If your tween child has anxiety about going to school you should address it. The fact of the matter is that the tween school years are the ones most likely to cause anxiety in your child. They struggle with their identity, peer pressure, more difficult classes and subjects as well as new emotions that come with puberty.
If your tween appears anxious or they tell you that they do not want to go to school, it’s time to step in and suggest some changes to reduce their anxiety or help them fix the problems associated with or causing their anxiety.
The following are three ideas for helping alleviate your tween’s anxiety about school:
1.) Give your child an antacid. When your child is feeling anxious they typically need something to settle an upset stomach. An antacid is a great solution for this and it carries the added benefit of giving them much needed calcium. The general tween needs the extra calcium because their bodies are growing and changing but their daily intake of calcium is not sufficient.
If your child will not take an antacid, consider adding more fiber to their diet. A higher-fiber diet with more fruit and veggies can help relieve stomach pain as well. They ease constipation, which can be caused by stress, and a child who is anxious about school will generally struggle from this problem.
Anxious Tween
Your child’s diet can play a big role in how they handle stresses and anxieties. So, if they are suffering school anxiety, help them lay off the processed and refined foods, and increase the amount of fruits, vegetables and unprocessed or refined foods in their diet.
2.) Teach your child to talk about their feelings. When a child is suffering stress from school-related anxiety, getting the burden off their chest by talking about it can be very helpful. Teach your child to label their feelings because, if you can get a better understanding of their true feelings and the effect those feelings are having on their body, you can better address it. For example, if your tween is stressing about school because of an upcoming math test, they may put those feelings into words and say something like, “My stomach is all tied up in knots because I do not understand the equations for the math test.” You can then address the stomach side with an antacid and the lack of understanding side with tutoring.
If your child can’t express to you what is causing their anxiety, you can’t fix it. Work with your tween to help them put words to their feelings and the reasons behind those feelings.
3.) Exercise. If your tween is suffering from school anxiety, consider encouraging them to exercise more. A great workout where you break a sweat and get your muscles moving can be extremely useful for eliminating stress and anxiety. So, if your kid comes home stressed, take them for a brisk walk or get them playing a physical sport, and you should see that their mood perk up immediately.
Parenting viewpoints from parents in the trenches, because parenting doesn’t come with a manual. In addition to