Anxiety Relief for Kids: On-the-Spot Strategies to Help Your Child Overcome Worry, Panic & Avoidance

by Bridget Flynn Walker

If you have a child with anxiety, you need quick, in-the-moment solutions you can easily use now to help your child face their fears and worries. Written by a psychologist and expert in childhood anxiety, this easy-to-use guide offers proven-effective cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure skills you can use at home, in social settings, or anywhere anxiety takes hold.

Being a parent is tough work. And when your child has an anxiety disorder, the tough gets upgraded to downright hard. You love your child, and it hurts to see them afraid or constantly worried. But life needs to be lived, and schedules often need to be kept especially if your child is in school! So, how can you manage your child s anxiety during those trying moments when you just need to get from A to B without losing your sanity?

Helping Your Child Overcome Anxiety provides quick solutions based in evidence-based CBT and exposure therapy two of the most effective treatments for anxiety disorders. You ll find a background and explanation of the different types of anxiety disorders, in case you aren t sure whether or not your child has one. You ll also learn to identify your child s avoidant and safety behaviors the strategies your child uses to cope with their anxiety, such as repeatedly checking their homework or asking the same questions repeatedly as well as anxiety triggers that set your child off.

With this book, you ll find a wealth of information regarding your child s specific anxiety disorder and how to respond to it. For example, if your child has obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD, the skills you use to help them are different than other anxiety disorders. No matter your child s specific symptoms or diagnosis, you ll discover tailored interventions you can use now to help your child thrive.

If your child has an anxiety disorder, simple, everyday activities can be a real challenge. The practical solutions in this book will help you deal with your child s anxiety when it happens and restore balance and order to both your lives.

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Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help, Mental Health, Health, Childrens

1 pages, Audio CD

First published November 1, 2017

Reviews

[Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parents are in a better position to observe, support, and intervene with their anxious child than any mental health professor.
That’s why they should know the basics of anxiety and how to help their children.

In this Book you learn
- how your child’s anxiety starts
- how your child’s anxiety grows
- what makes your child’s anxiety worse
- what you can do to reduce your child’s anxiety.

I think this is a very important topic not every parent really realizes.
In earlier times it was marked as bad to have an anxiety, very few people said it out loud, but nowadays anxiety is not a rare thing anymore.
It appears more often and parents should know how to help their kids. Its filled with information and worksheets, so it’s not a book you can only read, you need to act.

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. This is a helpful book onky if your child is quite mature, helpful, and fully self-aware. I didn't find it very helpful.

[Molly Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The trauma, stress, and disruption of Covid-19 led to some anxious behavior in my kid (which feels pretty common from what I'm hearing), mostly avoidance of doing things I know she loves to do. Enter this book, which convinces the parent reader that everything that comes natural (reassuring your child, avoiding things that will cause them anxiety) is not helpful, but following this system will help.
The pros of this book:
*Real, actionable things to do in the moment of an anxious response and to work on anxiety-ladders through exposures. Good examples.
*I liked the metaphors: the fear thermometer, the candy jar, the worry hill, etc. There's a LOT to remember here and I think the metaphors will actually stick with me.
*She explains well why you would do this practice (without getting overly clinical) and provides scripts of parent-child conversations.
The cons of this book:
*This is a big one--the entire book presumes you have a really open kid who is willing to talk to you about their anxieties and the behaviors they do around them, name the anxiety with a nickname, fill out worksheets with you and go over the fear thermometer numbers...my kids and I are pretty good communicators but that has not been my experience. The kids she profiles here are completely aware and reflective about their avoidance and safety behaviors.
*The book might be geared towards a slightly younger audience - I don't know if my 10 year old would be into me calling out her "worry monster" and sitting down with worksheets to graph it all out. Some of the role-playing felt like younger ages.
*So.Many.Worksheets! And since I used an audiobook I am not confident that I will download any of them.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have come to accept the fact that I am the one person that has to help my 10-year old work through her anxiety—and I need more skills! I need to learn how to more effectively talk through her worries so that we're not repeating the same conversation night after night, making no progress.

