It seems like there has been a pronounced increase in younger kids with profound anxiety

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haven't read all the responses, but here's my 2 cents"

1.) School curriculum is no longer developmentally appropriate and it's stressing too many kids out.

2.) Teachers are stressed with all the demands and parents are stressed jugging careers and kids without enough job security. Kids feed off parental anxiety.

3.) Chemicals in foods and pesticides

4.) Not enough sleep and down time.

BOOM!!

+1 I think the role/importance of sleep is greatly underestimated. My kids had a 7pm bedtime even into their early ES years, something I've seen dismissed on DCUM as ridiculous or unreasonable. Even in MS, my kids are in bed at 8:30, then allowed to read until 9pm. Sleep is important.

Earlier PP here with anxiety in my family.

THIS.

In fact, I'd argue it's also caused or exacerbated by the screwing up of our circadian rhythms by electric lights and technology. When I go to sleep closer to when it is dark outside, and wake when the sun comes up, my anxiety is remarkably manageable. My kids also have early bedtimes and I don't mess with them. It definitely and significantly impacts anxiety.

[Anonymous]

One problem with private schools is that you sign a contract that is binding.
So, if your child doesn't do 'well' (ie: if you don't give them enough information to help your child), and he/she needs to switch schools mid-year, you are stuck paying for an entire year at the private.
It's interesting to read that privates are not the best bet with SN children--I thought it was just ours that was negligent in informing parents of what their children are doing.
OP, good luck...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My niece, who does not have special needs, has been taking an anti anxiety medication since she was eight. She's now 13.

She had severe separation anxiety and was having panic attacks at school. The medication has helped her tremendously.

+1. Same for my niece except she is 17 and a senior in hs. Without the meds, she would not have been functional during most of her childhood.

We have a family history of alcoholism and it's not far fetched to speculate grand pa Joe would not have been a drunkard if there had been help for GAD back in the day.

This exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Haven't read all the responses, but here's my 2 cents"

1.) School curriculum is no longer developmentally appropriate and it's stressing too many kids out.

2.) Teachers are stressed with all the demands and parents are stressed jugging careers and kids without enough job security. Kids feed off parental anxiety.

3.) Chemicals in foods and pesticides

4.) Not enough sleep and down time.

BOOM!!

I agree with 1, 2, and 4. Not sure about 3, but open to this being an issue. I also think that kids can feel as if they have no control over their lives more so now than when we were kids. Helicopter parents breed kids who are afraid to not be perfect or simply don't know how to do some things. Add to that exposure to day to day happenings, and they can worry because they can't fix it and have to rely on others. I also think this is an easy diagnosis for a pediatrician, after we went to specialist ped for a child with issues focusing and got a diagnosis of anxiety based on a questionnaire my kid filled out in the exam room. No testing for the focus issue that we had thought we were seeing the ped for. We eventually had other testing, and the anxiety was considered part of inattentive ADHD which if controlled, should cause the anxiety to go away. So, yes, maybe there is more, but maybe that is what the peds are looking to treat these days.