The Monday Mashup

Do you worry that your child struggles with anxiety? Maybe your child has always been a worrier or this new school year has your child feeling stressed. Maybe you have struggled with anxiety yourself and are not sure how you can best help your child.“What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety (What-to-Do Guides for Kids)” by Dawn Huebner comes highly recommended among mental health practitioners who work with children.

An excerpt: Children who worry too much are held captive by their fears. They go to great lengths to avoid frightening situations, and ask the same anxiety-based questions over and over again. Yet the answers give them virtually no relief. Parents and caregivers find themselves spending huge amounts of time reassuring, coaxing, accommodating, and doing whatever else they can think of to minimize their child’s distress.

But it doesn’t work. The anxiety remains in control. As you have undoubtedly discovered, simply telling an anxious child to stop worrying doesn’t” help at all. Nor does applying adult logic, or allowing your child to avoid feared situations, or offering reassurance every time the fears are expressed. (Get your copy)