If you are dealing with anxiety and start to notice your child exhibiting anxious behaviors, the first important thing is not to get bogged down by guilt. There’s no need to punish yourself.
The transmission of anxiety from parent to child is not inevitable. The important thing to do is implement strategies to help ensure that you do not pass your anxiety on to your children.That means managing your own stress as effectively as possible, and helping your children manage theirs.
Stress management techniques
Learn stress management techniques:As you learn to tolerate stress, you will in turn be teaching your child— who takes cues from your behavior— how to cope with situations of uncertainty or doubt.
Make a plan
Come up with strategies in advance for managing specific situations that trigger your stress. These strategies should be used sparingly: You don’t want to put the responsibility on your child to manage your anxiety if it permeates many aspects of your life. But seeing you implement a plan to curb specific anxious moments lets your child know that stress can be tolerated and managed.
Find a support system
Trying to parent while struggling with your own mental health can be a challenge, but you don’t have to do it alone. Rely on the people in your life who will step in when you feel overwhelmed, or even just offer words of support. Those people can be therapists, co-parents, or friends.
