More Than Tummy Trouble: Signs Of Anxiety In Young Children And The Ways You’re Making It Worse

Source: Hero Images / Getty

Trouble sleeping or avoiding bedtime

Bedtime can be the culmination of a series of very real fears for young children: the dark, separation anxiety and things that go bump in the night. Even if you’ve had a baby that had no problem sleeping through the night in their own room, at around two-years-old, children’s thought processes grow more advanced and their memories are much longer. This means they can begin to make connections such as the monster from the scary movie might be in their closet. Just ask the mom who made the mistake of leaving Adult Swim on when my toddler slept in my bed one night. I don’t know what homegirl saw, but I blame “Robot Chicken” and now we are strictly Disney after 12 AM. Developing healthy bedtime routines can include using night lights, “lovies” like blankets or stuffed animals, listening to them as well as affirming your child that their worries are valid while empowering them push through their fears.