To do this, really listen to what your child is saying when it comes to anxiety. And tell your child that he or she has been heard. This will help to build trust when it comes to communication.

The second thing you need to do is to take note of how your child sees the world. This gives you the ability to distinguish between valid anxiety and misinformation. For example, if your child is concerned that there is a monster hiding under the bed, that’s a type of anxiety that is not valid. Instead of laughing this fear off as a joke, show your child that there is no monster hiding under the bed. While efforts to teach the child reality may take many patient attempts, he or she eventually will catch on.

This act also gives you the ability to see when a child’s fears are valid. Take, for example, a child’s demonstration of feeling sick. Your child may cry wolf when it comes to going to school, but he or she also may be truly ill. By recognizing the difference, you will increase the chance of your child continuing to tell you the truth in the future.

Finally, encourage your child to face his or her fears. Teach your child what fear looks like and how to proceed. This instills a sense of courage that he or she will take into life in the future.

It’s important to know the difference between normal childhood anxiety and possible anxiety disorders. In truth, many parents miss the signs. This can lead to a life of complications with no diagnosis or treatment until adulthood.

According to the Child Mind Institute, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness found in children. In fact, anxiety disorders affect one in eight children and account for more than 30 percent of mental illnesses. Unfortunately, 80 percent of children do not receive appropriate treatment.