusual for children to sometimes feel anxious. When starting a new school, a child might worry about making friends, or a young child might be afraid of the dark. However, if the anxiety a child experiences turns into something more serious like an anxiety disorder, it may begin to interfere with many areas of their life and their family’s lives. Children do not always have the language to express what they are feeling and even though they are being impacted by the anxiety, parents may not realize that anxiety is what they are dealing with.

Watching your child struggle with anxiety can be heartbreaking and leave parents feeling lost and helpless about how to help their child. On top of feeling helpless, as the anxiety grows, you may find that you are sacrificing more and more to lessen its effects on your child. The good news is that anxiety is treatable and there are things parents can do to help their kids overcome it.