School is a huge part of kids' lives, and it can be very stressful, particularly during transitions, such as the beginning of the school year when they're returning after an extended break. Dr. Stephen Whiteside, a psychologist with the Mayo Clinic Children's Center, says for kids who are more anxious, it can be one of those stress points that brings underlying anxiety disorders to the surface.

In this Mayo Clinic Minute, he discusses how parents can determine if their child is experiencing normal anxiety or if they are showing signs of a potential anxiety disorder, which can make life more difficult.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (1:05) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

"Feeling anxious is perfectly normal. We all feel, most of us feel anxious," says Dr. Whiteside. Sometimes anxiety can be brought on by a stressful situation in a child's life.

"Sometimes kids are nervous and worried and afraid because life is stressful. So, they're failing their classes or they're being bullied at school or there's arguing and fighting at home, and there's something bad happening that is making them anxious," he says.

Stress and problems in life are important, and kids may need help from their parents to deal with them. However, stress is different from an anxiety disorder.

"An anxiety disorder is when kids feel more nervous, worried or afraid of things than we would expect them to be," says Dr. Whiteside. One of the most common anxiety disorders seen in kids is social anxiety disorder.

"It's kids who are not just shy, they're very worried that people will judge them, that they'll make mistakes, and their shyness prevents them from doing things that they want to do or they need to do," explains Dr. Whiteside.

Signs of a potential anxiety disorder

As for signs of a potential anxiety disorder, Dr. Whiteside says to think about a child having three jobs: school, family life and social activities.

Signs of anxiety or other mental health concerns:

• School: Missing school or difficulty getting them to school
• Family: Isolation, withdrawing from family interaction
• Social activities: Avoiding getting together with friends

"If your child is not doing things that they enjoy, isolating themselves, withdrawing from activities, [are] more irritable and upset, frequently tearful, especially if it's a change from how they normally have been acting….If one of those three jobs is not going well, that's one sign that your child may be struggling from anxiety or another mental health concern," says Dr. Whiteside.

To address a potential anxiety or mental health disorder, Dr. Whiteside says parents should start by having a conversation with their child. If the child is not receptive, then he recommends parents speak with their child's pediatrician or primary care team.

Related posts:

• Mayo Clinic Minute: Helping kids with anxiety through exposure therapy
• Mayo Clinic Minute: 4 ways to help kids overcome back-to-school anxiety
• Mayo Clinic Minute: Building a back-to-school routine

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