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The Anxious Child
Raising a Healthy Child in a Frightening World
By Mary Ann Shaw, Ed.D.
With terrorist attacks on American soil, war on television – live and prime time – and crime part of every newscast, our post 9/11 world has become an increasingly frightening place to raise children. Today's children – and their parents – have much more to be afraid of than the monster under the bed or the goblin in the closet. In our information society, so much of the news is frightening that parents are worried, and unfortunately, they transmit their fears to their children.
Children can't escape this atmosphere of fear. School is no longer a safe place. At inner-city schools metal detectors and weapons searches are standard issue. And even in quiet suburbs, violence has become almost commonplace.
The result of these current events is that children and parents in the United States are experiencing anxiety in greater numbers today than ever before, drawing attention to anxiety and expanding the need for resources that can prevent serious anxiety problems requiring long-term treatment.
The earlier parents begin to recognize and address anxiety problems in their children, the better. If you can deal with your child's anxieties at a very young age, you can prevent more serious problems that could require long-term professional help.
