Anxiety Toolkit

When children are chronically anxious, even the most well-meaning parents can fall into a negative cycle and, not wanting a child to suffer, actually exacerbate the youngster’s anxiety. It happens when parents, anticipating a child’s fears, try to protect them from the fears. Here are pointers for helping children escape the cycle of anxiety.

 

  • Don't try to eliminate anxiety, but to help a child manage it.
  • Don't avoid things just because they make a child anxious.
  • Express positive, but realistic, expectations
  • Respect the child's feelings, but don't empower them
  • Don't ask leading questions
  • Don't reinforce your child's fears
  • Encourage your child to tolerate anxiety
  • Try to keep any period of anticipation (advanced notice) short
  • Think things through with the child
  • Try to model healthy ways of handling anxiety
Taken from :  https://childmind.org/article/what-to-do-and-not-do-when-children-are-anxious/
(see link below)
 
Books for Anxiety
 
What to do when you worry too much: A kids guide to overcoming anxiety by Dawn Huebner
 
Overcoming your child's worries and fears by Cathy Creswell
 
The huge bag of worries by Virginia Ironside
 
Have you filled your bucket today? by Carol McCloud
  
 
CHUMS Anxiety Workshop Resources