Why Do Some Parents Misread Anxiety as Defiance?

[JonSnow]

I see children sometimes refuse simple things, become quiet, or suddenly get upset. I used to see it as stubborn behavior, but I wonder whether anxiety could be behind it. How can parents tell the difference between normal resistance and anxiety symptoms, especially when a child cannot explain what they are feeling?

 

[Shree]

I think anxiety can look like defiance when a child refuses something, shuts down, or becomes upset without explaining why. Parents may focus on the behavior instead of what is causing it. Sometimes a child isn’t trying to be difficult, they’re simply overwhelmed and don’t know how to express it.