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<\/p>\nRabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za<\/p>\n
12 February 2025<\/p>\n
5 minute read<\/p>\n
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Modern day pressures lead to the rise in anxieties in young children. In South Africa, particularly, most children are facing an \u201cuphill battle\u201d when being exposed constantly to issues like poverty, inequality and violence, thus impacting on their mental health. Kentse Radebe from Cape Town runs the \u2018Hold my Hand\u2019 campaign that focuses on how to improve child outcomes in SA by focusing on the key issues affecting children.<\/p>\n
A good starting point, says Kentse, is to \u201cnormalise the conversation\u201d around childhood depression and anxiety and to notice changes in your child\u2019s 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:<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s ability to function. School stress can also come from parents\u2019 expectations of their child\u2019s results. \u201cChildren listen for the cues that inform their own behaviour,\u201d says Kentse, so it is essential that parents understand their child\u2019s academic capabilities and communicate to their kid when they\u2019ve done well and where they can improve. In some cases, where the teacher is the cause of a child\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Anxiety should never be left unattended. A \u201cred flag\u201d for parents is anxiety that debilitates their child\u2019s life, reflecting on their child\u2019s academic performance. Kentse says that these red flags must lead to intervention by the parent.<\/p>\n
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 \u201csafe space\u201d for them to come to us. Parents or caregivers can ask others like friends, family or teachers if they\u2019ve noticed behavioural changes in their child. When dealing with psycho-social issues in our children, it is also important to know who our kids\u2019 friends and network are. Be intentional in your approach and show interest in your child\u2019s learning to engage him or her \u2013 create moments in your day to see what your child is doing and how they\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n
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 \u201cknow that it\u2019s safe to express negative emotions\u201d.<\/p>\n