Anxiety with a 6 Year Old

http://children.webmd.com/features/childhood-fears-anxieties

http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/anxiety_charts...

Hi A.! I'm so sorry to hear your son is going through this. I feel for him. I posted a WebMD link for you to check out, and also this other link that I myself have found VERY helpful in answering a lot of questions and helping to deal with fears, anxiety, and other issues that children go through as they grow up. I hope you find something in there that will help you and your son. :-)

No wonder the little guy is scared, I would be too with what he has been through. I would just comfort him. If it affects your sleep then perhaps put a camping mattress in your room and tell him he can go to sleep in your room but not your bed. My daughter was also afraid at night after hearing about break-ins in the neighborhood. After that, every creak in the house scared her. I slept in her room on a separate bed for a while, then I just read in that bed until she fell asleep and slept in my own bed. After that I would read in my own bed with both our doors open. This phase shall pass if you handle it with compassion.

Also consider any medications he might be on. My 8 year s started having excessive anxiety last spring, particularly with storms thanks to that same day of school lockdowns. I finally suspected itifht be a side effect of his ADD meds. His pptescribing psychiatrist did not think it was, but I still did. I changed him from her to a neurologist who changed his meds. The next week there was a lightening storm, and instead I hiding and crying like he would have the wel before, he bugged me to come watch the "awesome lightening". Every other anxiety had improved just as quickly - it was amazing! So that is something you might consider too.

If you have 20 minutes, please watch this video. There have been studies that show this simple tapping technique lowers cortisol levels by nearly 30% and calms the fight or flight response down in the brain. The man in the video shows step-by-step how you can use the Emotional Freedom Technique or "Tapping" to change your life or child's life. Every time I get stressed out or overwhelmed in any given moment, I simply do this several times and I calm right down.

Nick Ortner on How to Rewire the Brain with EFT
http://youtu.be/ZfZBHWSbrsg

Do you have a tornado kit? Flashlights, water, small radio? If not, get one and have him help prepare it. If you do have one, go through it with him. Also, have a practice drill at home. Letting him know you are prepared will help ease his anxiety. If he doesn't realize there is a plan and you have stuff prepared in the basement to make the time spent there easier, he is going to be scared. Have you tried flying a kite on a windy day? Showing him that just because it's windy doesn't make it tornado weather.

Does he have a nightlite in his room? My kiddo has a ladybug from Cloud B (sold at Barnes and Noble, online and Target). It shoots stars up on the ceiling and walls. When she wakes up at night she turns it on. It's enough to light up the room, without making it so light that it wakes them up too much.