Natasha Daniels, Child Therapist & Creator
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Natasha Daniels, Child Therapist & Creator of AnxiousToddlers.com Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength. -Corrie ten Boom Parenting Anxious Kids: Support, Guidance & Survival Tips Page 1 This E-book is for educational purposes and in no way should replace the advice of a medical or mental health professional. Disclaimer: Throughout this E-Book there are aliate links that Anxious Toddlers LLC may receive compensation for. There are also links to external resources. Third-Party Disclaimer: Links or pointers to Internet websites maintained by others are "third party sites" and are meant for convenience only. 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No alterations or modications whatsoever may be made to Anxious Toddlers LLC Material including to any of its images, graphics, designs without written permission. Violations will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Parenting Anxious Kids: Support, Guidance & Survival Tips Page 2 This E-book is a compilation of over fty articles originally published on AnxiousToddlers.com. This book was designed to provide these articles in an easy and printable format. For more support subscribe to: Ask the Child Therapist YouTube Channel AT Parenting Survival Podcast Parenting Anxious Kids: Support, Guidance & Survival Tips Page 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1: Parenting 008 How to Help a Child with Anxiety: 21 Things Every Parent Should Know 011 The Best and Worst Parenting Styles for Anxious Children 017 How to Help an Anxious Child Who Obsesses About Time 023 4 Ways to Handle People Who Don’t Get Your Anxious Child 027 How to Teach Your Kids to Beat Anxiety 031 Want to Help Your Anxious Child? Avoid These 9 Mistakes 036 How to Deal with a Child Who is a Perfectionist 039 When Parenting an Anxious Child, Avoid These 9 No-Nos 044 The One Thing Every Kid with Anxiety Should Be Doing 048 What to Do When Your Child is Suffering from Panic Attacks 055 How to Calm First Day of School Worries 058 15 of the Best Coping Mechanisms for Kids 063 5 Ways Caring Parents Make Teen Anxiety Worse 068 How to Stop the World from Crushing Your Sensitive Children 073 4 Things Parents Get Wrong About Childhood OCD 077 Can You Tell the Difference Between Fear and Anxiety? Parenting Anxious Kids: Support, Guidance & Survival Tips Page 4 082 8 Things Every Parent Should do When Traveling with Anxious Kids 089 Child Therapist’s Top 5 Things Parents Should Do with Anxious Kids 093 How to Find a Good Child Therapist 099 Is Your Child Scared of Sleeping? 5 Things You can Do to Help 107 Did you Know That Play Can Help Your Child’s Fears? 114 Are Your Child’s Worries Making Them Sick? Are You Feeding Your Kids the Right Food to Help Anxiety? 120 Tired of Meltdowns? Create a Break Tent! 125 Parenting Lessons Only Your Anxious Kids Can Teach You 129 How to Help Your Anxious Kids When Bad Things Happen in Our World 135 If You have a Child with Anxiety: You Should Know These 5 Things 140 My Stomach Hurts. I Can’t Go to School. 145 20 Tell-Tale Signs You Parent an Anxious Kid 148 5 Tips on How to Parent a Child with OCD 153 5 Ways to Help Separation Anxiety and Pee in Peace! 158 Teach Your Child to Fight Anxiety 162 10 Strange Reasons Why Kids Hate Bath Time Parenting Anxious Kids: Support, Guidance & Survival Tips Page 5 168 End Your Child’s Fear of the Dark with These 9 Sure Fire Tips Section 2: Diagnosing and Understanding Anxiety Issues 178 Signs of Selective Mutism: When it Isn’t Just Shyness 187 Do Your Kids Hate the Sound of People Eating? Misophonia Signs 196 13 Signs of Health Anxiety: Is it Beyond Sickness? 200 The Link Between Sensory Processing Disorder and Anxiety 204 30 Signs of Social Anxiety: When it is Beyond Shyness 209 The Link Between ADHD and Anxiety: Why it is Misdiagnosed 213 Are You Missing These 5 Uncommon Signs of Child Anxiety 217 Is Your Angry boy Really an Anxious Boy in Disguise? 222 Bedtime Battles or is it Bedtime Fears? Are you Missing the Signs? 229 OCD in Children: Are you Missing the Signs? 235 10 Signs of an Anxious Toddler Section 3: Holidays and Anxiety Parenting Anxious Kids: Support, Guidance Page 6 241 5 Ways to Prevent Kids from Having Holiday Meltdowns 245 What to Do When Your Child is Scared of Halloween 248 Child Therapist’s Tips to Help Anxious Kids During the Holidays Section 4: Inside the Mind of Anxious Kids and Their Parents 253 My Double Life as a Child Therapist and Mother to Anxious Kids 258 Why the World Needs More Anxious Teens 261 To the Mother with the Anxious Child 263 Dear Mom and Dad, It’s Me – Your Shy Kid. 269 Dear Mommy & Daddy, From your Anxious Toddler 273 Dear Mom and Dad, It’s Me Your Anxious Kid. Parenting Anxious Kids: Support, Guidance & Survival Tips Page 7 SECTION 1: PARENTING 21 Things Every Parent of Anxious Kids Should Know As a child therapist who specializes in anxiety, I work with parents every week who have questions and misperceptions about anxiety. Anxiety can be confusing at times and being a parent of anxious kids can be exhausting! Parents want to know how to help a child with anxiety? I always start o with helping parents understand these 21 things. Page 8 Below are 21 things every parent of anxious kids should know... 1. General Anxiety Disorder in children runs in families and has a strong genetic component. 2. Anxiety doesn’t have to be caused by trauma. Most often it’s not. 3. Your anxious children know their fears are irrational. 4. Anxiety doesn’t have to be triggered by anything. Just like Diabetes, kids can develop anxiety at any age. 5. Anxiety grows bigger when children avoid anxiety-producing situations. 6. Anxiety can make kids physically sick. Some physical anxiety symptoms include stomach aches, headaches and difficulty breathing. 7. Kids with anxiety are more likely to pull their hair out or pick scabs for no reason. 8. Anxiety in children under ten is common, in fact it can show up in kids as little as one or two. 9. When parents give in and let their anxious children avoid school continuously, they are more likely to be homeschooled eventually. 10. Anxiety is cyclical and can come and go over time. 11. Children with anxiety tend to be more emotionally intelligent. 12. Anxious kids tend to be better at reading social cues and body language. 13. Anxious kids spend much of their time thinking of “what if” thoughts. Page 9 14. Kids with worries are more likely to have a harder time with change. 15. Anxious kids are more likely to have heightened senses. 16. Young children with anxiety are more likely to be picky eaters. 17. Your anxious kids want to get rid of anxiety more than you know. 18. Anxious kids are less likely to face their fears if their parents don’t gently encourage them to do so. 19. Anxious kids can have panic attacks in their sleep. They do not have to be triggered by stress. 20. Intelligent kids can have worries that don’t make sense. Like a fear of sharks at the bottom of a pool. 21. Anxious kids don’t have to be a victim to their anxiety. With skills and tools, they can be empowered to crush their anxiety. *** Page 10 The Best and Worst Parenting Styles for Anxious Children [In this article, descriptions of the anxious children are a composite of the many anxious children I have treated] “No!” Your child screams. Her eyes wide and her pulse racing. You have seen her like this before. Her deer caught in headlights expression.