Child Anxiety - The Fears Children Have Part 1

The elementary schooling phase can be a difficult time for your child. They will be going through changes and it may be hard to determine if this is normal or there is some other underlying child anxiety issue. If the latter is true, then you may need to give special attention to the child.

As part of growing up, all children experience fears and anxieties of some kind or other. Some of these fears and anxieties can be detrimental to the child. In order to determine whether your child is suffering from an anxiety problem of some kind you first need to determine which anxieties are a normal part of growing up and which are not.

As an adult we may have grown out of our fear of the dark, of being left alone to sleep with the light off, of thunder and lightning etc. However, a child that is still growing may still have these fears. It does not matter what nationality, race, background or ethnic group the child comes from - all children suffer from one or more fears or some kind of child anxiety at some point. It has been proven that some of the main fears can be linked to a particular age period of the child.

For example, before the child is two years old they are likely to experience a fear of unfamiliar people. Also they may fear loud noises and heights. Separation anxiety is another common fear they may experience. The child may experience these fears for a few years, even until they reach five years of age. As the child gets older these fears will fade and they will view the world differently.

The child will develop a fear of small animals at the age of two or three. Also a fear of the dark may be experienced. This could continue until the child reaches eight years of age. Around the ages of five to seven the child may have a fear of injury or some form of harm to their body. When the child hits the early school years of their life they may develop a fear of monsters and vampires. The child may not want to be left alone or parents may find they have to reassure, especially at night that there are no monsters or vampires around.

To the parents, these child fears may make no sense at all. The parent needs to give the child time and should try to avoid situations which can trigger the fears. After a few months you may find your child is able to deal better with the fears they had. Try not to lecture the child or shout at them when they are experiencing child anxiety.

Childhood fears are a part of growing up. Parents should be aware of any form of child anxiety that their child is going through and be able to provide understanding. A parent can relate the anxiety of a child to their own experience of growing up.