Why is there so much anxiety in kids?

[JudesBiggestFan]

Spoke to a family member earlier who is a teaching assistant.
Said the number of kids off with anxiety at her high school is phenomenal. Anecdotally I know of so so many severe issues....panic attacks, school refusal etc. 'Because Covid' seems to be the answer..along with why there is so much bullying/poor behaviour in schools. Is this why or is there more to it?
My own three boys seem fine thus far, but as I'm an emergency services worker, they only missed a really minimal amount of school.
But the poor behaviour of others does impact on the classroom environment/teacher stress so still has an effect on them.
So what is the reason? And what can be done? School days are supposed to be happy and carefree and it just feels like kids are just so sad.

School seems very stressful - the lack of teachers generally - and for my two teens in exams years very much so - they've both just lost a teacher - it's very concerning for DD1 at A-levels.

It also seems very unruly noisy and poor behavior is even worse and many of DD2 friends now regularly truant - lockdown having almost normalised not being in school and not doing work.

It doesn't help many families are struggling with money worries now - we spent November cold and damper than we'd like because we were so worried about heating bills.

I noticed with our teens though being out and interacting with the world - when it goes well - does seem to calm them and help them find perspective.

DH workplace was very toxic during and after covid - that stress frequently carried over to homelife - it's much better since he changed jobs. Siblings relationship collapsed during covid casting a very long shadow and some people developed alcohol problems.

Post covd world has always been a good as pre covid - and I wonder if covid being blamed is covering both covid and post covid environment.

Forgot school Pressure and put that up there with covidq. The system isn't agreeing with many young kids now. Far too much pressure on them.

This.

Absolutely this.

Yes and this as well!

This may be anecdotal but the religious people I know are generally more content than those without faith. I lost my faith in my early 20s but it did bring me enormous comfort growing up. Also growing up with a church community meant there was always someone to help if needed eg meals for new parents, lifts to hospital appointments for elderly people. I wonder if society becoming more secular has a part to play, even if it is just the loss of the community that comes with faith.

This 100%!!!

This really struck a chord with me.

@DangerNoodles I think the lack of community is bad for people. A work colleague has cancer and she gets loads of support from her church from lifts to simple DIY. If it was me I would get very little support outside of my partner. I have lots of friends but people don't really help much.

You are so right, I think about this more and more. We are fundamentally tribal people and have been moving away from this for a long, long time

Yes it's so true but we can't seem to go back now. What's the answer?

I’m convinced there will be some kind of Amish type movement in the U.K. where people start to turn their backs on it all!

I actually asked DH last week if he'd like to live on a commune (if you knew me you'd know this is not me at all! But I saw something on telly and for a moment I thought how nice that might be!). I don't know what it is, I'm just feel soooo tired and fed up.

Quite a large number of dismissive comments failing to acknowledge that anxiety is rife across many age ranges. I believe it's not labelling or socially learned behaviour and responses, but a very real deterioration in the MH of the population.
What's causing it; nobody can prove anything but in a world on the edge of nuclear war, facing irreversible climate catastrophe, debt and inequality spiralling, unaffordable costs of living, insecure housing and jobs, a dysfunctional health service, neglected social care and no sign of anything improving any time soon, then anxiety is possibly a healthy response. It's the ones not giving a shit with the issue.
Then we have possible impacts of micro pollution particles, a processed food based diet and reduced opportunity to exercise, relax, enjoy culture and recharge then maybe it's a bit of everything
Things aren't too bad otherwise.

It's not just your anecdote, religious people usually come out higher than average in happiness research. I think it's probably the community aspect.

Why is there so much anxiety in kids?

Because adults (especially parents) impose expectations on them.

Agree with this. My auntie is a Christian, life long single, no kids and has various health conditions. She has loads of friends from her church and they support her with all her appointments and care needs. There is definitely something to be said for a community, not a group of friends but a strong community with shared values and morals.

Not enough of childhood spent learning through play. We think they have to be taught everything when some learning should be through experiences and watching. IMO.

Porn, end stage capitalism, the climate emergency, take your pick.

The world has always had problems. World wars, financial crash, nuclear cloud.

Exactly. How could you not feel anxious? Surely anxiety is the sane response?

I forgot 90 seconds to midnight on the doomsday clock.

This is very true, can't remember the last time I heard someone described as shy, socially anxious has taken over.

This

I even catch myself doing it! I make a conscience effort to think about whether I actually mean ‘anxious’ or whether I’m just
’nervous’, usually the latter. Whether I’m ‘depressed’ or just ‘sad’. I try to stick to the wording I actually mean because it feels like everything has just lost its meaning in favour of the most extreme option.

Children have busy lives from the minute they are born these days. Almost from they day they come into this world they are taken here there and everywhere, baby group, baby yoga, coffee mornings. Then it's on to before school clubs after, school clubs, play dates. Weekends full of doing this, going there. On top of all that they have way too much screen time. When do children ever get to just "be" just sit on the sofa and look out of the window or lie on the grass and look up at the sky ? They never get the chance to be bored or amuse themselves. Adults need to let children rest, no wonder many of them are anxious. Our children are knackered.