While many students have had a confident start to the new year and term, we know this isn’t the experience for all children. Anxiety is a normal response and often stems from an overprotective amygdala that perceives threat where there is none. Our brains can interpret change and unfamiliar situations as danger. The key is helping children understand the difference between a real threat and a perceived one. From there, the goal is to work alongside children to identify their specific triggers and develop calming strategies together.

Watch Maggie Dent from Parent TV for more information.

Key Takeaways:

  • Anxiety is a normal feeling, not an enemy state.
  • Help children identify what their uncomfortable feeling is like in their body (e.g., butterflies, coldness, goosebumps).
  • It’s important to differentiate between a real threat and a perceived one.
  • Do not underestimate a child’s sense of feeling anxious.
  • Avoid labelling a sensitive child as “shy” to prevent creating reinforcing beliefs.
  • The calmer you are, the calmer your children will feel in your presence.

 

Try it This Week:

  • When your child is feeling anxious, ask them the three safety questions:
    1. Are you with an unsafe person?
    2. Are you in an unsafe place?
    3. Are you about to do an unsafe thing?
      • If yes, they need to find a safe grown-up.
  • If they are safe, help them calm down. Try the “tickling butterflies” technique by asking them to place a hand on their tummy to tickle their butterflies.
  • Practice deep breathing together. Stand next to your child, place a hand on their tummy, and encourage them to take three big, deep breaths to activate oxygen in the brain and calm down.
  • Offer physical comfort, like a hug, to help them ground in their body.
  • For a younger child, kneel down beside them and acknowledge they are feeling “wobbly” or “uncomfortable,” then suggest a calming activity.
  • Use imagination to build bravery, such as pretending to put on a “brave suit” and zipping it up.
  • Work with your child to identify their specific anxiety triggers (e.g., loud noises, the dark) and create solutions together.

If your child is struggling with persistent or worsening anxious symptoms for two weeks or more, it’s time to reach out for help. If would like any further support, please feel free to contact the school counsellors Mrs Ebony Harmer or Mr Anthony Ryan by emailing counsellor@mueller.qld.edu.au.