Whether it’s at a dance competition, a school play or sharing something at assembly, many children show signs of suffering from stage fright. As a parent, it can be heartbreaking to see them unable to move or talk on stage. Some kids refuse to even go onto the stage and knowing the amount of practice they have done for the event is devastating for everyone. Luckily there are many things we as parents can do to reduce the effect stage fright can have and today we’re sharing seven of them with you.
7 Tips to Help Manage Your Child’s Stage Fright
Stage fright is completely normal, with even celebrities such as Rob Stewart, Barbara Streisand and Danny Osmond breaking silence on this condition. Anxiety is at the root of the problem, be it performing in front of a crowd, being afraid to make a mistake or worried they’ll forget their lines. However, there are seven ways to help reduce these fears which we think are worth trying:
1. Be prepared – by having many rehearsals beforehand, you can reduce anxiety by knowing exactly what to do and where. It also helps to practise visualising an audience in front of them too.
2. Arrive early – on the day, be sure to arrive ahead of time to omit the stress of being late.
3. Relaxation activities – deep breathing, meditation and mindfulness can be very useful at calming nerves.
4. Stay and watch – simply knowing you’re in the wings or the audience watching can be very comforting.
5. Share – tell your child about a time you were frighted about doing something and what you did to help yourself.
6. Focus on the journey – chat with your child about the fantastic work they’ve done to prepare for the event. Praise them on what they’ve accomplished and focus less on the end result.
7. Be positive – rather than visualising a big failure, help your child create a picture of themselves doing a fabulous job on stage!
As well as solving the problems, it’s also important to look at what may have caused them in the first place and address those issues. Let’s now take a look at the possible causes of stage fright in kids.
• Poor self-confidence
• Low self-esteem
• A prior episode of stage fright or failure
• Comparing themselves to others who are more talented
• Concerned about others teasing them
Have a chat with your child as to what the root cause of their stage fright may be. If you could knock it out of play now, things will look considerably brighter for your child! All the very best wishes to you and your child!
Posted: Thursday 8 November 2018