Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

12 February 2025

5 minute read

Modern day pressures lead to the rise in anxieties in young children. In South Africa, particularly, most children are facing an “uphill battle” when being exposed constantly to issues like poverty, inequality and violence, thus impacting on their mental health. Kentse Radebe from Cape Town runs the ‘Hold my Hand’ campaign that focuses on how to improve child outcomes in SA by focusing on the key issues affecting children.

A good starting point, says Kentse, is to “normalise the conversation” around childhood depression and anxiety and to notice changes in your child’s behaviour. While there are certain anxieties that are normal, there are behavioural shifts to look out for to detect abnormal or unusual anxiety in your primary school child. These include:

• Getting angry
• Becoming irritable
• Excessive crying
• Moodiness
• Needing reassurance from parents or caregivers
• Disengaging or withdrawing from social interaction
• Panic attacks
• Bed-wetting
• Lack of appetite

Certain kids may be undergoing issues or challenges at school that may show up as anxiety and then lead to physiological symptoms like a stomach-ache. In such cases, parents need to look out for signs and connect the dots to find the underlying cause that is affecting their child.

School pressures have increased over the years. While there is good pressure that comes from school, bad pressure can cause a cycle of stress in a child and has a negative effect on a child’s ability to function. School stress can also come from parents’ expectations of their child’s results. “Children listen for the cues that inform their own behaviour,” says Kentse, so it is essential that parents understand their child’s academic capabilities and communicate to their kid when they’ve done well and where they can improve. In some cases, where the teacher is the cause of a child’s anxiety, parents should raise the issue with the teacher and if that does not resolve the problem, to then escalate it and address it with a higher authority at school.

Anxiety should never be left unattended. A “red flag” for parents is anxiety that debilitates their child’s life, reflecting on their child’s academic performance. Kentse says that these red flags must lead to intervention by the parent.

As parents, we can help our children navigate the turbulent waters of anxiety by creating opportunities for conversation and speaking to them in an informal manner, thereby creating a “safe space” for them to come to us. Parents or caregivers can ask others like friends, family or teachers if they’ve noticed behavioural changes in their child. When dealing with psycho-social issues in our children, it is also important to know who our kids’ friends and network are. Be intentional in your approach and show interest in your child’s learning to engage him or her – create moments in your day to see what your child is doing and how they’re feeling. Approach professional people and organizations to get help for your child when the anxiety escalates to the level where you cannot control it yourself. Non-Profit Organizations like SADAG and FAMSA are very effective in dealing with psycho-social issues in young children.

Kentse concluded that parents can build resilience in their children by teaching them how to deal with difficult issues and communicating with them so that they “know that it’s safe to express negative emotions”.

Listen to the full interview with Faaiza Munchi on New Horizons.