Skip to main content

KVC Health Systems

Anxious Parents Can Learn How To Reduce Anxiety In Their Kids

These days, children can feel increased pressure to do well in school, get good grades, and excel in sports and extracurricular activities. Like other mental and physical health problems, children can inherit anxiety from their parents.

According to this blog post by Patti Neighmond on NPR.org, children whose parents struggle with anxiety are 2 to 7 times more likely to develop an anxiety disorder themselves. Children learn many behaviors from their parents and often develop similar reactions to their environment as their parents.

Anxiety is a normal human emotion to feel during a challenging time, such as preparing for a huge test or giving a speech in front of an audience. Severe anxiety, however, can interfere with normal activities and be debilitating.

Through the use of cognitive behavioral therapy, psychotherapist Lynn Lyons helps people learn how to change their negative thoughts and experiences. Lyons believes the key to helping children overcome their anxiety is to help them expect it and have a plan to deal with it.

Click here to find out how Lynn helped 11 year old Noah overcome his anxiety at school and improved his parents efforts to help him.

Photo credit: Ellen Webber