Anxious 6 year old, always worrying

[whitehouse123]

I wonder if anyone can share their experiences with me? My 6 year old girl seems to be worrying about really random things - me dying when I recently flew, about a fire in the house, about where we would go if our house burnt down. Is this normal for a 6 year old? Should she be worrying so much about things that haven't ever ocured or is she just starting to learn about the world? I would love to know if anyone else has this experience. thanks.

I've childminded several children who went through a stage like this. I think it happens when they suddenly realise that there are bad aspects to life which you cannot protect them from.

Let her know that her fears are understandable but make sure she has a realistic context for them. Acknowledge that there is a possibility that you could die while she is a child but tell her that there is no reason to think that you will and remind her how many children there are whose mums don't die.This will help her to understand how small the risk is. Give it to her in a way she can understand, like the number of children in her school, rather than a number like a thousand that she may not be able to imagine.

When she understands the concept of the risks being very low she may relax a little. Be reassuring but always honest because if she thinks you're covering something up she could worry more.

Thank you so much for your comments. Its reassuring to know she's hopefully not doing anything out of the 'normal'. She's a very dramatic child anyway - everything is a huge drama (destined for the stage people say) but it makes it difficult to cut through to find out just how she's truly feeling rather than just the drama of the moment.