Supporting School Readiness: How Young Children Sense Anxiety and What Adults Can Do to Help
Gemma Hookins and Stella Antoniou
The Play Therapy Center
How young children absorb anxiety from adults and environments?
Young children are very sensitive to the emotional atmosphere around them and often pick up on stress from adults and their environment even when it is not directly expressed.
Children observe facial expressions
Children look into their parents eyes to watch for safety cues
Children listen to their tone of voice
They observe body language
They observe changes in routine to understand whether their environment is safe.
This is because young children’s emotional regulation skills are still developing. They instinctively rely on caregivers to interpret situations, this is because, when adults appear anxious or the environment feels unpredictable, children internalize these feelings and experience anxiety and uncertainty themselves.
Signs of stress in children under 5.
Children under five usually show stress through behaviour rather than words. Common signs include increased clinginess, fear and anxiety, frequent crying, irritability, sleep difficulties, or changes in appetite. Some children may regress to earlier behaviours such as thumb sucking, bedwetting, or baby talk. Others may display more tantrums, aggression, or withdrawal from play and social interaction.
These behaviours are often a child’s way of expressing feelings they do not yet have the language to explain.
Why routine, connection and play matter more during uncertainty.
During times of uncertainty, young children need stability, emotional reassurance and connection. Research has shown that play regulates the nervous system because it activates the brain’s safety and connection networks. During warm, attuned play, the prefrontal cortex (thinking and regulating) comes back online, while the amygdala (alarm system) quiets down. Play also releases oxytocin (bonding), dopamine (reward and motivation), and natural calming opioids, while reducing stress hormones like cortisol. In simple terms, safe, connected play tells a child’s brain and body: you are safe enough to relax. Through playful connection, your child’s nervous system begins to settle.
Additionally:
Keeping a routine helps children feel secure as they will know what to expect each day.
Strong connections with caregivers, through attention, comfort, and reassurance, help regulate their emotions and reduce anxiety.
Play is essential because it allows children to express feelings, process experiences, and regain a sense of control in a safe and natural way.
Child-led play helps to distract and re-engage in difficult times, parents providing a safe environment for exploration, joining in to their child world.
Rough and tumble play allows for a deeper connection with caregiver, it also teaches self-regulation, as well improves, physical, social and emotional health.
Validating children’s feelings can help them feel understood and safe
Practical guidance for educators and parents.
Educators and parents can support young children by
Maintaining predictable routines,
Continue life as normal,
Creating calm, nurturing environments,
Staying present and connected,
Speaking calmly, offering reassurance,
Self-care,
Validating children’s feelings,
Explaining what is happening in a way they can understand (stories)
Providing opportunities for play, creativity, and physical activity allows children to release stress and express emotions.
Limiting children’s exposure to adult worries and focusing on positive.
Limiting screen time or exposure to news updates
Allow children to ask questions and be curious, answering as honestly as you can.
Educators, parents, caregivers and family members, positive interactions can help support and protect young children’s emotional wellbeing. Keeping play at the centre of a child’s daily activities in uncertain and difficult times can help build resilience, emotional safety, coping and fosters self-regulation.
Staying calm as adults during difficult times can be challenging. However, to help our children be less affected by our stress and anxieties, we need to stay grounded and focused on what we can do and how we can show up for them. By remaining calm, patient, and supportive, we create a sense of safety and stability for them. Taking small steps to manage our own stress, such as pausing, breathing, and maintaining routines, can help us respond thoughtfully rather than react emotionally. When we model resilience and care, we help our children develop the confidence and emotional strength they need to navigate challenges and uncertain times.
If you notice that despite your efforts your child continues to struggle or that the strategies you are trying do not seem to help, it may be beneficial to seek professional support. Play therapy is an excellent therapeutic approach that allows children to express their feelings, process experiences, and develop healthy coping skills through the natural language of play.
Gemma Hookins and Stella Antoniou
The Play Therapy Center
Gemma Hookins and Stella Antoniou are child development specialists and play therapists at the The Play Therapy Centre Dubai. https://www.playtherapycentre.ae/ Their work focuses on supporting children’s emotional wellbeing through evidence-based play therapy, attachment-informed practice, and family guidance. At The Play Therapy Centre Dubai, they work closely with parents, educators, and schools to help young children process emotions, build resilience, and develop healthy coping strategies. Their approach recognises play as the natural language of children and a powerful tool for supporting emotional regulation, mental health, and healthy development in the early years. Through therapy, workshops, and parent support, their mission is to help children feel safe, understood, and emotionally secure during both everyday challenges and periods of uncertainty.
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