Children and anxiety

[MummaOf4]

My son is 19 months& has had 2 open heart surgeries. I suppose you can guess where anxiety fits in. He spent 4 months in hospital and his father and I have struggled so much putting him in routine. He has months where he is great, the past 2 months not so great. I feel anxiety is kicking in again and it's so frustrating. I suggest putting him in bed with his dad where he feels safe. His dad doesn't want him to get used to it and needs him in bed. I have no idea what to do....

[Katyonthehamsterwheel]

Hi there

Apologies it isn't clear to me if you are experiencing anxiety, or your child is? Either way, if you're finding it difficult to know quite how to manage your son's behaviour, I wonder if you could get support from a professional? Can you speak to your GP? I'm sure there are people who specialise in these things, and your GP should be able to refer you. My son is an adult now, but I used to call a parenting line for help with various challenges. I'm not sure what's out there now, but your GP would be first port of call to find out.

It's hard being a parent. Go gentle on yourself. Katy

[socialmoth]

Hi MummaOf4,

I can certainly understand where the anxiety comes from in your situation. This must have been very difficult for your family and I think it is perfectly fine to be feeling this way. However, once it starts becoming overwhelming, that is when it is best to talk to someone about what you're experiencing.

I agree with Katy above that talking to a GP would be a good place to start. Does the anxiety start when your son is asleep and you're not able to monitor him? If that is the case, there are some really cool technology solutions for this now too such as monitoring anklets. Might be something to look into if it's going to give you some peace of mind.