A child may misinterpret your calmness about the situation for not caring. This can upset the child further, leading to more emotional distress.
Not just adults, even children can get anxious sometimes, even if the reason might not be as serious to you as it may be to your child.
Parents tend to brush off their child’s worries by telling them to cheer up or forget the issue. Not addressing your child’s worries, however, can impact his or her mental health. Here are six things that you should not tell an anxious child:
1. ‘Get over it’
Most of us tend to say things like this to children. If your child is genuinely anxious, they would want someone to understand their fears and worries first and help them cope. Trying to make sense of your child’s concerns is a better response in this situation.
2. ‘Don’t be silly!’
Trivialising your child’s problems won’t really solve them. Such a statement might end up making the child feel worse.
3. ‘It will be fine by morning’
To say, ‘Get some sleep and you will be fine’ has merit as long as the child is continuously revisting the same fears. But in case of serious anxiety, a new day would only mean another instance of feeling overwhelmed by worry or anxiety.
4. ‘Calm down, will you!’
A child may misinterpret your calmness about the situation for not caring. This can upset the child further, leading to more emotional distress.
5. ‘Oh my God, that is horrible!’
Instead of helping your child cope with their worries, you may end up feeling just as emotional and stressed, especially if there has been some injustice.
6. ‘Stop it! Behave yourself’
Children may resort to unusual behaviour if they are anxious. Instead of scolding them, try to identify why they are behaving in that manner.
Also Read| Is your child anxious? Here are 10 things you can say to calm them down
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