"Overthinking brains keep scanning for certainty. When parents jump in to reassure, it keeps kids' worry loops alive. When parents help to pause, acknowledge, contain the worry, and engage, overthinking loosens its grip. When Lisa contacted me to discuss concerns with her 11-year-old daughter, Lilly (names in this example have been changed), she described her as highly anxious. Lisa's call resonated with what I hear from many other parents of children and teens. Yes, generally speaking, they are anxious."
"It is essential to understand that overthinking is not a personality quirk. Instead, it is a driver of anxiety and stunted confidence in so many children who struggle with it. I have found that many parents find it heart-wrenching that, for these children who think too much, it shuts them down from doing anything. That's because these children and teens have incessant worry loops and a need for reassurance that does not calm their anxiety. Instead, it feeds and worsens it."
"How Overthinking Shows Up In Real Lives of Kids Here are some further examples from my book, Freeing Your Child From Overthinking, about the impact of overthinking on children and teens and what helps them. Henry's Homework Stall Henry, age 11, understands the material but can't get started on his math assignment. His over-analytic mind is preoccupied with imagining himself making mistakes, the lost time of errors he has not yet"
Overthinking in children and teens produces incessant worry loops that scan for certainty and replay 'what ifs' about past and future interactions, school performance, and social standing. Overthinking drives anxiety and lowers confidence, often shutting children down from attempting tasks despite understanding them. Parental reassurance often reinforces the worry loop and worsens anxiety. Pausing, acknowledging, containing the worry, and engaging the child can interrupt overthinking and loosen its grip. Real-life examples include a child obsessing that friends secretly dislike her and another who understands homework but stalls due to imagining mistakes and lost time.
Read at Psychology Today
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