Khaberni - No parent wants to see their child suffer from anxiety, whether going to a new school, trying different food, or participating in a sports activity. However, mental health experts warn that a common action by parents may unintentionally increase their children's anxiety instead of protecting them from it.
According to a report published by HuffPost, many parents tend to quickly intervene to rescue their children from situations that cause them stress. Although this behavior stems from good intentions, specialists assert that it can exacerbate the problem in the long term.
Cheryl Donaldson, a therapist specialized in family and marital relationships, says that the biggest mistake parents make is immediately switching to "protection mode" when they see their children feeling anxious. She explains that removing the child from the stressful situation or solving the problem for them does not empower them but rather weakens their ability to deal with stress.
Meanwhile, Hannah Schwer, a clinical social worker at the Self Space center in Washington, points out that research shows that over-accommodating a child’s anxiety makes it worse. Allowing them to avoid difficult situations provides a temporary sense of relief but reinforces the belief that such situations are truly frightening.
For example, if a teenager fears driving on the highway, avoiding this type of road during their driving lessons will make the experience more stressful when they eventually face it.
Laura Busiemi, a licensed professional counselor at Thriveworks in New Jersey, explains that supporting a child in these cases is based on three fundamental steps: acknowledging the feelings, regulating them, and then helping them manage them.
This means reassuring the child that anxiety is a natural feeling, then teaching them ways to control it such as through breathing exercises or movement, and finally encouraging them to gradually face the situation.
Experts believe that facing fears reduces them over time and helps children discover that they are stronger than they think, which contributes to building a more confident and resilient personality in the future.
