How to Cope as a Parent of a Preschooler With Social Anxiety

提摩太害怕陌生人，害怕和其他孩子一起玩耍。

当他母亲把他送到幼儿园时，他哭得伤心极了，紧紧抓住她的腿。

当他最终安顿下来时，他大部分时间都花在看其他孩子玩耍或与老师互动上。

He is afraid to join in show and tell and becomes easily upset.

蒂莫西是经历了正常的童年恐惧还是社交焦虑？

如果你的学龄前儿童在社交场合表现出恐惧的行为，你可能也问过自己同样的问题。

如果焦虑和恐惧是极端的，最好是让心理健康专家参与进来，接受专家的意见。然而，作为父母，你可以做很多事情来帮助你的孩子万博手机客户端焦虑或害怕的孩子.

首先，考虑这种行为是否是典型的学龄前儿童。

What is "normal", what is not?

孩子们在成长过程中表现出一些焦虑是正常的。这通常首先表现为六个月大时对陌生人的恐惧。

这种恐惧会在12到18个月之间发展成分离焦虑；如果在这个年龄段与父母分离，孩子会变得不安。

There are also natural differences between children in terms of how open they are to new experiences.

• "Easy" children are generally adaptable to new situations and people and tend to remain calm and happy.
• "Slow to warm up" children take a little longer to get used to new situations and tend to withdraw at first.
• "Difficult" children are easily upset by new people and situations, have strong emotional reactions and poor ability to adapt.

除了正常的童年恐惧和自然与众不同ces in temperament, some children experience intense and paralyzing fear of new people and places.

Ifyour child has severe social anxiety, she will experience distress when in those situations (such as crying, panicking or clinging) and will try to avoid the situations that cause her fear.

一些常见的童年恐惧包括：

• 遇见陌生人
• 加入一群孩子
• 在全班同学面前讲话
• being dropped off at preschool

Also, pay attention to the stories that your child concocts during imaginative play. Often many of your child's fears will seep into the activities and actions of his imaginary playmates.

Why is it a problem?

You might think that eventually your child will grow out of her shyness. If it is normal childhood fears that she experiences this could be true.

然而，在社交焦虑，不作为会导致以后出现更多问题。重要的是要考虑让恐惧增长的影响，而不是过早地停止恐惧。

研究表明，极度压抑的儿童更容易出现焦虑和抑郁等内在问题。你也可能看到最终的问题是如何应对学校的社会和学术需求。

What can be done?

家长们可以做很多事情来建立对焦虑的学龄前儿童的信心。让你的孩子做好准备将使她能够更好地应对生活的挑战。下面只是一个例子few tipsto help you lessen anxiety and better prepare your child for the social demands of her environment.

1. 焦虑可以从父母那里学到。尽可能表现出冷静和自信的行为。
2. 给你的孩子在新情况出现之前预演的机会。例如，在他必须在全班同学面前讲话之前，在家里练习表演和演讲。
3. 不要过于同情。太多的同情会让你的孩子知道有些事情值得害怕，而不是告诉她如何应对。
4. 给予温柔的鼓励。Encourage your child to try new things but do not force or coerce.
5. 避免过度保护。不要限制你的孩子接触可怕的情况，否则她会学会避免。
6. 不要批评。做一个你的孩子可以依靠的有爱心的稳定的父母。
7. 看一些关于自信孩子的视频或书籍。Or, point out other children who are confident and talk about what those children do.
8. Do not give attention to fearful behaviors.相反，赞美试图面对困难的新情况。
9. Be open with teachers/caregivers.Talk to those who look after your child about how best to develop social confidence. Make sure you are all working toward the same goals.

It can be difficult to know how best to help your preschool-aged child who is suffering with social anxiety.

Although you might hope that he will naturally grow out of his fears, taking proactive steps to encourage taking chances and reducing avoidance are key to preventing future problems.

If your child suffers with extreme anxiety that is interfering with daily life, you may wish to consult a mental health professional for a complete diagnosis and treatment plan.