Parenting an Anxious Child

What it is

When your child is scared, everything in you wants to make it stop. That's love. But answering the same question for the tenth time, letting them skip, or doing it for them can quietly teach the worry that it's in charge. This guide helps you try something a little different: stay warm, stay close, and show your child they can handle more than the worry says. It's not a stack of kid worksheets. It's for you: the words to use, the rescues to shrink, and a plan you can actually follow.

What's included

• Start here: five steps, plus a 3-page "short on time" path
• How Worry Works: the worry cycle vs. the brave cycle on one page, and a checklist of what worry can look like in kids
• My Child's Worry Picture: when it shows up, what it looks like, what they avoid, and their strengths
• What to Say: a simple two-part formula plus ready lines for 8 moments (bedtime, goodbyes, "what if" loops, worry in the body, "I don't want to go," mistakes, and more)
• Swap This for That: 9 things every caring parent says, what to try instead, and why it helps
• The Rescue Map: spot 10 common rescues, how often you do them, and how hard each would be to change
• Stepping Back Gently: shrink one rescue in four small steps, with words to tell your child first
• Answer Once: a plan for the question that keeps coming back, plus a daily worry time
• Brave-Step Plan: a 6-step ladder with your job before, during, and after each step
• Practice Log: one week per page, no streaks
• In the Big Moment: five steps for when worry is at full volume
• Your Own Worry: a page just for the parent
• Same Words, Everyone: a share sheet for teachers, grandparents, sitters, and coaches
• 8 Fridge Cards to cut out or snap on your phone
• When to Ask for More Help: signs to reach out and who to talk to

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