Jenny Warwick’s Post

Discover the hidden truth behind children's anxiety and aggression. Unravel the mystery of anger, tantrums, and meltdowns in our latest blog. Gain valuable insights and effective strategies to support your child's emotional well-being https://zurl.co/h6kg . #ChildAnxiety #AngerManagement #ParentingTips

The teen years are an essential time to learn stress management and anxiety reduction skills. Teens too often receive mental health information that anxiety is a fixed and permanent reality. In truth, we all possess neuroplasticity that helps us learn new ways of thinking and being across the lifespan. Even more so, teens have malleable brains. Too often, I see parents either ignore anxiety (with the intention of helping them push through) or feed into it (with the intention of being supportive and validating). We need to balance both as parents. By speaking to the positive outcomes of overcoming anxiety, we refocus the goal on not the temporary state of anxiety, but the calm and settled feeling we get after we've shown ourselves what we're made of. This may not be a hot take, and it's a balanced approach that is difficult to achieve as a parent. Take time to read more of my thoughts on how you can feel confident parenting an anxious child through challenges.

Stuart Shanker, self-regulation expert, tells us that stress in the Prosocial Domain is tied to difficulty coping with other people’s stress. As an educator, you constantly deal with stress from other people and children. How you view stress can be a helpful way to self-regulate and shift your understanding of stress. Learn more in the Planning for Wellbeing: mine, yours, ours resource: https://lnkd.in/gdWzA9JJ #SelfRegulation #StuartShanker #EarlyChildhoodEducation

Join Our Webinar: Supporting Anxious Teens Are you parenting a teen struggling with anxiety? Learn effective ways to support your teenager through their challenges. 📅 Date: Wednesday, October 9th | 🕖 Time: 7 PM Join me, Sinead, a Psychotherapist who specialises in working with adults and teens with anxiety, for a session full of insights and actionable strategies. Discover what's really happening in the mind of an anxious teen and gain practical tools to help them cope with stress and pressures. Webinar Highlights: Understand the real issues behind teen anxiety. Learn why common strategies fail and what works better. Get practical tools to help your teen manage anxiety. Who should attend? Ideal for parents or guardians of anxious teens. Register here: https://lnkd.in/dpivDXrF

Understanding Childhood Separation Anxiety: Empowering Parents and Children Separation anxiety is a common experience for many children, especially during significant transitions like starting school or being away from primary caregivers. But why is it so prevalent, and how can we support our children through it? 🔍 **Understanding the Root Causes:** Separation anxiety often stems from a child's natural attachment to their caregivers. It can also be triggered by changes in routine, unfamiliar environments, or past experiences of separation. 💡 **Empowering Coping Strategies:** Here are some strategies to help children cope with separation anxiety: 1️⃣ **Gradual Exposure:** Ease your child into separations by starting with short periods apart and gradually increasing the duration. This can help build their confidence and trust in their ability to handle separations. 2️⃣ **Establish Predictability:** Create a routine and stick to it. Consistency provides a sense of security and helps children feel more comfortable with separations. 3️⃣ **Open Communication:** Encourage your child to express their feelings about separation. Listen empathetically and validate their emotions, reassuring them that it's normal to feel anxious sometimes. 4️⃣ **Practice Relaxation Techniques:** Teach your child simple relaxation techniques like deep breathing or visualisation to help them manage their anxiety when faced with separation. 5️⃣ **Create Transitional Objects:** Provide your child with a comforting item, such as a favorite toy or photo, to take with them during separations. This can serve as a source of comfort and familiarity. 6️⃣ **Stay Positive and Supportive:** Offer words of encouragement and praise your child for their bravery when they successfully navigate separations. Positive reinforcement can boost their confidence and resilience. By understanding the root causes of separation anxiety and implementing these coping strategies, parents can empower their children to navigate separations with greater ease and confidence. Together, let's support our children's emotional well-being and help them thrive. 💚 #WellnessforChildren #ChildhoodDevelopment #SeparationAnxiety #ParentingTips"

5 Tips for Parenting Anxious Kids: Managing Anxiety, Not Avoiding It Supporting a child with anxiety can be challenging, but avoiding their fears only provides temporary relief and reinforces their anxiety in the long run. Here are 5 tips to help your child manage anxiety more effectively: Don’t Try to Eliminate Anxiety Anxiety is a natural part of life. Instead of trying to remove it, focus on teaching your child how to manage it. The more they practice coping strategies, the better they’ll handle future anxious moments. Encourage Facing Their Fears Avoiding fears might help short-term, but gradual exposure to anxiety-provoking situations builds resilience. Start small, celebrate progress, and provide strategies to help your child manage tough situations. Validate Feelings, Don’t Dismiss Them Acknowledge your child’s feelings without necessarily agreeing with them. For example, if they’re scared of the doctor, say, “I know it’s scary, but we’ll get through it together.” This helps them feel understood and supported. Avoid Leading Questions Instead of asking, “Are you anxious about the test?” try open-ended questions like, “How are you feeling about the science fair?” This encourages your child to express their emotions more openly, helping them build emotional awareness. Promote Problem-Solving Help your child break down their fears and brainstorm ways to manage them. Empower them with tools to handle their anxiety and celebrate their bravery when they face their fears. Parenting an anxious child is about building their confidence, helping them tolerate discomfort, and teaching them they are capable of managing whatever comes their way. #Parenting #ChildAnxiety #MentalHealth #EmotionalWellness #Resilience #ParentingTips #AnxietySupport #ChildPsychology

Helping your child navigate their anxiety can feel overwhelming. But here is how you can help. 🔑 Have your child experience getting uncomfortable but pushing through with 'just right' challenges. Follow their lead as to what feels like work to do, but not so overwhelming that they can't handle it. 🔑 Don't forget to draw your child's attention to what they were able to accomplish and celebrate small victories. This is particularly important because negative experiences imprint stronger in the brain so you have to help them remember the positive so they can draw from the experience the next time. 🔑 Make sure that the accommodations you are offering are only enough for what they need, otherwise your child will believe they cannot do something without their accommodations. If your child can give up the accommodation if needed every once in a while, it does not take too long to do the accommodation and the accommodation list does not keep getting longer and longer for a single activity, then you are in the realm of healthy accommodations. 🔑 Answer your child's questions once and only once. Because the need for constant reassurance is a type of avoidance and creates a reliance on an outside source to settle their anxiety versus finding a way to help themselves regulate their own anxiety. —------ I'm Jen and I post about #parenting and how to help strengthen your relationship with your child while minimizing challenging behaviors. 🔔 Follow me for more content like this: Jen K. 🔁 Repost for other parents so they don’t feel alone in their struggles. Because we all need a little help with our parenting from time to time. #childanxiety #teenanxiety #anxiousfeelings #selfregulation #schoolanxiety #anxietymanagement #parentingtips

Research shows one of the most important tools research helpful in reducing anxiety is more open communication between parents and teens. There are simple ways to help teens reduce anxiety that simply involve: 👂listening 🫶acknowledging feelings 💬 talking We created Lucero with these tools in my mind. When we listen, youth tell us what they need! #anxiety #youthmentalhealth

Discover how to navigate the choppy waters of childhood anxiety with our expert guide. From spotting the signs to crafting calming strategies, we empower you to support your anxious child. Dive in for a sea of support and guidance. #ChildhoodAnxiety #Pare

How to Help a Child Deal with Stress