Anxiety used to be talked about more in adults, something tied to work, finances, or life stress. Now, it’s a word that shows up in conversations about children with increasing frequency. Teachers notice it. Pediatricians mention it. Parents feel it long before anyone puts a name to it.

A child who struggles to fall asleep.
A stomachache before school.
Big emotions that seem to come out of nowhere.

These moments are becoming more common, and for many families, they don’t feel like isolated incidents anymore.

They feel like part of a larger shift.

The rise in childhood anxiety isn’t tied to one single cause. It’s layered, shaped by a combination of modern life, environmental factors, and emotional development happening in a world that looks very different than it did even a decade ago.

Children today are growing up in a constant state of stimulation. Screens, schedules, noise, and information are part of their daily environment in a way previous generations didn’t experience at such an early age. Even when life appears calm on the surface, there is often a steady level of underlying stimulation that the nervous system has to process.

At the same time, expectations have changed. Kids are navigating social pressures earlier, academic demands that can feel intense, and environments that don’t always allow for true mental downtime. What used to be considered normal stress now shows up earlier and sometimes more intensely.

One of the biggest shifts, and one that continues to grow, is the role of social media and digital exposure in children’s lives.

Even for younger kids who may not have their own accounts, exposure often happens indirectly through siblings, friends, or shared devices. For older children, the impact can be more direct and more complex.

Social media introduces a level of comparison that children are not developmentally prepared to process. They are seeing curated versions of other people’s lives, filtered images, and constant streams of content that can quietly shape how they view themselves and their own experiences.

There is also the issue of constant connection.

In previous generations, school and social environments had clearer boundaries. When kids came home, there was a natural break. Now, those social dynamics can follow them all day and into the night through messages, apps, and online interactions.

That lack of separation can make it harder for the nervous system to fully rest.

Sleep is often affected as well. Devices used late into the evening, combined with the stimulation of scrolling or messaging, can disrupt natural sleep patterns. Over time, this can contribute to increased anxiety, irritability, and difficulty regulating emotions.

None of this means social media is the sole cause of anxiety, but it is increasingly recognized as a contributing factor that parents are learning to navigate in real time.

There is also growing awareness around emotional health, which is a positive shift. Parents are noticing behaviors and patterns that may have been overlooked in the past. What once might have been dismissed as “just a phase” is now being understood more thoughtfully.

But awareness also raises a harder question.

What can actually help?

For many families, the answer isn’t one single solution. It’s a combination of support, lifestyle changes, and sometimes additional tools that help regulate a child’s nervous system in a way that feels manageable and sustainable.

One of the most commonly discussed areas right now is nutrition and its connection to mood and emotional regulation. While food alone isn’t the cause of anxiety, certain nutrients play a role in how the brain and body respond to stress.

Magnesium is one of the most talked-about examples. It supports the nervous system and helps regulate the body’s stress response. Some research suggests that magnesium, especially when paired with other nutrients, may help improve anxiety-related behaviors in certain children.

Products like children’s magnesium supplements from brands such as Zarbee’s and Nordic Naturals are designed to support calmness and relaxation with ingredients like magnesium, chamomile, and vitamin B6.

Omega-3 fatty acids are another area of focus. These healthy fats support brain development and may play a role in mood regulation. While research is still evolving, some studies suggest omega-3s may help reduce symptoms of anxiety in certain cases.

Options like children’s DHA supplements are often recommended because they are third-party tested and formulated specifically for kids.

Other supportive nutrients, including B vitamins and vitamin D, also play a role in brain function and emotional balance. Deficiencies in these nutrients have been linked to changes in mood, energy, and cognitive function.

That said, supplements are not a replacement for care or a cure on their own. They are best viewed as one piece of a larger picture and should always be approached thoughtfully.

Beyond supplements, there are simpler, everyday strategies that tend to have a meaningful impact.

Sleep is one of the most important and often overlooked factors. When children are not getting consistent, quality sleep, their ability to regulate emotions decreases. Creating a consistent bedtime routine, limiting screen exposure before bed, and maintaining a calm environment can support better sleep over time.

Nutrition also matters in a broader sense. Balanced meals, stable blood sugar, and whole foods contribute to more consistent energy and mood throughout the day.

There is also growing understanding of the connection between the gut and the brain. While research is still developing, many families are paying more attention to gut health as part of a broader approach to emotional well-being.

