SNAP

If you’re a parent, it’s hard to watch your child struggle or suffer from anxiety or stress. If you’re not sure what kind of action or approach to take, the Youth Crisis Center says there are various ways to handle the situation by just talking with your child. It may not be able to make all the pain go away, but you could help your child by easing their worries or fears.

Identify that your child is struggling with stress or anxiety

Therapists at the Youth Crisis Center believe it’s essential to make sure you understand your child’s problem. This is an essential step because you may help your child if they are struggling with stress or anxiety differently than if they were getting bullied at school.

Support your child by acknowledging their fears

You probably dealt with a similar issue when you were a child. It is important not to dismiss your child’s fears if you were affected the same way or didn’t share those fears when you were a child. Supporting your child by acknowledging their fears helps them know that you are there for them and simply want to help them.

Seek professional help for your child

As a parent, you can try speaking with your child’s pediatrician, teacher, or school counselor. Therapists at the Youth Crisis Center believe these resources can help guide you in the right direction to getting resources to help your child ultimately.

Talk to your child

You can use this opportunity to offer viable solutions. YCC believes you can talk with your child about things like encouraging them to keep a journal or even cut back on after-school activities.

Use positive terms

When talking with your child, it is important to remember to use positive terms. Parents should use terms like “you are so brave” instead of just passing their child off as shy or anxious for the reasons of their behaviors.

Learn mindfulness

Therapists at the Youth Crisis Center say you can use this opportunity to make time for fun and quiet time. You and your child can also develop an exercise regimen of mindful activities that they will use when they are feeling anxious. Click here for mindfulness tips for children.

About SNAP® at the Youth Crisis Center

YCC offers a program called SNAP®, which stands for STOP NOW AND PLAN. This is an evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral model powered by the minds at Child Development Institute (CDI). SNAP® can help children, ages 6-11, and their parents learn how to effectively manage their emotions and ‘keep problems small.’ We know that because small problems can quickly turn bigger or worsening problems if a child or their parent doesn’t have effective emotion regulation, self-control, or problem-solving skills.

Everybody deals with anxiety differently. According to Healthline, “anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress.”  Stress is a part of everyday life. Some people encounter it at one point whether it’s the first day of school, public speaking, or finally landing a job interview; stress happens and how people deal with it varies. However, while stress is a part of everyday life, it is not supposed to dictate your life. Experts at Healthline claim “if feelings of anxiety are extreme, last longer than six months, and interfering with your life, you may have an anxiety disorder.”

The CDC says children also have fears and worries. Regardless of how young they are, children sometimes find themselves feeling sad and hopeless every now and then.  It is a part of life and some of those feelings are normal for kids.  However, the CDC believes “persistent or extreme forms of fear and sadness could be due to anxiety or depression.”  

Your child and anxiety

Parents never want to see their child suffer or be in pain. You may feel that it is your duty as a parent to help your child work through what’s bothering them. It can be easier to figure out why your child is crying if you see them with a scraped knee or if they accidentally touched the stove while it was hot. It may not be as easy to figure out what’s going on mentally and causing your child stress or anxiety.

Experts at the Youth Crisis Center believe there are three different categories parents should pay attention to if they suspect their child may be struggling with stress or anxiety.

Thinking symptoms

Therapists at the Youth Crisis Center encourage you to really pay attention to what your child says about their thoughts. Some things to look out for is if your child often talks about their mind racing or the fact they find it hard to think straight. Therapists also recommend talking with your child’s instructors if they’re in school to see if your child’s concentration is not where it used to be or if they have difficulties with starting assignments.

Emotional symptoms

Parents should also monitor their child’s behavior and how they are reacting to things around them. You can use this opportunity to see if your child is coming off as withdrawn and if they tend to isolate themselves. You can also try talking to your kids, see if they’re having obsessive thoughts they can’t seem to shake or they are struggling with low self-esteem.

Physical symptoms

As mentioned earlier, physical symptoms are a bit easier to detect than the symptoms kids are dealing with mentally. YCC therapists claim that children undergoing stress and anxiety may have sore muscles. Children may also use the bathroom more frequently. YCC suggests to parents that they should pay attention to their children’s eating and sleeping habits. Hoarding food or having problems sleeping could also be indicators of stress for your child.

About SNAP® at the Youth Crisis Center

YCC offers a program called SNAP®, which stands for STOP NOW AND PLAN. This is an evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral model powered by the minds at Child Development Institute (CDI). SNAP® can help children, ages 6-11, and their parents learn how to effectively manage their emotions and ‘keep problems small.’ We know that because small problems can quickly turn bigger or worsening problems if a child or their parent doesn’t have effective emotion regulation, self-control, or problem-solving skills. 

