There are many reasons for school students to have anxiety. In my educational experiences I have seen many causes of childhood stress that range from school issues to home matters. My own children went to school in the same building in which I taught. Their neighborhood friend would sleep in everyday and be late for school. He lived with a singe parent that worked nights and was already asleep when it was time for him to get up for school. The school principal tried many ways to get the student to school on time including wake-up calls. That worked while he was in elementary school but to my knowledge there was no follow-up when he was in middle and high school. The story circulated that while waiting for the bus, he stated that he forgot his health book and was going back home to get it. The children claimed that it was the last they saw him at the bus stop or in school. In spite of their claims, he managed to work through his school anxiety and now owns a successful business.
Anxiety can start as early as prekindergarten. Students with stress related symptoms don’t feel they are accepted for themselves but only for what they are able to achieve. Some psychologists and child development specialists feel that stress keeps students challenged, keeps the brain functioning, and aids in learning new things. When it interferes with the learning, it becomes a problem.
There are many number of stress related symptoms that I have come across – separation anxiety, restricted activity, excessive worrying, nightmares, school refusal, and meltdowns. These symptoms can result in children becoming immobilized by their fears. Once these children learn how to deal with their anxieties, they eventually become more resilient.
The two most stress and anxiety symptoms I have seen in school children are school refusal and separation anxiety. In not having a professional diagnosis, it was difficult to tell whether the student didn’t want to come to school for a particular reason or if they didn’t want to leave the parent. In school refusal any stressful life event may be the trigger. Other reasons may be that the child fears something will happen to the parent, he may not do well in school, or there may be a bullying issue. Missing school only tends to reinforce the anxiety.
If you are a teacher or parent that likes to explore the internet to read about topics or have additional information before speaking with a doctor, school nurse, or counselor the website www.worrywisekids.org may help. It has a range of what is normal anxiety, red flags, tips for parents, cases, newsletters, and additional resources.
In working with other educators, counselors, school psychologists, and parents here are some suggestions for helping children deal with stress:
• Acknowledge the concern and do not tell them there is nothing to worry about.
• Tell them there is a part of their brain that causes them to worry.
• Talk to the child to find out what the ‘real’ worry is.
• Yoga or relaxation techniques my help.
• Expose the child in small degrees to their fear, increasing exposure.
• Help the child to establish a support system.
In today’s hustle and bustle lifestyle it is no wonder so many children are stressed. They are confronted with unthinkable events that were not part of the world in which I grew up. I was glad to be out of the house, away from my parents and, in a school that was stress free. My only fear was missing the bus in the morning or not getting a good seat on the bus on the way home. We can’t solve every problem as students go through life but by teaching healthy coping strategies to manage the stress may be one way.