But perhaps the most important piece is not found in a supplement or a product.

It’s in connection.

Children process stress differently than adults. They often don’t have the language to explain what they’re feeling, so it shows up in behavior instead. Creating space for conversation, maintaining predictable routines, and offering a sense of safety can help regulate a child’s nervous system in ways that nothing else can replace.

For parents, this can feel overwhelming at times. There is a natural instinct to want to fix the problem quickly, to find the one thing that will make everything better.

But childhood anxiety doesn’t usually work that way.

It responds to consistency, support, and small, steady changes over time.

The rise in childhood anxiety is real, but so is the growing understanding of how to support kids through it.

And for many families, that support doesn’t come from one dramatic shift.

It comes from paying attention, adjusting where needed, and creating an environment where kids feel safe, supported, and better equipped to handle the world around them.

The post What’s Behind the Rise in Kids’ Anxiety? appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Our home is where we spend most of our time with our family and friends.  It serves as our living space and hosting spot for parties and welcome visitors.  A home holds much sentimental value for us as we’ve watched our children grow older within its walls and formed countless memories.

Our environment hugely impacts our relationships with others and our general state of well-being.  The home especially influences the emotions, temperament, and sense of security of developing children.  It is important to invest time and energy into making your home a place that your children feel comfortable in.  We can appeal to all of our senses by filling our home with soothing visuals, sounds, scents, and materials.

So what are some easy ways we can foster a more positive environment at home? 

Stay Organized.  Is your home harmonious or a chaotic mess?  Do your family members enjoy spending time at home or does your home feel so cluttered and congested that it is emotionally draining for all?  For most, an organized space feels lighter, more peaceful, and helps us think more clearly.  This is especially important if your home also serves as your workspace.  Clearing out these unnecessary distractions and clutter will help you regain a sense of control and boost productivity.

Fill your home with more natural things.  A small plant, a flower pot, an aquarium tank, or a small fishbowl will suffice to get the natural energy flowing in your home!  Studies show that simply looking at a flower makes people feel more uplifted and soothed.  Symbolic representations of nature, as in paintings, embroidery, or other home furnishings may also do the trick!  For a greater appeal to our sense of sight, smell, and touch, it is best to place living, growing things in your home.  This may also boost your child’s curiosity and interest in learning about our natural ecosystem!

Play music.  Choose a style of music to set the mood for your home.  Your choice of a jazzy, dynamic beat or a soothing natural track will shape the essence and aura of your home.  While music can be distracting to some depending on its tempo and complexity, studies show that playing soft background music can improve concentration.  Playing an instrumental piece may especially help active children, enabling them to clear their minds and better focus on a singular learning task.

Alter your lighting environment.  Grab some candles to boost the ambience in your home and add a fragrant touch.  Make sure you have some well-lit spaces in your home to allow for sufficient lighting to work, study, and relax.  Wherever possible it is beneficial to allow natural light to filter through.  While dark, heavy window treatments can make a space appear small and confined, a lighter, brightly colored window covering can make a room appear more spacious and provide shade when needed without stifling natural light.  It is best to choose window treatments that can be pinned back or pulled away, such as curtains and light drapery as opposed to blinds which are difficult to remove (and harder to clean).

Encourage learning and creativity.  According to a study examining the influence of home environment on learning, “home environment is more highly predictive of children’s academic achievement than measures of SES [socioeconomic status] such as parental education and income.”  In addition, children who come from homes where academic development is valued, encouraged, and nourished demonstrate higher language abilities.  Therefore, celebrate your child’s achievements and success in different areas!  Post your child’s “A” test somewhere visible (e.g. fridge, bulletin board) as a reminder of his hard work and accomplishment.  Hang your children’s artwork on the wall to encourage their artistic interests and show how much you value their effort.

Place things in your home that are appealing to your child’s interests, hobbies, or cultural background.  Display learning tools around your home where they can be seen.  For example, you might consider putting books on a shelf where they are easily accessible or putting together an arts-and-crafts bin to appeal to your child’s creative drive. 

Make sure that there is a designated learning space in your home for children.  We naturally associate different spaces with a defined function so the kitchen or living room might not be the best spot for homework or teaching lessons.  Instead, find a quiet space in your home that is typically free of high social activity and stimulating noises or visuals (e.g. no television or loud chattering) and set up a private workspace as your child’s go-to learning spot. 