Mindfulness is a subject addressed often at the Youth Crisis Center. Experts at YCC believe that mindfulness is having awareness of our physical, mental, and emotional condition without assigning judgement on ourselves. YCC wants to remind everyone that practicing mindfulness doesn’t cost anything. You will be able to practice anywhere as long as you have the time and space for it. This includes youth. Therapist at YCC encourages parents to find opportunities to talk about mindfulness with their children and how they used it today.

Getting Youth Involved

Young people should absolutely consider practicing mindfulness. Research shows that practicing mindfulness has been shown to improve attention and reduce stress.  Practicing mindfulness could also improve your ability to regulate emotions and feel compassion along with empathy.  Therapists at the Youth Crisis Center believe that learning how to gain and utilize self-awareness is such a valuable skill that will stick with children for the remainder of their lives. They believe self-awareness and healthy coping could have a positive impact on your mood, self-esteem, social interactions, your relationship with others, and your quality of life.

Therapists recommend practicing mindfulness as a family. They suggest it could be a great way to connect with one another. It is advised to introduce exercises when things are calm and  your child is already in a good space. It is recommended you keep the time short, especially if your child is on the younger side. It’s best to let them set the pace and once they’re done…don’t push it.

For activities, you can start with a walk or breathing exercises with your child. Once you have completed that activity, you can shift your focus to the senses. You can talk about what you saw while on the walk, the sounds, and the smells.

Mindfulness as an Adult vs Youth

Children and adults face different challenges in today’s society, and therefore children and adults may practice mindfulness in varying ways and for varying reasons. An adult may use mindfulness techniques to help them be a better leader, to help them feel better about themselves and learn gratitude, or to help them be a more effective/empathetic/well rounded person in general. Youth could use mindfulness to help alleviate behavioral and emotion regulation problems in the classroom, or to assist in coping with depression or anxiety.

Mindfulness is a subject addressed often at the Youth Crisis Center. Experts at YCC believe that mindfulness is having awareness of our physical, mental, and emotional condition without assigning judgement on ourselves. YCC wants to remind everyone that practicing mindfulness doesn’t cost anything. You will be able to practice anywhere as long as you have the time and space for it. This includes youth. Therapist at YCC encourages parents to find opportunities to talk about mindfulness with their children and how they used it today.

Getting Youth Involved

Young people should absolutely consider practicing mindfulness. Research shows that practicing mindfulness has been shown to improve attention and reduce stress.  Practicing mindfulness could also improve your ability to regulate emotions and feel compassion along with empathy.  Therapists at the Youth Crisis Center believe that learning how to gain and utilize self-awareness is such a valuable skill that will stick with children for the remainder of their lives. They believe self-awareness and healthy coping could have a positive impact on your mood, self-esteem, social interactions, your relationship with others, and your quality of life.

Therapists recommend practicing mindfulness as a family. They suggest it could be a great way to connect with one another. It is advised to introduce exercises when things are calm and your child is already in a good space. It is recommended you keep the time short, especially if your child is on the younger side. It’s best to let them set the pace and once they’re done…don’t push it.

For activities, you can start with a walk or breathing exercises with your child. Once you have completed that activity, you can shift your focus to the senses. You can talk about what you saw while on the walk, the sounds, and the smells.

Mindfulness as an Adult vs Youth

Children and adults face different challenges in today’s society, and therefore children and adults may practice mindfulness in varying ways and for varying reasons. An adult may use mindfulness techniques to help them be a better leader, to help them feel better about themselves and learn gratitude, or to help them be a more effective/empathetic/well rounded person in general. Youth could use mindfulness to help alleviate behavioral and emotion regulation problems in the classroom, or to assist in coping with depression or anxiety.

About SNAP® at the Youth Crisis Center

YCC offers a program called SNAP®, which stands for STOP NOW AND PLAN. This is an evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral model powered by the minds at Child Development Institute (CDI). SNAP® can help children, ages 6-11, and their parents learn how to effectively manage their emotions and ‘keep problems small.’ We know that because small problems can quickly turn bigger or worsening problems if a child or their parent doesn’t have effective emotion regulation, self-control or problem-solving skills. 

It is rare to find someone who is happy all the time. Getting mad is just as common as feeling sad, joyful, jealous, and scared or any other emotion. As human beings, we cycle through these emotions and that’s okay; it’s normal. How we feel and respond to things plays a part in what makes us unique. However, it is wise to  never let one emotion rule your life. You take the happy times with the sad. Certain conversations with people can make you angry while some situations can make you scared. Your feelings are valid. However, while your emotions such as getting angry is okay, how you react to your anger is what makes a difference.

