Nearly 5 year old highly anxious and scared all the time

[Pam0077]

Hi my ds is soon to be 5 years in Feb. He has always been a sensitive child, but over the past month he had started showing real anxiety and having physical symptoms. He gets bad tummy ache going to school, after school club and kid’s parties (we have had to bring him home from two of them in tears). He is unable to settle in his bed at night due to being scared of the dark, and then tonight he had what appeared to be a panic attack because his Daddy went out and he said he doesn’t like us all not being in the house at the same time. I know he is anxious by nature, as am I, but this seems to have become more intense lately and he is always saying he has tummy ache which does pass, or crying not wanting to do something. Is this another 4-5 yr old developmental phase do you think? x

I do think that sounds outside 'the norm'.

How does he get on at school ?
What have staff said about how he is there ?

School have said he’s great in class, but has started to become anxious going into the dinner hall for example. No concerns raised from them as yet but I will see how these next few weeks go and see if anything is concerning them. I did wonder if it was being out of his usual routine maybe. X

Hi, do you think he may have social anxiety? I’m just thinking with you saying he’s started get nervous at lunch time and parties. It maybe worth speaking to your go or googling it as there maybe some groups in your area he can go to where other children are the same and provide coping strategies.