3 Fixes For Tween School Anxiety

If your tween child has anxiety about going to school you should address it promptly. Your child’s tweens, as they are now called, are the probably some of the toughest years of his or her life and the ones most likely to cause them tremendous anxiety. They struggle with their identity, peer pressure, more difficult classes and subjects as well as the new emotions that come with puberty.

So, if your tween is showing some anxiety or they tell you that they do not want to go to school, it is time to step in and make some changes or help them fix the problems that are causing their anxiety.

The following are three ideas for helping alleviate your tween’s anxiety about school:

Tip one: Give your child an antacid. When your child is feeling anxiety they typically need something to settle an upset stomach. An antacid is a great solution for upset stomach and, additionally, they get they added benefit of some much needed calcium. Most tweens need the extra calcium because their bodies are changing and their diets are not providing sufficient vitamins and minerals to sustain the growth and change. If your child will not take an antacid, consider adding more fiber to their diet. A higher-fiber diet with more fruit and veggies can help relieve stomach pain as well. They ease constipation, which can be caused by stress, and a child who is anxious about school will generally suffer from this problem.

Your child’s diet can play a big role in how they handle stresses and anxieties. So, if they are suffering school anxiety, help them lay off the processed and refined foods and kick up the amount of fruits, vegetables and unprocessed or refined foods.

Tip two: Teach your child to talk about their feelings. When a child is suffering stress from school anxiety, getting the burden off their chest by talking about it can be very helpful. So, teach your child to label their feelings. If you can get a better understanding of their true feelings, and the effect those feelings are having on their body, you can better address it. For example, if your tween is stressing about school because of an upcoming math test, they may put those feelings into words like so, “My stomach is all tied up in knots because I do not understand the equations for the math test.” You can then address the stomach side with an antacid, and the lack of understanding side with tutoring.

If your child can’t express to you what is causing their anxiety, you can’t fix it. So, work with your tween to help them put words to their feelings and the reasons behind those feelings.

Tip three: Exercise. If your tween is suffering from school anxiety, consider having them do more exercise. A great workout where you break a sweat and get your muscles moving can be extremely useful for eliminating stress and anxiety. So, if your kid comes home stressed, take them for a brisk walk or get them playing a physical sport and you will see that their mood will perk up immediately.