Is your child showing signs of anxiety? Dr Emma Blake Corrigan from SIMPLE Physical Literacy shares 8 things to look out for that might be triggers for your child’s anxiety and offers some solutions to help combat those. 

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#1. Poor Balance

The feeling of being out of control triggers anxiety in all people. A child who is not feeling in control of their body can feel anxious as they don’t feel safe.

Check in with your GP if you are concerned about a lack of balance as it can sometimes be triggered by an ear infection. And if this is not the case, they can give you advice on the best way to help your child improve their balance.

#2. Clumsiness

A child feels out of control when there is a glitch with primitive reflexes. Primitive reflexes control the body before the child learns to control their own movement. For some children these primitive reflexes continue to cause interference causing clumsiness and anxiety.

Normal developmental checks should catch glitches with primitive reflexes but if you are at all worried about your child, seek medial help.

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#3. Bad Hand Writing

When the normal course of development is interfered with by these retained primitive reflexes, this has an effect on gross motor skills which in turn prevents the development of fine motor skills and pencil control.

This can be a trigger for anxiety in your child and may need further investigation and your child  may need extra help and support both at home and at school.

#4. Fidgety

A child who can’t sit still is not deliberately trying to annoy their teacher or classmates. A number of primitive reflexes can be still active for the child who can’t sit still. Anxiety levels are heightened when the child is getting told off for something they can’t control.

If you know in advance that your child is prone to being fidgety, advise the school/teacher before they start. This enables the teacher to better understand the child and can help alleviate anxiety for both the child and the teacher.

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#5. Poor Sleep

When a child refuses to go to bed or wakes up frequently in the night anxiety is almost always the reason. The Moro reflex can cause the child to remain in ‘Fight or Flight’. These children are super sensitive and this affects their sleep.

Watch the video and get some tips on how you can help your child improve their Moro reflex.

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#6. Playtime

A child who is physically not able to keep up with the games in the playground can be left out creating a sense of loss and isolation. Good body control awareness is essential to survive in a playground. This can be compromised by glitches in the primitive reflexes.

You can work on helping to improve those primitive reflexes by using the SIMPLE Home Program.

#7. Fluorescent Lighting

The child with heightened ‘Fight or Flight’ is sensitive to noise, light, smells and touch. A classroom is a hotbed of anxiety triggers for this child.

Talk to your child’s teacher and to your child about how they are feeling and work with them on exercises to improve their MORO reflexes which can trigger the ‘fight or flight’ response.

#8. Disorganised

Forgetting their lunchbox, losing their homework, lost school coats are all a sign that a child can’t follow a sequence of instructions.

When a child learns to follow sequences in the body it follows with better organised mind.

How To Help

How to help your child to be less anxious and more in control?

Body control is the answer. The Simple Home programme is a short daily practice to improve physical literacy and reduce anxiety.

Register now for a Free Trial of the SIMPLE Programme and help combat triggers for your child’s anxiety.