from Arizona State University
When your child becomes frightened or anxious, it is a natural parental reaction to comfort and reassure the child. But new research from Arizona State University suggests that some parental reactions may actually reinforce the child’s anxiety. Doctoral student Lindsay Holly says anxiety is very common in children, and a certain amount is normal and even necessary to keep the child safe. However, when anxiety affects going to school or being with friends psychologists look to see if the parents have fallen into the protection trap. For instance, if parents allow their children to avoid situations that are scary or uncomfortable, they may have fallen into the protection trap. That’s because the more a child avoids a situation that may be scary, the scarier it becomes since the child doesn’t have a chance to overcome it or develop the coping skills to deal with it.