Anxiety disorders in young people are common - Up to 20% of kids and teens meet the criteria for disorders such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) (persistent, uncontrollable worry about a range of everyday life or challenging events), Separation Anxiety Disorder (intense, developmentally inappropriate fears about separating from parents/caregivers); Social Anxiety Disorder (life interfering fears of being negatively evaluated or humiliated); or Specific Phobias (severe fears of specific situations or objects).  A further 5-10% of children and teens will experience obsessive-compulsive disorder which consists of unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges (obsessions) and repetitive behavioral or mental acts (compulsions). 

In the context of parenting, “using negative consequences” (sometimes called “punishment”) refers to a caregiver responding to a child’s challenging or disruptive behaviour by facilitating an ‘unpleasant experience’ of some kind for the child, with the intention that this will reduce that behaviour over time. This article addresses first how the use of parental punishments and negative consequences have been viewed by society and child psychologists throughout history, and second what modern day research may suggest about both the effectiveness of parents using punishments in changing children’s behaviour – as well as the potential harm they may do to children or parent/child relationships…

Anxiety is one of the most common mental and emotional health challenges in childhood and it can emerge surprisingly early in some children – research suggests that 9 to 22% of pre and early school aged children may meet criteria for an anxiety disorder at some point.  Some of the most common challenges with anxiety for children of this age include worries about separating from a parent, fears of the dark, worries about being in bed on their own, shyness and anxiety about being around other children and worries about change or new situations.  Here are some ideas which might be helpful for parents/caregivers who are supporting young children with anxiety.

Autonomy-supportive parenting is a style of caregiving that emphasizes the nurturing of a child or young person’s ability to make their own choices, be self-reliant, and develop their own values and interests which guide their behaviours.

What might autonomy supportive parenting might actually look like on a day-to-day basis seems to vary according different writers on this topic.  Here are some of the common types of behaviours psychologists refer to as “autonomy supportive”…