Being a bit anxious is not a problem; almost everyone feels anxious and depressed at some time or the other. However, if you get nervous and shy or depressed in every situation and behave abnormally, it can have serious effects on your health and life. This is more so in the case of school going students who are shy by nature. Often such students do not share their problems with their parents and loved ones. As a result, their problems keep on compounding which can be detrimental to their health. Luckily, it is possible to deal with school anxiety issues in various ways.
Identify the problem
First of all, it is important to find out whether your child is facing any school anxiety issues. Figuring out whether your child is shy and nervous at school is not at all difficult. If your child complaints that he is having a stomachache and resist from going to school, it can be a sign of school anxiety, especially when his stomach ache disappears no sooner you allow him to stay at home. You can also get signals from your child’s activities. When your child stays clear from participating in any sporting event at his school, it can be an indication of school anxiety. Similarly, if your teenager has no school friends, it means he is too shy to make friends at the school. All these things signify that your child is dealing with some sort of social anxiety at school. Now that you know that your kid is facing social anxiety issues, it’s time to help him to come out of this situation. Treating child anxiety is easy, if you detect the problem in the early stage.
Communicate with your child and help him overcome his fears
First and foremost, ensure smooth flow of communication with your child. Make sure you interact with your child on a daily basis in a friendly manner. Unless you ensure smooth communication flow, your child won’t share his problems with you. Once you have a smooth communication cycle, speak with your child about his school problems. Find out what fears him from making friends. Similarly, ask him whether someone is scolding or bullying in his school. If your child is a victim of bullying, immediately bring it to the notice of the school for a suitable action. Apart from this, ask your child why he is reluctant to participate in sports and other school events.
Let him know that participation will only make him a better student irrespective of success and failures. Once you repose confidence in your child, he will be able to communicate with others in his school with confidence. Reward him for participating in sporting event no matter whether he wins or loses. Even if he loses, praise him for his participation and ask him to work harder next time.
Fix an appointment with a therapist
When your child is dealing with serious social school anxiety, take the help of a therapist. The therapist will employ cognitive behavior therapy and evaluate your child’s problems. Through counseling sessions and suitable medication, the therapist will help your child to come out of his fearful anxiety.
Closing thoughts
Never ignore your child’s school anxiety issues. Keep an eye on your child’s school activities and find out whether your teenager is coping with any anxiety at his school. If you suspect that your child is dealing with some problems in his school, take suitable steps to resolve the problem. Similarly, take the help of an expert councilor to treat your child’s school anxiety issues.