Family Tips

• becoming sticky, impulsive, or distracted
• nervous movements, such as temporary cramps
• problems getting asleep and staying asleep longer than usual for a child
• sweaty palms
• accelerated heart rate and breathing
• sickness
• constant headaches or stomachaches

Apart from these signs, parents can usually tell when their child is feeling excessively disturbed about something.
Problems can arise, when anxieties and fears persist. When a parent hopes that the child will grow out of it, sometimes the opposite may occur and the cause of the anxiety becomes larger and even more predominant. The anxiety turns into a phobia, or a fear that is severe and persistent.
A phobia can be very difficult to overcome, both for kids and their relatives, especially if the anxiety-producing objects are hard to avoid, as may be with thunderstorms.