The most eye-opening thing I learned was that parents can unknowingly be reinforcing their child's fears through avoidance, distraction, or participating in safety behaviors (chapter 5). I certainly don't want to be enabling or perpetuating the kind of behavior I am working so hard to combat!

My daughter went several months without bedtime anxiety, and then something happened and we're back at square one. I learned in the book that anxiety comes in spikes; it waxes and wanes. It was a comfort to learn that this is normal. I can't allow myself to think that a few weeks or months of smooth sailing means that we won't face another storm in the future. It will be an ongoing challenge, but now I have some tools to help identify and talk through the worries.

I purchased a copy of this book so that I can have it on hand for reference. This book has been helpful, but I'm having a hard time customizing it for our specific needs. I have some tools to work with, but I could still use some guidance on how to more effectively implement CBT at home. I'm still hoping to find a therapist that can help us, but for now this was a good first step.

[Chrisdee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some helpful tips for cognitive behavioral therapy. A lot geared toward the 9-12 range child. I didn't necessarily agree with the exposure therapy portion of this book but found some of the other tips helpful for children - creating a tool box, identifying the root of a fear etc.

[Amy T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really good, but not what I was hoping for based on the title. The author shows the reader how to help a child with different types on anxiety (including OCD, which is the part of the book I focused on) using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This is really good information. In the section on OCD, some ideas that were new to me were using a feather duster during contamination exposures and also calling "perfectionistic obsessions" its own category of OCD. However, there is nothing "on-the-spot" about any of these strategies. They involve sitting down with the child, rating the stress level different exposures would cause, and making a long-term plan. It makes me wonder if the person who named the book even read the book. I was really hoping for some ideas to use that are truly on-the-spot, more like mindfulness activities.

[Kenny Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is well written and informative. There are some good ideas inside about how to help a child with anxiety. I love that there is a section for children with OCD. I read it hoping it would give me ideas on how to help my kid-parts but this isn't a book for traumatized children. This book is geared towards genetic anxiety. I'm happy I read it because it can help with my sister who has OCD, but I'm giving it four stars because it doesn't really cover children with PTSD. Great book otherwise!

[Lgordo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a solid read.
First - it was only as long as it needed to be.
Second - there are real, actionable strategies in there.

That said, this stuff sounds HARD. And really probably best left to a therapist, since parents can have a harder time getting the right cooperation from kids. If my kid manifested real pathological anxiety, this book convinced me to go to a pro.

If your kid doesn't need a pro, this book gives you some tools for talking about nerves with your kid.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. It seems like a useful way to help kids with anxiety. It does have some parts that doesn’t seem likely to work with every kid, either because it is too childish for bigger kids or because it requires too much self-awareness and little kids might not be able to do it correctly, but in general terms, it is a good book and I think it can be a good tool to help mot kids dealing with anxiety.

The book is written in a simple language. It is very easy to understand the concepts it explain. It also use examples, including in those conversations between parent and kid, but doesn’t used them in excess making it boring. There are chapters that help to identify triggers, correct thinking errors and develop a plan for exposure, among others, but that last one I mention, was the one that I find more helpful, although I wouldn’t recommend to go to that one without have the knowledge the previous one will give.

One of the limitations I think it has is that it depend on the parent’s willingness to work along the kid. There is one thing to read a book about the theme, which is already a sign the parent want to help, but I wonder how many of the people who will read the book, will take seriously the commitment to work for this. To anyone willing to do it, this book will be a great tool.

*Book provided by NetGalley.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from NetGalley and New Harbinger Publications, Inc. in exchange for my honest review.

This book was written in a way that a parent can understand and easily implement the information provided. It also provides documents to aide in this form of treatment as well.

