Experts Identify 8 Parenting Behaviors That Fuel Child Anxiety as 20.5% of Youth Show Symptoms

3 articles · Updated · HuffPost · Aug 9

Clinical experts said eight common parenting habits can unintentionally heighten anxiety in children, from encouraging avoidance to using rigid, authoritarian discipline.
Research cited in the report estimates 20.5% of youth worldwide show anxiety symptoms, which can appear as stomachaches, tantrums, clinginess, withdrawal or trouble joining activities.
Avoidance and over-accommodation were highlighted as key drivers because helping children dodge feared situations can deepen anxiety and weaken coping skills and confidence.
Experts also pointed to parents’ own unmanaged anxiety, constant danger warnings, leading questions, mixed messages and praise focused only on results as behaviors that can teach fear or pressure perfectionism.
The recommended alternative was consistent emotion talk, age-appropriate explanations, effort-based praise and modeling coping strategies so children build their own tools for handling distress.

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Is the way you praise your child's success silently programming them to fear failure and develop chronic anxiety?

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