Anxiety is something that not only affects adults. It can happen to children in one shape, form or another. Parents try everything in their power to help their children lead a happy non-anxious life, but when those moment happen, and they will, it is important to have an arsenal of words to help bring a sense of calm to their world.
Originally published in GoZen, in a story written by Renee Jain, here are ten phrases that will help you calm your anxious child.
1. “I love you. You are safe.”
2. “I will say something, and I want you to say it exactly as I do: ‘I can do this’.”
3. “We are an unstoppable team.”
4. Have a battle cry: “I am a warrior!”; “I am unstoppable!”; or “Look out World, here I come!”
5. “Let’s put your worry down while we (listen to your favorite song, read this story). Then we’ll pick it up again.”
6. “This feeling will go away. Let’s get comfortable until it does.”
7. “I need you to tell me when two minutes have gone by.”
8. “Close your eyes. Picture this…”
9. “I get scared/nervous/anxious sometimes too. It’s no fun.”
10. “Let’s pull out our calm-down checklist.”
To read the story in its entirety and learn more key phrases to help your little one navigate those anxious moments, click here.
