Worrying about DD keeping her worries inside

[ILikeMinecraftMoreThanMostKids]

Hello Mumsnet hive mind. I think I'm just looking for a bit of advice. I have noticed DD who is nearly 10 has been very anxious lately. She tends to hold in a lot of her emotions and rarely let's them out even in a meltdown sort of way. I can tell if something is on her mind, but when I ask she just says she's fine. I tend to leave it alone then, and sometimes she will tell me later what is bothering her. I let her know that I will always listen when she has a problem or if something is bothering her, or something bad has happened. She always says (after she's finally given in and told me what the matter is) that she feels better after she's spoken to me or her Dad, and this reflects in her behaviour and demeanour. Often though, I can tell that she is feeling anxious or worried and that, in turn, sets me off worrying about her. I should also mention that she has coeliac and that is a condition can come with some mental health issues as well as the physical ones. I'm just feeling really on edge about her at the moment and was wondering if anyone has any advice on how to handle this. Thanks in advance, especially if you got this far. Sorry it's a bit long!

Bump

My 10 year old will only discuss things when there is another activity on the go. A dog walk or a jigsaw puzzle. Casual talk, no pressure. That is when I get the most out of her. If I directly ask what is going on with her she won't say.

I agree with the poster above - walks and car drives can be good for chatting to kids.

you could also check our Big life journals - they do different ones for kids to work through, depending on their age.