Most children have some level of fear or anxiety.
These are usually normal childhood fears or phobias, such as fear of the dark, fear of hospitals, or a fear of failure.
Most children will successfully overcome their childhood fears with time.
However, some children may continue to exhibit signs and symptoms of anxiety that seem unrelated to specific fears.
These children are usually more nervous, jittery, and worried than the average child.
If your child seems to fit into this category, there are things that you can be doing to help him overcome his anxiety.
First and foremost: do not scold him for his feelings of fear.
No matter what he is afraid of, pressuring him is only going to make the situation worse.
It will give him a sense of failure and also that he cannot rely on you to be there for him unless he is perfect.
This will cause him more anxiety about letting you down.
He will also begin to try to repress his fears, or hide them from you, so you do not get upset.
In the future, this is going to compound his anxiety, and he may very well become a very anxious adult.
Figure out if there are specific things that spark your child's anxiety.
Ask him questions about what bothers him.
Get him to talk freely about his feelings.
Sometimes just talking things out will help.
Be supportive and listen; do not judge.
Try not to tell him "not to be afraid" or that there is "nothing to fear".
To him, these statements hold absolutely no weight, and will make no sense.
Instead, try telling him that his feelings are normal and that many people have feelings just like him.
Reinforce to him that you are going to support him through his anxiety, and that you will not let him flounder.
Instead, you will get him the help that he needs to learn how to overcome these feelings.
In order to follow through on your promise, speak to your child's teacher and/or school nurse.
Tell them what he is feeling, and ask if there is a school counselor available.
If there is, set up an appointment as soon as possible for your child.
Explain to your child that the counselor talks to boys and girls that feel just like he does, and that she knows how to teach him to feel better.
Express great confidence in the counselor.
Take your child to the counseling session if possible.
Usually, with a regular counseling routine, most anxious children begin to start overcoming their fears in appropriately 6-8 weeks.