Strategies for Supporting Siblings of Children with Anxiety
Siblings share a unique and special bond, but when one of them struggles with anxiety, it can affect the entire family. As parents, navigating the needs of children with anxiety while also supporting their siblings requires a delicate balance of understanding and a thoughtful approach.
In this article, I’ll explore how anxiety in one child can alter the dynamic of an entire family and provide some effective strategies to help you support their siblings.
Unique Challenges for Siblings of Children with Anxiety
When a child or teen in the family struggles with anxiety, it can introduce a whole range of unique challenges for their siblings. Let’s take a brief look at each other them.
Altered family dynamics
Anxiety can dominate family life, causing shifts in attention, resources, and emotional energy. Siblings might feel sidelined or overlooked as your anxious child requires more support and attention.
Emotional impact of children with anxiety
Siblings may experience a mix of emotions like confusion, worry, or frustration. They might feel guilty for feeling frustrated or resentful toward their anxious sibling, leading to internal struggles about what they “should” be feeling instead.
Role changes and responsibilities
Siblings may take on caregiving roles or additional responsibilities to support the anxious child or fill in gaps left by parents who are focusing more on the child with anxiety. This can be overwhelming, especially for younger siblings.
Increased stress and anxiety
Living in an environment filled with anxiety can be stressful for siblings. They might absorb some of the anxious child’s stress or adopt anxious behaviors themselves.
Adjustment of family activities
Family activities might be altered or limited to accommodate the needs of the child with anxiety, impacting the experiences and social life of other siblings.
Communication challenges
Open communication might be negatively affected if the family dynamics revolve around managing the anxious child’s needs. Siblings might struggle to express their own feelings or concerns about the situation.
Lack of understanding for children with anxiety
Not fully understanding anxiety can create confusion and frustration
for siblings. They might find it challenging to understand the behavior of their anxious sibling or why certain situations cause anxiety.
Feelings of isolation
Siblings might feel isolated from their peers or extended family due to the family’s focus on the child with anxiety. They might avoid bringing friends home or discussing family issues for fear of judgment or misunderstanding.
Impact on personal development
Siblings might downplay their own needs or personal growth to accommodate the family situation, potentially limiting their emotional development or pursuit of interests.
Long term concerns
Siblings may worry about the future and the well-being of their anxious brother or sister. They might have concerns about how their sibling’s anxiety will impact their lives as they grow older.
Maya and Lily
There’s no doubt that living with an anxious sibling presents challenges for most kids and teens.
Let’s look at the example of Maya, a 14-year-old teen and her younger sister Lily who is 11. Both share a close bond, but that bond was tested when Lily was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Lily often felt worried and fearful, especially of change and unfamiliar places.
Maya had difficulty understanding why Lily was always so anxious. She felt bad for Lily but also got frustrated frequently. At home, things often felt tense because Lily had trouble sleeping, cried a lot, and didn’t want to hang out with friends much.
Maya’s own life changed too. She stopped inviting friends over and missed out on things she liked doing because she didn’t want to stress Lily out. Feeling guilty for wanting her own space also contributed to her confusion and stress.
Effective Strategies for Supporting Siblings of Children with Anxiety
Perhaps you also have a child like Maya who struggles to understand their sibling’s anxiety?
Let’s look at some specific strategies you can implement to make sure all your kids, whether anxious or not, feel supported and understood.
Understand how anxiety presents itself in kids and teens
First and foremost, understanding anxiety is crucial. It’s not uncommon for siblings to have different temperaments and responses to stress. While one child may be more visibly anxious, another might internalize their worries. Recognizing these differences is the first step in providing tailored support.
Educate siblings about anxiety
Knowledge is empowering. Educate siblings about anxiety in an age-appropriate manner. Explain what anxiety is (a natural reaction to stress, causing feelings of fear or worry that can be overwhelming), its common symptoms (restlessness, increased heart rate, difficulty concentrating, and tense muscles), and how it can present differently in people (crying, fear, isolation, worry, clinginess, etc.) This understanding promotes empathy and reduces the stigma surrounding anxiety.
Encourage open communication and validation
Encourage open communication within the family. Create a safe space for all siblings to express their feelings, concerns, and experiences without judgment. Validating each child’s emotions, whether it’s anxiety, frustration, or fear, helps create trust and understanding among siblings.