Cultivate gratefulness and self-worth.  Studies show that grateful people are happier people.  Good health, exemplary performance at work/school, a winning sporting match – these are all things to be grateful for!  Journaling or writing down the things you are grateful for on a daily or weekly basis is a fun activity to do as a family or individually.  Write them down in a list, on post-it notes, or in a diary form – whichever way you feel most comfortable.  You might also do this verbally within family discussions or in conversation.  No achievement is too small or insignificant to be celebrated.  Maybe your child has been doing a great job of listening and being obedient, thank him!  Maybe your husband has been lending a hand around the house, show him your appreciation and that you noticed! 

Most importantly, remember to celebrate each member of your family uniquely and with intention.  Everyone benefits when a healthy self-esteem is encouraged and children are reminded daily that they are loved, wanted, and cherished.  Post inspiring quotes, bible verses or memorable photos on a wall space as encouragement to remain optimistic and thankful. 

We want to know – are there any ideas you have implemented to help make your home feel more positive?

The post Encouraging Positivity at Home appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

                                            By Dr. Gerald Newmark

5 Critical Emotional Needs

• Respected – For a child to feel respected, they need to be treated in a courteous, thoughtful, attentive, and civil manner – as individuals, deserving of the same courtesy and consideration as others.
• Important – A child needs to feel: “I have value. I am useful. I have power. I am somebody.”
• Accepted – Children need to feel accepted as individuals in their own right, with their uniqueness.  This means children have a right to their own feelings, opinions, ideas, concerns, wants and needs.
• Included – Children need to feel they belong, to feel a part of things, to feel connected to other people, to have a sense of community.
• Secure – Security means creating a positive environment where people care about one another and show it; where enough structure exist for children to feel safe and protected, and where children have opportunities to actively participate in their own evolution and that of the family.

Family Situations

• In interaction with children, how you do something is as important as what you do.
• There are behaviors that help and there are behaviors that hurt.
• Approach situations with the attitude that every interaction with our children is an opportunity to teach and to learn, to connect or disconnect, and with the intention of creating endless connections

Recollections from Childhood

• Parents have a great impact on children.
• Parents are the main role models for children.  A parent’s influence is significant on a child, often lasting well into adulthood and frequently affecting how a child will raise their own children.
• Parents can read through chapter 3 and identify positive and negative behaviors they currently engage in.  Once the behavior is identified then they can make changes.
• As parents, we need to become more conscience students of our own behavior.

Becoming a Professional at Parenting

• Parenting is probably the most important and most difficult responsibility anyone of us might have in a lifetime.  Ironically, it’s rare that parents set aside time to question how well they are doing.
• Essential elements of professionalism: making conscious decisions, having a game plan, becoming a student of one’s own behavior, having an experimental attitude.
• Adopting the five critical needs as core values to guide behavior. Page 85
• Changing habits or starting new habits is not easy.  Chapter 4 outlines suggested game plans to help the transition from concept to action.

Overcoming Obstacles and Taking Control

• Becoming a professional at parenting means becoming a more conscious parent.
• Recognize if you feel overwhelmed, it’s an indication you are doing too much and/or behaving inefficiently.
• Prepare to-do list, prioritize and schedule, create additional time
• Realize you will never be able to do it all.

Strengthening Families and Schools

Family

• To create a sense of community families need to be involved with one another – to do things together.
• Preparation for meeting the child’s critical emotional needs should begin during pregnancy, and behavior to meet these emotional needs should begin at the same time and continue when the child is born.
• It is never too late to start adopting the 5 critical needs and making positive changes.

Schools

• Next to the family, schools have the greatest influence in meeting the 5 critical needs of children.
• The Children’s Project is a grassroots, non-commercial effort, by Dr. Gerald Newmark and Deborah Newmark designed to help schools meet the 5 critical needs of children.
• As children experience what it is like to feel respected, important, accepted, included and secure and these needs become a home and school value, the kids are more likely to become self-confident, independent, thinking, caring, civic-minded individuals.

Go to www.emotionallyhealthychildren.org to order this MUST-HAVE book for your family! Available in English and Spanish versions.

The post How To Raise Emotionally Healthy Children appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.