Talking to your kids about anger

Outpatient Therapist Ron Bertie suggests letting your child know that anger is normal, but you want to work with them on how they react to that anger. He wants you to help your child come up with positive outlets. This can be something like painting, drawing, or another type of creative outlet. If their child prefers something more on the physical side, it can be dancing, running, or working out. Bertie suggests these kinds of coping mechanisms should already be in place before an incident takes place. He advises talking to your kids about controlling their anger when they’re already angry may not be as effective.

Triggers

Whether it is your child or yourself, Bertie recommends thinking and talking about your triggers. He says when you have identified possible triggers, you can then focus on how you react to that particular trigger. According to Bertie, a way to deal with your triggers better or even overcome is to change your perception of them by being more empathetic, setting boundaries, or if it’s a person – talking to them.

Dealing with anger as an adult

Bertie says his advice would not differ too much when it comes to talking to kids or an adult about their anger. The reason for that is because Bertie explains some issues are derived from childhood. Bertie recommends for adults to learn how to heal from old scars. He also wants adults to evaluate the outcome of their outburst. Once they have completed those steps, Bertie says it will be time to find innate reasons for change.

About SNAP® at the Youth Crisis Center

YCC offers a program called SNAP®, which stands for STOP NOW AND PLAN. This is an evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral model powered by the minds at Child Development Institute (CDI). SNAP® can help children, ages 6-11, and their parents learn how to effectively manage their emotions and ‘keep problems small.’ We know that because small problems can quickly turn bigger or worsening problems if a child or their parent doesn’t have effective emotion regulation, self-control or problem-solving skills. 

It’s hard to run into anybody nowadays who has not been affected by bullying. Bullying can be defined as someone who is being hurt by either words or actions on purpose more than once. It can cause physical pain or even emotional pain. According to StopBullying.gov, some bullying can fall into criminal categories, such as harassment, hazing, or assault. Bullying isn’t a new concept as it has been around for generations, it even changes with each generation as today’s youth have dealt with bullying through social media.

The effects of bullying on mental health

Youth who are bullied over time are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem compared to their peers who have not experienced it, research suggests. It could be difficult for one to determine the exact effect bullying has on someone because we all experience and cope with things differently. That same study also shows that youth who bully others over time are at higher risk for more intense anti-social behaviors like problems at school, substance use, and aggressive behavior.

Duval Charter School Therapist, Clarissa Benitez, MSW claims kids cans often times feel embarrassed after experiencing bullying and will worry that their parents will be upset if they found out. She also says youth may feel like it is their fault and reaching out for help will only cause the bullying to get worse.

How parents can get involved

It is always encouraged for parents to check in with their children and look for any kind of warning signs. Parents should pay attention to things such as whether their child is getting into physical or verbal fights at school. Stop Bullying also says another warning sign could be your child blaming others for their problems.

Benitez suggests to parents to listen calmly and offer comfort while listening to their kids talk about their problems. She says it is vital you offer support during this time. Benitez does admit, for some parents it can be tempting to tell your child to fight back. She says this feeling is common because parents are angry that their child is suffering.

“Let your child know the importance of standing up for themselves by telling someone: a teacher, a parent, or any trusted adult.”

Benitez recommends coming up with a plan with your child on how they can respond to the situation and most importantly, reassure them that you will figure it out. Some other strategies include teaching your child to walk away and telling the bully to stop; however, Benitez says it is important to make sure that your child feels safe and confident enough to do that. She also encourages coming up with a buddy system so your child is never alone and has a friend with them. It is recommended by Benitez to talk to your child’s school about the bullying.

“Don’t be afraid to ask the school what their policies are on bullying prevention and the actions taken if a child is being bullied.”

What if my child is the bully?

Benitez says it is important for parents to help their children understand that their actions are hurting others. She goes on to explain that parents need to use this opportunity to tell their child that everyone deserves respect, and that could start with setting examples at home. She recommends modeling nonviolent behaviors for your child and to encourage them from talking to someone. According to Benitez, parents must take this situation seriously and do not pass it off as ‘just a phase.’ She says that being a bully can have long-lasting effects on a child that can lead to aggressive behaviors. Benitez says if the bullying does not stop for your child, seek a mental health counselor.

About the SNAP® at the Youth Crisis Center

YCC offers a program called SNAP®, which stands for STOP NOW AND PLAN. This is an evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral model powered by the minds at Child Development Institute (CDI). SNAP® can help children, ages 6-11, and their parents learn how to effectively manage their emotions and ‘keep problems small.’ We know that because small problems can quickly turn bigger or worsening problems if a child or their parent doesn’t have effective emotion regulation, self-control, or problem-solving skills.