How To Deal With Separation Anxiety In Children?

It is obvious for your little ones to feel anxious and uncomfortable when they have to bid a temporary farewell to you. Though you may be at your wits’ end in dealing with the tantrums, tears and clinginess of your kids, this is a normal stage in the child’s mental growth. With the help of coping strategies, you can help your child come out of the disorder quite easily.

Helping kids deal with separation anxiety:

You can easily aid your kids overcome the separation anxiety by making them feel comfortable and safer. You should try to create a sympathetic ambience at home to make your child feel at ease and talk to the school authorities if they can be a bit compassionate about the child.

1. Learn the reasons behind the anxiety: When you are aware of what makes your child feel anxious when he or she is separated from you, you will be able to offer better solutions and empathise with your child’s struggles.

2. Listen to what your child says: As a responsive parent, you must listen to what your child is feeling and have respect towards it. If a child is feeling isolated, he or she can be healed back to a normal state when they are listened to with proper care and sympathy.

3. Discuss about the issue: A child feels much relieved when he or she knows that there is someone to talk about his or her anxiety and fears. You should refrain from telling kids to stop thinking about it, and instead, tenderly remind the child how bravely he or she survived the last separation without any harm.

4. Anticipate the difficulty faced by your child: You should be prepared for transition moments in which your child may feel immensely anxious, such as going to school or meeting friends for playing. In case your child feels more comfortable separating from the other parent than you, it is wise to let the other parent handle the separation moment.

5. Offer a consistent schedule throughout the day: You must never underestimate the significance of predictability for your child with separation anxiety issues. When you offer them a consistent schedule pattern for a day, they can easily cope with the anxiety with the passage of time. In case there are going to be any alterations in the schedule, you must speak with your kids about it ahead of time.

With these small steps, you can help your small child deal with separation anxiety. But in case you feel that the situation is out of control, and you are unable to control your kids, it is probably time to seek professional help.