Like all "Self Help" books it was very repetitive and gave many similar examples but that is needed to get across the way to use this method. I would have liked for more variety and not always going back to the to the same kids but understand that we were following them from beginning to end. However, at the end of the book we are given a lot of different examples that redeemed the repetitiveness of the beginning. If they were sprinkled through out I would have liked that better. I also would have like to have examples for younger children since the author mentions anxiety being present at young ages but doesn't address how to handle that exactly.

At the beginning I found it to be a little cheesy and thought back to when I was a teen and I would not have wanted to roleplay with my parents or even mention my anxieties to them. However, by the end it seemed like the kids were more open to talk when they realized they were actually getting over their anxieties. I think a parent would already need a to be communicating in a healthy way in order to do this method on your own, without a doctor. If you child received this treatment from a doctor, this would be a great book to educate yourself and open up your communication with your child.

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seeking to support parents with anxious children through a CBT lens, this book offers guidance and strategies to address anxious behaviors. While some of the strategies could be helpful, I agree with other reviews which state a child would need to be mature and self aware to follow this program. As a therapist working with children daily, I found the example conversations provided to be highly unrealistic. The book also tried to sell CBT as the only effective treatment modality for children with anxiety and that is simply not true. Each child and their family has their own needs and histories, making this one-size fits all model not the best fit for every scenario. I have no doubt this book would be helpful for a select group of families with anxious children. For the others, I hope they are able to take what they need from this book or find another path that will best meet their needs.

[Dinesh Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anxiety Relief for Kids: On-the-Spot Strategies to Help Your Child Overcome Worry, Panic & Avoidance by Bridget Flynn Walker is an invaluable guide for parents looking to support their children through anxiety. The book provides clear, practical strategies that are easy to implement in everyday situations. It emphasizes cognitive-behavioral techniques designed to reduce anxiety effectively, empowering both parents and children. The author’s compassionate tone and step-by-step instructions make it accessible and reassuring. Indian parents, especially those navigating competitive academic and social pressures, will find this resource helpful for nurturing a child’s mental well-being and fostering resilience in challenging times.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bridget Flynn Walker's book Anxiety Relief for Kids is a good primer for parents in identifying anxiety and strategies to help kids cope with anxiety. It is not a substitute for professional therapy, but is great for helping parents of kids who don't need therapy or even for parents of kids who are in therapy. The strategies in the book are based in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which is an evidence based practice for treatment of anxiety, among other things. The book is easy to understand and the strategies are simple to apply. I received an ARC from NetGalley.

[Misty Farias · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book for review purposes. I appreciate the author's direct style. She gives both children and parents a toolbox for working with anxious behaviors. She also goes through scripts of conversations so that you as a parent have an idea how to utilize and introduce the toolbox with your child. She gives lots of activities that you can try to show your child both how anxiety and the use of tools to help with it work. She also addresses the behavior by parents to modify and accomodate that may be making a child's anxiety worse. Highly recommend if you have an anxious child.

[Emily Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple to understand and implement strategy to use CBT with your tween/teen or just recognize anxiety in your children.
I picked it up more interested in helping my 3 year old be more confident in groups, but this book is more intended for older kids. I did however learn a lot from it and would still generally recommend it as a resource. I did do some skimming through some of the examples of role playing/conversations as they seemed a bit repetitive if you weren't reading with intentions of trying the strategies.

[Manuela Colantonio-alonzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised at how much information was jammed packed in such a short book. It has been a life saver for my family as it has provided me with tools to help my daughter with her anxiety as she's in an accelerated program at school and feels a lot of pressure to get things done quickly.