Foster empathy and support for children with anxiety
Encourage empathy and support among siblings. Help them understand that their support is invaluable. Simple gestures like offering a listening ear, spending time together, or engaging in activities that the anxious sibling enjoys can make a world of difference.
Maintain balance and fairness
Balancing attention and care among siblings is very important. While the anxious child may need additional support, make sure that the needs of other siblings are not overlooked. This can prevent feelings of resentment or neglect among them.
Establish consistent routines
Routine and predictability offer stability, which can be comforting for anxious children. Establish consistent daily routines that cater to the needs of all siblings. Predictable schedules and activities can reduce anxiety triggers.
Encourage self-care for all siblings
Promote self-care practices for all siblings. Encourage activities that promote relaxation, mindfulness, and emotional well-being, such as journaling, exercise, or engaging in hobbies. This fosters a sense of self-awareness and mental health care within the family.
Seek professional help
Consider seeking professional help if necessary. A therapist
specializing in child and teen therapy can provide valuable strategies and techniques for both the anxious child and their siblings. Family therapy sessions can also be helpful in understanding and addressing family dynamics.
Celebrate small achievements
Recognize and celebrate small achievements of both your child with anxiety and their siblings. Whether it’s overcoming a fear, trying something new, or demonstrating understanding and support, acknowledging these moments creates a positive atmosphere within your family.
Encourage individual identities
Support each child’s individuality and interests. Allowing siblings to pursue their passions and interests helps them build their identities beyond your family unit, resulting in increased independence and self-esteem.
Maya and Lily Overcome their Challenges
Supporting our kids with anxiety as well as their siblings is critical. This support involves acknowledging the challenges and providing them with space, empathy, and resources. This combination proved to be the turning point for Maya and Lily.
After some time in therapy, Maya and Lily were able to reach a good place in their relationship again. Maya learned a lot about anxiety from online articles and through counseling. Knowing that anxiety isn’t a choice helped her understand her sister better.
She began to talk more openly with her parents about how Lily’s anxiety affected her personally as well as their entire family. The girls’ parents worked together to make sure everyone felt heard and validated.
Maya also realized she needed boundaries and told Lily that she loved her but needed her own time too. Maya was able to talk to a close friend about Lily’s anxiety and said it felt good to share her feelings with someone outside of the family.
Finally, having someone to talk to regularly in the form of a therapist was very helpful. Maya became better at expressing her feelings and learning how to deal with family issues better. She learned how to balance supporting Lily and taking care of herself which led to a stronger bond with her sister.
Helping your child cope with a sibling’s anxiety means using a variety of methods attuned to that child’s needs. When you create a supportive atmosphere, it builds a strong and resilient family. Your child can’t help but handle their feelings and life experiences more positively in this type of environment.
Begin Online Therapy for Kids and Teens with Anxiety in Illinois and now Florida.
If your child or teen is struggling with anxiety, including panic attacks, there is hope! Anxiety is highly treatable and online anxiety treatment at Briefly Counseling can help.
Using Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, I help kids and teens reduce their anxiety and build resilience so they can become a happier, more confident version of themselves.
And kids love being able to receive counseling from the comfort and privacy of their own home. Studies have consistently proven that online therapy delivers equal results to in-office counseling.
As an experienced and caring therapist, I love providing counseling for anxiety. To start your child’s counseling journey, call me at 224-236-2296 or email Helena@BrieflyCounseling.com to schedule a FREE 20-minute consultation.
Helena Madsen, MA, LCPC is the founder of Briefly Counseling. I specialize in providing online short-term anxiety treatment for kids and teens ages 7 – 18 as well as Christian counseling.
Whether you’re on the North Shore, in Naperville, Chicago, Champaign, Barrington, Libertyville, Glenview, or downstate Illinois, I can help.
And effective 2024, I am now licensed in Florida! For parents in Jacksonville, Pensacola, Destin, Crestview, Coral Gables, Weston, Parkland, Naples, Marco Island, and Pinecrest, I have immediate openings.
Schedule your appointment or consultation today. I look forward to working with your child to quickly and effectively help them in activating their strengths, resources, and resilience, in order to live with confidence and hope.
