How early does it start?

[Kelyn]

This is an excellent question and I agree with you that, just because the person anxious is a child, his/her fears should not be dismissed. Rather, childhood is the time to learn tools on how to handle stress and anxiety, so yes. I think many of these practices can be adapted for helping children.

In my own experience as a mother, I can say that the largest red flag that a child is anxious or under stress is if he/she squabbles and bickers with siblings. Children don't always have the outlets (or the tools) adults have for dealing with stress. Taking it out on a sibling is a "safe" outlet. If your kids are constantly bickering and squabbling, it's NOT normal. Try to find the source of their stress. Take care of THAT, and sibling bickering goes away.

This shows us that children are not in the best position to deal with their stress and anxiety. The remedies that have been given in this book are practical and can be gradually taught to the young ones as they grow.

I agree. The younger the child, the simpler and more basic the technique toward calm is going to have to be. The techniques given in the book, although excellent for adults and even teens, would need to be tweaked to use effectively for younger children and then evolve as they get older and better able to utilize them. Thanks for dropping in and sharing your thoughts!

[ReyvrexQuestor Reyes]

It is a good assumption that each of us is unto stress in varying intensities since our childhood, since the time that we had our wants and desires to be filled. And here, our patience is measured on how tolerable our attitude is when we react to the failure, or delay in acquiring a favorable outcome towards the fulfillment of our wants. It is only later that we may learn the mechanism of coping up with the results we receive. And all the while, we are under stress.

[Kanda_theGreat]

I had a very troubling childhood, where I could not express my fears to my stay-at-home (housewife) mum because she was difficult to handle. That has affected my upbringing and I now have to deal with my fears at this adult stage, which would have been advantageous if I learnt the art at a tender age.

[Howlan]

It's outright that children should take medication under the supervision of their parents. Any remedy recommended in this book requires care both from mature folks and young ones.

Yes, and it would be more proper that a professional comes into the picture regarding medication. Parents should also take care of the stressor that the child is having a problem with. They should also try to avoid their child being dependant on medication.

True, but there are also natural remedies, such as Valarian, Passionflower, or even St. John Wort that can help rather than prescription medications. In conjunction with some of the methods in the book, that might suffice rather than putting a child on prescription medications. I agree that their Doctor should be informed that the child is taking them, and the parent should oversee the dosage and consumption of herbal remedies just as if it were prescription. Any kind of meds, natural or prescription isn't going to fix everything by itself. As you said, the stressors must be addressed and the child taught how to deal with them effectively. Some of the techniques the author talks about are excellent for that purpose.

Yes, they truly seem as better alternatives instead of putting prescribed medication on children. However, these herbs have a number of side-effects and can be sensitive to children for longer use. That being said, I think, for children the best way is to always trying to solve teir problem and communication rather than ingesting medicine or herbs.

[Howlan]

It is a good assumption that each of us is unto stress in varying intensities since our childhood, since the time that we had our wants and desires to be filled. And here, our patience is measured on how tolerable our attitude is when we react to the failure, or delay in acquiring a favorable outcome towards the fulfillment of our wants. It is only later that we may learn the mechanism of coping up with the results we receive. And all the while, we are under stress.

Yes, that is true. In our childhood, we all had mild levels of anxieties which we may even have forgotten while growing up. But there are times when that anxiety may develop into stress and that can be because children are very sensitive to things they see and absorb. I think anxiety can be harmful is nothing towards it and neglected, even from our childhood.

[Howlan]

This is an excellent question and I agree with you that, just because the person anxious is a child, his/her fears should not be dismissed. Rather, childhood is the time to learn tools on how to handle stress and anxiety, so yes. I think many of these practices can be adapted for helping children.

In my own experience as a mother, I can say that the largest red flag that a child is anxious or under stress is if he/she squabbles and bickers with siblings. Children don't always have the outlets (or the tools) adults have for dealing with stress. Taking it out on a sibling is a "safe" outlet. If your kids are constantly bickering and squabbling, it's NOT normal. Try to find the source of their stress. Take care of THAT, and sibling bickering goes away.

This shows us that children are not in the best position to deal with their stress and anxiety. The remedies that have been given in this book are practical and can be gradually taught to the young ones as they grow.

I agree. The younger the child, the simpler and more basic the technique toward calm is going to have to be. The techniques given in the book, although excellent for adults and even teens, would need to be tweaked to use effectively for younger children and then evolve as they get older and better able to utilize them. Thanks for dropping in and sharing your thoughts!

Yes, I would have appreciated the book, if the author had included a section for anxiety to children. It is true that most remendies would work towards children, but a seperate section detailing the anxieties they and how parents can deal with their issues would have been welcome.

[miatyae]

One of the problems with the mental health of children in general would be the invalidation fo their issues from adults. A lot of people consider people 'too young to be anxious' because in their minds children have fewer responsibilities, so children get the mindset that their feelings are not valid. What would help them would be adults not diminishing their experiences and sitting down to hear what their kids have to say.

[Kelyn]

Child support strengthens the parent to child bond. It is this strong relationship that allows a child to freely talk to their parents about stress and anxiety.

Children can easily adjust to situations if they are rightfully guided. It's the responsibility of a parent to keep observing their children for signs of stress and anxiety.

I've observed that giving personal experience as an example to young ones is relatively functional than using an analytical approach. Children will relate more to what their parents have undergone and easily learn lessons from it.

