It’s completely natural to worry about your child—especially when they seem overwhelmed, clingy, or not quite themselves. Many parents arrive here feeling unsure, exhausted, or wondering if they’re doing the right thing.

If that’s you, you’re not alone.

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Anxiety in children is more common than many people realise, and with the right support, children can learn to feel safer, calmer, and more confident again.

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What is Anxiety in Children?

Anxiety is a normal and important emotion—it helps keep us safe. But when worries become constant, overwhelming, or start to affect everyday life, children may need extra support.

For some children, anxiety can feel confusing or out of their control. It can show up in their thoughts, their bodies, and their behaviour.

Approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) help children begin to understand their thoughts and feelings, rather than feeling controlled by them—gently building confidence and emotional resilience over time.

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Signs of Anxiety in Children

Every child is different, but common signs include:

• Difficulty separating from parents or carers

• Trouble sleeping or frequent nightmares

• Complaints of tummy aches or headaches

• Avoiding school or social situations

• Constant worrying or “what if” thinking

• Becoming easily overwhelmed or tearful

• Needing lots of reassurance

Sometimes, what looks like “challenging behaviour” is actually a child trying to cope with anxiety.

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What Causes Anxiety?

There isn’t one single cause of anxiety.

It can be linked to:

• Starting school or big transitions

• Friendship or social difficulties

• Changes at home

• Sensory sensitivities

• A child’s natural temperament

• Feeling unsafe, overwhelmed, or misunderstood

Often, anxiety is the body’s way of saying, something doesn’t feel right—even if a child can’t yet explain why.

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Understanding Interoception and Emotional Awareness

For many children, anxiety is not just something they think—it’s something they feel in their body.

Interoception is our ability to notice and understand internal body signals, such as:

• A racing heart

• A tight chest

• Butterflies in the tummy

• Feeling shaky, tense, or overwhelmed

Some children feel these sensations very strongly, while others may not recognise them at all. When body signals feel confusing or intense, anxiety can feel even bigger.

Children often experience anxiety in their body before they can put it into words. You might hear:

• “My tummy hurts”

• “I feel funny”

• “I don’t want to go”

These are not “just physical symptoms”—they are real signs that a child’s nervous system is overwhelmed.

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Building Emotional Awareness

A big part of supporting children is helping them gently understand:

• What they are feeling

• Where they feel it in their body

• That these feelings are safe to notice

Using ideas from ACT and Emotion Focused Therapy, children learn that thoughts and feelings can be noticed with curiosity, rather than something they need to fight or avoid.

Over time, this helps children feel more in control and less overwhelmed.

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Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA): Understanding Your Child and Finding Hope

If your child is struggling with emotional based school avoidance, you are not alone.

One of the things I hear most from parents and children is:
“I don’t feel anyone is really listening.”

Children often describe EBSA like a wall they cannot get over or around. That wall can stop them from getting dressed, leaving the house, or going to school.

Being told to “just go” can increase anxiety.

What helps instead is something much gentler:
small, child-led steps.

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Looking Beneath the Behaviour

When children work with me, the focus is always on:

• Safety

• Trust

• Connection

• Emotional regulation

We explore how thoughts, feelings, and body sensations are connected.

Every behaviour has a story.

Sometimes it’s not really about school at all. A child may feel:

• Unsafe

• Alone

• Overwhelmed

• Misunderstood

Many children have never had an adult pause and truly listen.

 

Supporting Families Without Blame

Parents often tell me how stressful this experience can be—especially when facing pressure from schools or systems.

This is where approaches such as SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) can help.

Rather than focusing only on changing the child, SPACE supports parents to:

• Respond to anxiety in a calm, consistent way

• Reduce patterns that unintentionally maintain anxiety

• Encourage confidence and independence over time

Families need support, not blame.

 

Every Child is Different

EBSA has no single cause.

It may be influenced by:

• Anxiety or overwhelm

• Sensory sensitivities

• Friendship difficulties

• Academic pressure

• Life changes or loss

Each child needs an individual, compassionate approach.

 

How Therapy Can Help

Therapy is always gentle and child-led.

This might include:

• Online sessions if leaving the house feels too difficult

• Gradual in-person support

• Play, art, or creative exploration

• Building emotional awareness and body understanding

Parents are supported too, including SPACE-informed guidance to help at home.

Children are never rushed. Progress happens at their pace.

 

How You Can Support Your Child

You are already an important part of your child’s support.

You can help by:

• Staying calm and reassuring

• Listening without dismissing feelings

• Noticing body cues and emotions

• Keeping routines predictable

• Encouraging small, manageable steps

You don’t need to fix everything—feeling understood is often what helps most.

 

When to Seek Support

If anxiety is affecting your child’s daily life, school attendance, or wellbeing, it may help to seek support.

Early support can make a big difference.

 

A Safe Space for Your Child

At Little Bird House, children are offered a calm, nurturing space where they can:

• Feel heard and understood

• Explore emotions safely

• Build confidence at their own pace

• Learn to manage anxiety in a gentle, supported way

Parents are supported too—because your wellbeing matters.

 

There is Hope

With the right support, children can begin to feel safer, more confident, and able to take small steps forward.

You don’t have to do this alone.