"Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth." — Pema Chödrön, Buddhist teacher and author
Welcome to our 12-week journey of understanding and managing childhood anxiety. As parents, we often find ourselves navigating uncharted waters when our children experience worry or fear. Recent research shows that childhood anxiety is increasingly common, with up to 40% of students experiencing anxiety in everyday situations involving mathematics, such as solving problems or doing math homework, according to OECD reports.
Insight #1: Anxiety is Normal and Evolutionary
Remember that concept from the work of psychologists like Dr. Rick Hanson? Our ancestors had to choose between two errors: imagining a tiger in the bushes when there wasn't one (causing unnecessary anxiety) or missing an actual tiger (far more dangerous). We're wired to make the first mistake repeatedly to stay safe. The fears our children face are often "Paper Tigers"—appearing more daunting than they truly are.
Insight #2: Your Child is Not Alone
Studies show that up to 1 in 3 children in the United States experience an anxiety disorder in their childhood, yet only 1 in 5 will receive any form of treatment. This gap in care can lead to long-term negative consequences, including additional mental health conditions and major impairments socially and academically (Merikangas et al., 2010).
Insight #3: Awareness is the First Step
Simply recognizing anxiety as it happens—noticing the physical sensations, thought patterns, and behavioral responses—is powerful. This week, try just noticing when your child shows signs of anxiety without judging it or them. Pay attention to how anxiety manifests in their body language, words, or behaviors.
Next week, we'll explore how anxiety physically manifests in children's bodies and what that tells us about helping them. Until then, remember: you're doing better than you think.
Resource: "The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook" by Edmund J. Bourne, Ph.D. offers practical tools for understanding anxiety's mechanisms and beginning to address them in family contexts.