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

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Fixation on behaviors or phrases

Toddler’s don’t enjoy being annoying, but I was at a point where I was ready to cancel my Netflix subscription if my daughter sang “Whompit Bam Slam” from True and the Rainbow Kingdom one more damn time. In addition to anxiety, it’s important to remember toddlers are obsessed with autonomy. Whether it’s buttoning a shirt or learning a new song, once a kid has mastered a skill they want to do it over and over and show you repeatedly that they’ve got this “getting dressed” thing down to a science. Just like self-soothing behaviors, fixation on phrases and behaviors can be how your child copes with situations in which they feel they have no control. Instead of getting aggravated one cartoon catchphrase at a time, identify if your child child is facing a learning barrier and help them gain the courage to learn new skills instead of becoming dependent on ones they’ve already mastered.