jeanettah

One of the most common concerns addressed in therapy is that of “anxiety.” Most of us do not have to get far into our daily routine without having to manage anxious emotional events. For instance, let’s follow a working mother through her morning with a first grader. Get the child up and dressed; make breakfast and pack the lunch; get in the car without forgetting something; drive to school and get through the carpool lane; back out in traffic and drive to work. Any one of those details could produce anxiety, small or great, but a working parent begins the day like this regularly. Merriam-Webster defines anxiety as “apprehensive uneasiness or nervousness usually over an impending or anticipated misfortune.” That definition implies unusual or out-of-the-ordinary events, but honestly, we are living in an era that I would label “anxiety-producing.” Social Concerns for Youth Stories abound of children leaving private schools due to social isolation or being bullied because of exclusive friend groups, or of unruly students who are disruptive and make it almost impossible for a teacher to maintain classroom management, all while dealing with parents who are not seeing to their children completing and turning in homework assignments, but expecting teachers to discipline and educate their children. Another disturbing trend, especially in middle and high schools, is the continued rise of cyberbullying among high school students for a wide variety of reasons. What can a parent do to help their child? Have a home environment where your child is allowed to express their frustrations without judgment. This includes not being concerned about the words they use but what they are really communicating. Children do well when they are able to tell their parents anything that is going on in their lives. One suggestion is to have a time [...]