Hello Marvista Families,
For this week I’d like to share a simple resource with you about childhood anxiety. This is on my mind right now because I’ve been doing lessons on the subject with 5th grade classes, and am running several groups to support students who have a lot of anxious feelings. I know anxiety can be experienced by students of any age, however, as even our youngest learners can struggle with anxiety from social and home situations, schoolwork or separation from a loved one. I found this quick read article to be very helpful if you take a few moments to read. A couple of highlights I personally found most helpful:
- Show empathy in acknowledging how they feel without agreeing with their fears.
- Don’t avoid places/situations just because your child feels anxious about them.
- Avoid asking leading questions like: “Are you anxious about the big test?”
I hope you find this resource helpful, and please don’t hesitate to reach out for support!
Warm Regards,
Andrew Ritsema
School Counselor
Marvista Elementary School