These observations are true, to an extent. When the parent is aware and observant of their child's behavior and moods they are better able to respond and 'guide' the child (hopefully rightly), and this can lead to a tighter bond between parent and child as long as it is handled in a gentle and loving way. Sharing their experiences with their child can assist in building this relationship and serve as 'therapy' at the same time by showing the child how the parent handled similar problems. However, not all children will 'easily adjust' to anxieties and stress just because their parent gives them attention and listens to them. The techniques in the book can help, but sometimes professional help must be called in with therapists who are trained to teach children these skills. In short, the parents can start the journey, and teach the child techniques they know (such as the ones in Kinrys' book). But sometimes a more analytic approach is needed, and the parents also have to be willing to get the child further help if they do not 'easily' adjust. Thanks for stopping in and sharing your thoughts!

[Kelyn]

I agree, If parents could teach their children the methods provided by Gustavo, then those children could be in a position to prevent and deal with stress and anxiety.

This shows us that children are not in the best position to deal with their stress and anxiety. The remedies that have been given in this book are practical and can be gradually taught to the young ones as they grow.

Advocating and habituating natural remedies is preferable. At an early age, children can easily start following these practices.

I agree that some of the practices Kinrys details in his book would have to be adjusted for use with young children. They are practical, natural (as in, usable without medication) and fairly easy to learn. The younger the child, the simpler the techniques should be made to enable the child to understand and use them easily. The techniques can then 'grow' with the child as they are able to comprehend more detailed versions. While I do agree that natural remedies are preferable, and Kinrys' techniques are a good place to start, the parents should not hesitate to consult a therapist if need is shown. I appreciate you dropping in and sharing your thoughts with us!

[Kelyn]

It is also of importance to clarify, that the only way children can be able to open up on the issues they are facing is if, the parent to child relationship is positive.

... Children that are taught how to deal with stressors at an early age are likely not to be highly affected by those factors in the future.

... Children are also prone to stress and anxiety.

I think most parents believe there's a required age to teach kids about stress and anxiety. Some guardians may not even know how to deal with stress themselves. It's a problem that needs to be addressed.

You are correct (again ) that some parents/guardians may be unsure of how to deal with stress themselves. That, in today's world, is something that cannot continue given the stresses that are present. Book like the one Kinrys has written can help immensely with that. Not only would the techniques he gives help the parents, thereby lessening their stress, but that would/could 'trickle-down' to the children being taught at an early age how to deal with the stresses in their lives. Getting a child to trust you once that trust has been broken or 'bent' (you know what I mean) is extremely difficult, but the parent's having the tools/techniques needed to help the child with their anxieties and fears is likely to also help them build a closer bond with their child.

[Kelyn]

I believe it starts in fragments of emotions we feel as a child. As we grow older, we develop experiences thereby the emotions we feel goes far deeper and more complicated.

I'm not certain I can agree that we only feel fragments of emotions as a child. I believe children experience emotion deeply even early in life. However, if you mean that those emotions we feel as children come through as fragments to affect us still as adults, then yes, definitely. Emotion can indeed go deeper and get more complicated as adults (in my opinion). I think perhaps, even though his techniques can be adjusted for children, that's why Kinrys wrote his books for adults. Thanks for dropping by and sharing your thoughts with us!

[Kelyn]

Yes, and it would be more proper that a professional comes into the picture regarding medication. Parents should also take care of the stressor that the child is having a problem with. They should also try to avoid their child being dependant on medication.

True, but there are also natural remedies, such as Valarian, Passionflower, or even St. John Wort that can help rather than prescription medications. In conjunction with some of the methods in the book, that might suffice rather than putting a child on prescription medications. I agree that their Doctor should be informed that the child is taking them, and the parent should oversee the dosage and consumption of herbal remedies just as if it were prescription. Any kind of meds, natural or prescription isn't going to fix everything by itself. As you said, the stressors must be addressed and the child taught how to deal with them effectively. Some of the techniques the author talks about are excellent for that purpose.

Yes, they truly seem as better alternatives instead of putting prescribed medication on children. However, these herbs have a number of side-effects and can be sensitive to children for longer use. That being said, I think, for children the best way is to always trying to solve teir problem and communication rather than ingesting medicine or herbs.

I agree that some of the medications in the book wouldn't be acceptable for children and certainly not without the involvement of a professional.The techniques that do not require medicine would, of course, be the ones to try first. I'd be interested to know the side-effects you're talking about, though. I've been using these herbs, literally, for years without side-effects and have given them to my children as well, in carefully adjusted dosages of course. They haven't reacted badly to them either. Thanks for bringing your thoughts to the conversation!

[shirleym89]

It starts from a very early age. Children also have anxiety problems and most of them are not aware of the symptoms. It's important that the symptoms are recognized from an early age.

[Kelyn]

One of the problems with the mental health of children in general would be the invalidation fo their issues from adults. A lot of people consider people 'too young to be anxious' because in their minds children have fewer responsibilities, so children get the mindset that their feelings are not valid. What would help them would be adults not diminishing their experiences and sitting down to hear what their kids have to say.

An excellent point. I remember as a child being told, "You're too young to worry about that," as if that were a way to instantly wash away my anxiousness about whatever situation was going on. It just doesn't work that way even though many parents seem to think it does. As you said, that's like invalidating their feelings. Addressing the problem/fear/anxiety and teaching the child techniques, such as the ones in the book, to help them deal with those fears also helps the child feel validated and heard.

[Kelyn]

It starts from a very early age. Children also have anxiety problems and most of them are not aware of the symptoms. It's important that the symptoms are recognized from an early age.

I agree, in a way. The child may recognize that somethings 'off' or 'wrong' but not be able to identify it as more than a 'fear' or 'problem' and, more than likely, will have no idea how to handle it. Parents need to be aware of this and keep an eye out for the changes in behavior that such difficulties often causes. Once recognized, they can (hopefully) talk to their children and teach them coping mechanisms or techniques, such as the one's in Kinrys' book, to help them handle their stresses in a better way.