Mental Health in Primary School

Anxiety, worries and fears in children

Anxiety is the feeling of worry or fear that something bad is going to happen. It’s also the physical reactions that go with the feeling, like ‘butterflies in the stomach’. And it’s behaviour like avoiding what’s causing the anxiety or wanting a lot of reassurance. Anxiety, worry and fear are natural emotions. It’s common for children to feel anxious, worried or afraid. In most cases, these feelings come and go and don’t last long. In fact, different anxieties, fears and worries often develop at different stages of development.

What are children anxious about?

Babies and toddlers are often anxious about separation from you. They also fear things like loud noises, heights and strangers. But babies and toddlers don’t tend to worry in the way that older children do. 

Preschoolers might start to show fear of being on their own and of the dark. But worry still isn’t common in this age group. If preschoolers do worry, it tends to be about things like getting sick or hurt. 

School-age children might be afraid of supernatural things like ghosts, social situations, criticism, tests and physical harm or threat. Children over 8 years of age might worry about things like failure at sport or school, war, pandemics, the environment, family relationships and so on.

How to support children with anxiety:

If you think your child is showing signs of typical childhood anxiety, worries or fears, you can support them in several ways: 

❑ Acknowledge your child’s fear or worry, and let them know that most children feel anxious sometimes. 

❑ Talk with your child about their worries. 

❑ Gently encourage and support your child to face situations they’re anxious about. 

❑ Wait until your child gets anxious before you step in to help. 

❑ Praise your child for doing something they’re anxious about. 

❑ Avoid criticising your child for being afraid or worried. 

❑ Avoid labelling your child as ‘shy’ or ‘anxious’. 

❑ Make sure your child eats healthy food, does enough physical activity and gets the sleep they need. Good physical health is important for mental health.

If you need support with your child's anxiety, please reach out to their class teacher. We're here to work with you to best assist your child.