Separation anxiety in children increased during the pandemic. Our children have lived through something that most of us experienced for the first time right along with them. Seeking information from professionals can be instrumental in helping your child cope with the changing world.

Stacey Angeles AMFT, APCC, an associate marriage and family therapist and associate professional clinical counselor, wrote a great article on helping children who are expreiencing separation anxiety. Please check out that article below. (Click the link at the bottom to continue reading on the original post.)

Has your child ever clutched you and cried when you dropped them off at school? Or has your child ever refused to go to school entirely for fear of being separated from you? If so, you are not alone. A 2021 study by the National Institute of Health asserts that Childhood Separation Anxiety Disorder (CSAD) affects 1-4% of children and teens. If not addressed correctly, it can be carried well into adulthood. The intense fear of being separated from a caregiver or loved one is very real and can have a detrimental emotional impact if the person doesn’t learn positive coping skills. Here are a few ways parents can be partners with their children when they experience separation anxiety:

Normalize the experience: Childhood Separation Anxiety is common, and many children experience it. Expressing this to your child who struggles with separation anxiety can give them permission to feel less alone in their difficult experience. There are several age-appropriate books on this subject, and there are educational YouTube videos especially created for children meant to explain separation anxiety. Engaging your child with developmentally appropriate and safe content on the subject will allow them to acquire language and understanding of what they are going through.

Externalize the anxiety: After normalizing the fear of being away from you, it is time to… (Click here to continue reading this article.)