Posts Tagged ‘anxiety’

How To Talk To Your Child About Tragedy

1. Be Honest.  Your children are always better off hearing difficult and disturbing information from

their parents, rather than a peer.  It is important to take as much fear and anxiety out of your

description.

2. Limit television and media as much as possible.   Children who are

exposed to gruesome details and pictures can become very disturbed and

anxious. This is something you need to be aware of not just in your home but in friend’s homes, restaurants, stores etc.

3. Express that things are going to get better.  This happened, it’s

horrible, but hopefully we will find out what caused this

terrible tragedy and whoever was involved will be severely punished.

This gives children a belief that in some way things will be ok.

4.  Instill hope and resilience.  Life goes on,  so must we.  Try

distracting children away from the worry by focusing on something more

positive.  Kids can only process so much.

5.  Just because your child is an adolescent or a teenager doesn’t mean

they can “handle” it better.   Many times they personalize these

types of situations and this causes a lot of fear and avoidance.  We

want children’s lives to be as normal as possible.

 6.  In a divorce situation, children need their parents to be on the same page in

these types of situations.   Parents need to come together as a united  front and talk about how

they are going to address these kind of topics so that they are presenting the information similarly.

7.  If you notice your children aren’t eating or sleeping well this is a

sign that they may be anxious about something.  Keep an eye out for

atypical behavior.  If this  behavior persists talk to your

pediatrician, psychologist, or therapist so they can help them work

through any anxious thoughts they are having as well as help you

manage their anxieties at home.

Got Prom Anxiety?

Prom time can be a very anxious time for teenagers. Not every teen has the confidence to ask someone to go on a date with them, in fact, most don’t!  It takes a lot of guts to ask that special someone to go to the prom with you!  Proms in general cause a lot of un needed stress in teenagers today.  Who  should I go with,? Will they say yes? Will my dress look good? Should I ask the guy out instead of waiting for him to ask me?  Will my hair turn out they way I wanted it to? What will everyone be doing after the prom that I may not be comfortable with? Will my parents approve of my date?  WIll the night be everything I dreamed it would be? List goes on and on….

Teens today are under enough pressure socially and academically, prom time should be a time to unwind and relax with friends after a long year of hard work at school.  However, many teens feel nervous and stressed about the big night!  In fact when you ask most grown adults they can still tell you stories about their nerves and anxieties they had about their prom night when they were a teenager!

Here are 10 helpful tips:

1. Asking someone to the prom is a HUGE stress for teens.  No one likes facing rejection!  Ask a date that you truly feel comfortable going with.  Pick someone who you can be yourself with, and you know will make you  laugh and feel good about yourself.  Ladies…. you don’t have to wait for the guy to ask you, if there is someone special you want to go with ASK them!

2. Will they say yes.. maybe?  If they don’t, it’s NOT the end of the world.  You will look back and realize this one day!  Just go with someone else, even if it’s a friend!  Put yourself out there, most teens are equally nervous to ask someone AND be asked!

3. Dress selection.  This is a fun night out with friends… not your wedding dress. Don’t obsess over “the perfect dress”, there are tons of beautiful dresses out there!  It is not a competition amongst friends, you can all look great and feel good about yourselves. Go with a friend or a family member who is honest and will make you feel good about your selection.

4.Girls look through magazines for days for the “it” hair styles today.  Many times your hair looks very different when you try a certain style on yourself.  Practice

before hand or if you are getting it done, have the hairdresser try it one time before the big day so you don’t get upset if it doesn’t turn out how you wanted it to.  Planning a head of time makes for less stress.

5. When doing your make up, remember you are 17 not 37.. make sure you look like yourself!  At 17 you are already a natural beauty!

6. Parents need to send their child off on any date feeling like the person they are going with is responsible and has a head on their shoulders!  Introducing your parents to your prom date can make many teens anxious.  Try picking a day BEFORE the prom to get it out-of-the-way so you don’t feel overwhelmed or anxious on the day of.

7. Prom nights usually never go as planned, ask your parents I am sure one or both of them have a funny story for you.  Often it may not be the fairytale you dreamed up in your mind.  If you go into the night with the mind-set that it’s just another fun night with friends” you will have fun and relax.

8. Don’t feel pressure to do anything you don’t want to do.  Whether that is sexually, drinking, drugs, or going somewhere you are not comfortable afterward to continue the celebration.  The more pressure you put on yourself to do something you are not comfortable with the more anxiety you will feel.  Your date should be someone you trust and someone you can be yourself with.  If not… pick another date!

9. Can’t find a date?  Go with a friend or a get a bunch of friends to go together!  Don’t miss out on a fun night you were looking forward to because there is pressure to go in the first place.

10.Too nervous to ask someone out in person?  This is where social media can come in handy!  Text or email something really creative and sweet, that should do the trick! Remember if you are anxious… PRIVACY is key!  Posting it on Facebook for the world to see is a definite NO NO!

Remember to laugh, smile, take pictures, dance, and have fun!  After all this work you put into planning, make it a night to remember!