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Children and Anxiety figures continue to raise. A Joy Wisdom Trust Article.

Joy Wisdom

 At JWT we find it incredible that children are full of anxiety today with no clear view as to ‘Why’ anxiety is growing so rapidly?

 

Covid and isolation have been branded as the cause, however anxiety was underlying well before Covid. And has escalated over several decades. Not just children adults too, carry the anxiety trait. Once we have underlying anxiety, it will continue to taint life until core emotional drive is found, dissolved and resolved.

 

August 2024 data stated more than 500 children a day in England are now being referred to NHS mental health services for anxiety. And the figures are growing daily.

 

In 2023-4 referrals of patients aged 17 or under totalled 204,526 and the primary cause of referral was anxiety. That is more than twice as many as 2019-20 the year before covid. 

Source: The Guardian :The Week :page 17 31.08.2024

 

In Utero formation we receive our coping strategies.

Our base lines for life foetal origins are formed in womb. Formed from mothers emotional state while pregnant. Mother releases hormones. Origins bombarded to the infant while foetal forming. Where base lines from biochemical, hormonal support or anxiety traits are formed. Why some of us can take more pressure than others. Whatever our foetal base lines are will dictate our vulnerabilities, sensitivities, confidence and security in life. As we grow and interact in life, it is hoped we will develop and grow learning abilities (to bend and weave through life) changing internal drives biochemically, improving hormonal base lines.

 

Children’s development and growth is influenced with anxiety in the home and environment. For instance if they are exposed to neglect, overload of screen time, watching anger and horror, logically, biochemically, stress hormones and cortisol will be released forming more stress, vulnerability. Sensitive ‘Add Ons’, built on foetal formations, embellishing biochemical, stress hormone cause and effect, vulnerabilities growing, compromised safety etc., = anxiety.

 

Over load of education, learning expectation is part of the problem.

When children go out into the world,  school is where pressures and overload begin.

Overwhelmed with size and numbers in schools. Big is not best in these situations (some children fair better with smaller classes). Having to comply, over faced with intense learning programmes, is where anxiety can be further exposed.

Children cannot be children for long. And the homework given at a young age is overbearing and exhausting for a young child’s brain to cope. Put under pressure to succeed when not ready for the tasks. School and parents high expectations can be wearing for a child.

 

From personal experience my granddaughter aged 7 was given excessive homework since returning to school.  A new regime introduced. Parents complained as they too are put under pressure to find extra time every night, weekends to tutor their child/children. The ripple effect and demands for working parents is excessive to family unit. Today children have very busy lives with after school clubs, football, gymnastics, swimming, etc., they need time to relax and recoup at weekend. Down time.. not more pressure and constant learning. Otherwise life becomes too much.

The result of this new regime… children felt overwhelmed, didn’t want to go to school, by the end of the week they were grumpy and overtired. Brain overloaded.  Sleep compromised through stress and worry, became anxious and stressed due to the demand of education. Making children ‘Nervous wrecks’!

School decisions causing distress and anxiety due to excessive learning.  Having the opposite effect, children switch off. Children need time to readjust. To take in and assimilate.  Parents were distraught too. Causing more stress and anxiety… the ripple effect has no bounds.

 

Business and education has jumped on the AI band wagon into thinking we are robots. When we are human. Children are not robots. NOR machines. Children all develop differently. In Europe they have a more pragmatic view of children’s youth and don’t start learning until age 7. Whereas many of UK children may be burnt out by then!

 

Especially, when some schools are excessive with homework, want to have the spotlight of success. While other schools don’t give homework. Believing children have had enough of education throughout the day.

We need a level playing field.  And we need government to set guidelines. To reduce stress and anxiety in our children …not gear up to more. 

No wonder mental health is at an all-time high!

 

Because if we don’t stop stressing out our children. Their future is grim….causing future body-mind-emotion dysfunctions with acute and chronic long term health disorders before they leave school! Economically epic pressure on us all to support a sick and stressed society.

 

As parents and grandparents we need to bring logic into education.

Protect our children and grandchildren from overzealous educators, administrators etc., that might look OK on paper or tablet, however not manageable from a human point of view.

 

Person centred care is required…. instead of tick box thinking!

 

To learn more about anxiety from Birth trauma and Utero stress formation, ‘Big’ influences,  factors in stress and mental health issues today. 

 

 

Joy Wisdom

Founder of Joy Wisdom Trust

10.24

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

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