I highly recommend this book to help not only your child, but also you in how to identify, understand and manage anxiety.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

[Vinita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a parent and grandparent who has lived with anxiety issues most of my adult life, it was refreshing to find some very helpful tips on not just handling the anxiety my grandchild experiences at a level he as a 4 year old can relate to, but also ways of explaining it to caregivers and other adults in his life without making it a stygmatized issue in an otherwise happy, healthy and intelligent child. I highly recommend it for anyone with children or working with them.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically a parents guide to coaching your child with CBT strategies and in that regard lots of good stuff including sample coaching conversations. As someone who practices CBT with my students though, I was bothered by one aspect of the authors approach that appeared to consider reframing thoughts as a form of reassurance-seeking that would actually perpetuate the anxiety (use of it as a “safety” behavior. This wasn’t consistent with my training, nor what I see as effective in practice.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book guides the reader on how to do Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with an anxious child (there are also a few chapters on OCD). Not only is it step-by-step, there are tools, links, worksheets, and examples of how to do it all! Not that doing this program is easy, but this book makes it possible and allows the parent's efforts to be as effective as possible. I wish I'd had this book ten years ago!

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this book can be a great tool to use with your children using CBT. However, as a sufferer of anxiety and having used CBT, I think there are a couple of situations that I disagree with the author to have your kid work through exposure therapy. However, that is my personal opinion and as a parent please talk with your therapist and do your research to decide what is best for your family. All in all it is worth the read and the use of the therapies talked about in the book.

[Analie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice little book to use as a starting point. Anxiety is a very common problem among children and the pandemic hasn't helped. I like the first few chapters which give easy-to-use tools like a Fear Thermometer and nicknaming the fear in a child-friendly way to reduce distress. (E.g., "It sounds like that's Worry Bug talking.") I would have liked to see the author talk more about how parents can connect with their children while practicing these tools and praise progress.

[Danielle Barger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very interesting and informative for me to read. Even after reading the book, I don’t think I would be able to implement this process to help my child w anxiety without professional support. The CBT process makes sense to me but still feels overwhelming. There’s a reason therapists study all of this for many years! However, I still have a number of helpful take aways from this book and am glad I read it.

[Lieca Brown Hohner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't get much out of this book for my purposes. HOWEVER, I see it as a goldmine for parents of younger children (mine just turned 14) and/or those with more difficult conditions, such as OC. The catalog of available online worksheets is genius and helps the parent to not have to figure it all out by themselves. Again, it just didn't provide me with much new advice or direction. But I expect it to be a great, easy-to-follow instructional for other parents.

[Book Him Danno · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for parents who struggle with children with anxiety. Anxiety Relief for Kids
by Bridget Flynn Walker has some great ideas for parents as well as children who are capable of understand anxiety. The books helps parents guide there children in a postive and less stress filled world.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this copy of Anxiety Relief for Kids

[Laurian]

I don’t want to rate this because I started reading for GAD and really it is about phobia induced anxiety - not really what I’m looking for. Maybe it is good for that; I don’t have a frame of reference. It felt like it could be helpful and had very specific action steps doe parents and children to work through.

[Aileen Manning-chumbler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fully believe this book is a great starting point to help my son. We’ve noticed changes in him that opened my eyes to the thought he may have anxiety. We plan on going through some of the ideas in this book along with therapy to help him.

Some of the studies listed in the book, I have me wondering what those study results would be now with Covid?

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, really good strategies for targeting anxiety management for children. One star down because they often assumed that two parents were present in each kid's life and used "mom and dad" instead of acknowledging any other family dynamics, but beyond that it was good material with specific, tangible steps of action.

[Sandra Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that explains what causes anxiety. There are examples to help children with their fears. A well researched book- great for parents and grandparents. Thank you Goodreads Giveaway for a great and helpful book.

[Lori Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot from this book. A simple approach, but helpful when your teen has anxiety. A useful feature is that you can register with the publisher, and print out copies from the appendix of worksheets to use at home.

[K Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! A mom with over 15 years of training giving, ready to use, practical advice!! I've recommended it over and over. I've used it for my teen, younger kids and myself. Seriously, if you want to know more about anxiety, dealing with it and overcoming it-read this. Use it.