While all children feel nervous or anxious occasionally, for some children, anxiety is debilitating. Among children ages nine to 17, about 13 in 100 experience an anxiety disorder, notes the National Mental Health Information Center. The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry suggests that parents be aware of symptoms of anxiety in order to intervene and prevent additional complications.
Worry
Among the symptoms of childhood anxiety is excessive worry. Children with anxiety disorder fret about common, daily activities. Their level of worry is out of proportion with the event. For example, they may become deeply worried about their shoes getting wet or having lost their pencil.
Obsession
Anxiety in children may display itself through obsessive thoughts and fears. They may continually worry about keeping their clothes clean or about what to say when meeting new people.
Embarrassment
Extreme embarrassment may be a sign of a childhood anxiety disorder. The level of embarrassment will be unusual in relation to the event or compared with how other children of a similar age would respond. For example, when presenting a book report, a child with an anxiety disorder might become immobilized because he mispronounced the name of a character in the book.
Low Self-Esteem
Low self-esteem may be another symptom of a childhood anxiety disorder. All children suffer from occasional self-esteem issues. However, low self-esteem might prevent a child with an anxiety disorder from participating in daily activities or playing with other children.
Physical Ailments
Some children suffering from anxiety issues experience various physical ailments including stomach aches, sweating, nausea, diarrhea and trouble sleeping. These symptoms do not appear related to any specific illness or other physical cause. The Mayo Clinic also lists muscle tension and aches, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath and trembling as physical symptoms of anxiety.
