It is common for young people to feel worried or nervous at times, such as before a test or when meeting new people. Anxiety goes beyond everyday worries — the signs of anxiety in children can include persistent fear or behaviors that interfere with daily life.
Parents and caregivers sometimes find it difficult to recognize anxiety because it does not always look the same in every child.
Identifying anxiety early is important because it allows children to receive the right support before their worries grow larger and affect their learning and friendships.
With understanding and care, most children can learn healthy ways to manage their feelings and continue to thrive. This guide will discuss the emotional, physical, and behavioral signs of anxiety, as well as how these may appear at different ages.
Common Signs of Anxiety in Children
Anxiety can affect children in many ways, and the signs are not always clear. Experts explain that anxiety symptoms include general features — like a racing heart, negative thinking, or avoidance — as well as specific features that belong to certain anxiety disorders [*].
Emotional Signs of Anxiety in Children
Children often express anxiety through their emotions. Some common emotional signs include:
- Seeming more fearful or worried than other children their age
- Feeling nervous without knowing why
- Having trouble calming down once they start to worry
- Showing irritability or mood swings
- Crying more often than usual
Physical Signs of Anxiety in Children
Anxiety does not just affect emotions — it can also appear in the body. Some physical signs to watch for include:
- Stomachaches or headaches
- Muscle tension or a racing heartbeat
- Sweating more than usual
- Feeling shaky or restless
- Trouble sleeping
Research also shows that sleep problems are very common in children with anxiety. In one study, 88% of anxious children had at least one sleep-related issue, and 55% experienced three or more [*].
Behavioral Signs of Anxiety in Children
Anxiety can also show up in the way children act. Some common behavioral signs include:
- Avoiding activities, places, or people that cause worry
- Refusing to go to school or participate in social situations
- Seeking constant reassurance from parents, teachers, or caregivers
- Acting restless, fidgety, or having trouble concentrating
- Acting out or showing disruptive behavior
These behaviors can make daily routines more challenging because children may struggle with schoolwork or even experience conflicts with family members or peers.
Age-Specific Signs of Anxiety
The way anxiety appears can depend on a child’s age and their developmental stage. A child’s thinking skills, language abilities, and understanding of emotions affect how they show anxiety [*].
For example, a preschooler may show anxiety by clinging to a parent or crying, while a school-age child might worry about how they perform in school.
In the sections below, we will look at how anxiety can appear in toddlers and preschoolers, as well as in school-age children.
Toddlers and Preschoolers:
At ages 1 to 4, children are still learning how to be apart from their parents and handle strong emotions. This usually happens as part of their normal growth when they attend preschool, stay with relatives, or spend short periods away from their main caregiver.
While their independence is growing, they may move back and forth between wanting to explore and needing comfort. When this feels overwhelming, anxiety can appear.
Some common signs of anxiety in this age group include:
- Clinging to parents or caregivers
- Frequent tantrums or emotional outbursts
- Refusal to separate from family members
- Sleep problems or nightmares
- Excessive shyness or fear of new situations
School-Age Children:
As children reach ages 6 to 12, their world expands. They face new challenges such as learning in a classroom, forming friendships, and participating in sports or activities.
They also begin to compare themselves to others and may feel pressure to do well academically or socially [*]. At this stage, children are better able to put their worries into words, but anxiety may still show up through behavior and physical symptoms.
Some common signs of anxiety in school-age children include:
- Worries about schoolwork, friendships, or performance in activities
- Avoiding school or social situations
- Frequent complaints of stomachaches, headaches, or other physical discomforts
- Trouble focusing or completing tasks
- Increased irritability, restlessness, or mood swings
- Perfectionism — may be rigid or overly self-critical
These differences also help professionals recognize anxiety and decide the best ways to support each child.
Supporting a Child with Anxiety
Children need understanding, patience, and strategies that allow them to feel safe while they build coping skills with the help of supportive adults — such as parents, caregivers, teachers, and mental health professionals.
Support doesn’t mean removing every worry, but instead teaching them ways to handle their feelings.
One important way to support a child is to listen and validate their emotions, even if the worry seems small to you. Knowing that they are taken seriously helps them feel less alone.
Keeping routines predictable can also ease stress. When big tasks feel overwhelming, breaking them into smaller, more manageable steps — like tackling one homework question at a time instead of the whole assignment — can make challenges feel less scary.
Healthy coping strategies are key as well. Deep breathing, physical movement, or journaling can give children tools to calm their minds and bodies when they start worrying.
Finally, it’s important to work with teachers, school counselors, or mental health professionals to create a consistent support network.
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