A Relaxation Book For Children Who Live With Anxiety
This book is filled with ways for children to participate in developing their own self-calming strategies. For that reason the author of the book uses a 5-point scale and imagery to teach Emotion Regulation skills to young learners. In addition, it has a a special section on evidence-based teaching activities for parents, therapists, teachers or caregivers.
‘a Kids Book About Anxiety’ By Ross Szabo Available At Amazon And A Kids Book About From $999
This book illustrates the experience of anxiety in a way that’s easy for kids to understand. Mental health advocate Ross Szabo walks children through how to manage their anxiety. Hammond likes the book’s simple language and says it is a great introductory resource for many children who experience anxiety in one form or another.
Books About Worry And Anxiety
Wemberly Worried by Kevin HenkesWemberly worries about many things, especially starting school. While this only touches on anxiety, its a reassuring story that sometimes things we worry about things turn out just fine.
Lenas Shoes Are Nervous by Keith Calabrese, illustrated by Juana MedinaLena is feeling BOTH nervous and outgoing. Lena tells her dad about her shoes feeling nervous. Her dad asks questions doesnt try to solve. Then, Lena figures out that her headband can talk to her shoes. Her dad gives them some space for her to work things out The headband reminds the shoes of other times they all were scared and also brave. And that things worked out. Even though her shoes still feel a little nervous, they decide to be brave and go to school. And Lena is proud of them!
A Kids Book About Anxiety by Ross SzaboSzabo clearly differentiates between the feelings of anxiety and nervousness. He explains how he feels when he has anxiety. Anxiety is an uncontrollable feeling that stops you from doing what you normally do. After this, Szabo retells the story of feeling anxiety and trying strategies he learned from a counselor like deep breathing, focusing on a spot to block out other things, and leaving the situation. Im learning how to identify when it happens and what to do to slow it down.
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How Are You Feeling Today
Just like the last book, this one doesnt deal exclusively with anxiety and worrying. