Anxiety in my five year old

[idontknow54789]

My five year old has been becoming more and more anxious over the past year and I don’t know what to do about it.

Just some examples- he won’t be left in a room alone. If I’m in the kitchen and go and get something from another room he’ll scream immediately and come running in, asking me to come back and be with him. A year ago he used to wake up in the morning and come downstairs on his own and just play happily!

He’s scared to go to sleep at night in case he gets nightmares. Always begging us to sleep in his room. He’s scared of most things he learns about at school (over Christmas his fear was Jesus resurrecting in his bedroom in the middle of the night!)

He has huge meltdowns over the smallest thing and can feel like a ticking time bomb at times going out with him at the moment. Whereas when he was younger he was a very chilled and very happy child.

I’m not sure if it’s related but he’s getting bullied at school. He much prefers playing with traditionally ‘girls’ toys - Barbie’s, dollhouses etc. But the girls at school make fun of him and are very mean and the boys just want to play rough or football so he’s a bit of a lost soul.

Any ideas how to help? I have two other children so can’t just be in a room with him at all times. I feel very burnt out trying to deal with it all.

Just for context he’s in year 1 - one of the youngest in his year.

So has this happened gradually rather than a specific incident you can pinpoint? Aside from the bullying that is.
Is he quite bright with a good imagination? This can lead to overthinking and catastrophising.

What are school saying about the bullying or any anxiety in school. Maybe he masks and then offloads at home.
You could look at topics coming up in school so that you can anticipate and prepare him/ school.

There are a few things you could try such as a worry monster, books like When my worries get too big, looking at strategies to manage his anxiety in particular starting to recognise the signs.
You could try a child friendly timer and set it whilst you leave the room for something. Tell him when the timer is finished you will be back. Give him a favourite activity whilst you are gone.

Teach him that everyone is scared of things but you can learn to keep calm and be safe.
You could look at resources teaching fantasy vs reality.

Create a happy space in his room like a tent with a beanbag, something to cuddle etc. Create a happy book of photos of family/ favourite character/ place etc. You can get those photo pockets to hang on the back of a door and fill with photos of happy times etc.

It will be interesting to see how he is in school holidays.

Thank you for replying that is all really good advice. I can’t pinpoint one thing but he has a really big imagination- it’s lovely and he can get ‘lost’ in his toys for ages.

He did create a den in the garden over half term and would go in there with a book which was amazing - it’s the first time for ages he’s done anything like that. I need to encourage that more, maybe make the den more permanent. He’d never do one in room though, I can’t imagine him going upstairs on his own at this point.

I’m pretty sure he masks a lot at school. They’ve been very supportive about the bullying but nothings ready changed.

I’ll try the timer though that is a good idea, I’m not sure he’d last a minute though!

Start at 30 seconds or even ten
” bet you can’t fix/ build this before I get back” or any challenge.
Not too long til end of term hopefully a fresh start in Y2. Fewer play opportunities may suit him?
Thanks for replying.

edited for typo