Help for Worried Kids: How Your Child Can Conquer Anxiety and Fear

by Cynthia G. Last

If your son begs to stay home from school to avoid speaking in front of the class, should you be worried? If your daughter insists on crossing the street whenever she sees a dog, what should you do? A simple evaluation devised by renowned psychologist Dr. Cynthia G. Last can help you determine if you have reason to be concerned. If so, you can use Dr. Last’s checklists and examples to figure out the type and severity of your child’s anxiety, identify contributing factors, and tackle the problem head on. Strategies tailored for different kinds of anxiety will guide you in preventing new episodes, calming your child when a problem arises, and keeping anxieties in check as your son or daughter matures. Dr. Last delivers powerful advice and insightful information gleaned from 25 years of experience working with worried kids and their families, including coping and relaxation skills your child can use to reduce stress and worry, and tips for encouraging kids to approach--not avoid--their fears. Whether your son or daughter can’t go on sleepovers, gets nervous around peers, or just plain worries about “everything,” this reassuring and compassionate book will teach you how to soothe your child’s immediate fears and instill lasting confidence.

Genres: Parenting

275 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Sydney Loveland · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was plenty of fluff to wade through, but I did find some very useful tips for my anxious child and even for my anxious self.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have a stack of books to read/have read trying to help my middle schooler and other kids I work with overwhelmed by worry-even myself!
Main problem is if you don’t want to TRY to get better/feel better none of these methods will work.
Book is full if easy to understand language and helpful tips to overcome some worry, but if something doesn’t work...then what?
It is written in tone and format that if you do what this book says you WIL OVERCOME your worry.
Like most self help books-take some info in and toss some. On to the next book.

[Christine Comito · Rating 3 out of 5]

keep making him face his fear, develop better ways of looking at things, teach relaxation skills, get enough sleep, check diet, increase self-confidence

[Lynette Hague · Rating 4 out of 5]

My children are older now, and I picked this book to reread. It was interesting looking back on my anxieties and also on theirs. I really found all of the real life examples to be very helpful. I thought the strategies were good and could be applied as appropriate by parents.