Sometimes, we talk about children as though the little person they are now is not the person they will be. We expect our child to grow out of issues with maturity, with behavioral struggles, with sadness – we call them resilient, with the expectation that once they reach adulthood, they will be ready to take on the world.
This belief does come with a little bit of truth. Development is not always a straight line. There are absolutely children that grow out of their emotional or behavioral issues, especially as they reach puberty and adolescence and begin to have a greater understanding of the world. But it is also not necessarily true that a child will simply “grow out” of their issues, which is why it is important for parents to consider whether or not a child might benefit from seeing a child psychologist.
Anxiety and Development
An example of this is with childhood anxiety. Many of us remember children that were anxious that grew up to be comfortable, confident, and social without any additional help. We may have experienced that ourselves. Yet many other children with anxiety issues do grow up to become anxious adults.
Parents should consider whether or not a child may benefit from speaking with a child psychologist or therapist. Even though your child may “grow out of it,” there are many benefits to seeking out this type of support early and liberally:
- Children are learning and experiencing things daily, and their experiences now do shape them as adults. Teaching children ways to control their anxiety can help them have more positive interactions, more positive memories, and fewer minor traumas as they move towards adulthood.
- Children develop their social and emotional skills at a young age, and those skills can and often do stay with them in some form, even if they manifest in more “adult” ways as they get older.
- Children develop leadership skills at a younger age too, and a child that is struggling with anxiety may not develop those skills early in a way that could set them back in their life and career.
But of course, one of the main reasons to consider therapy for children with anxiety early is that anxiety does not always go away. Many people with anxiety as adults had untreated anxiety as children. Helping them develop the skills they need now to address and identify their anxiety is a healthy, effective way to keep them on task and developing healthy habits. Learn more by contacting Long Island Psychology.
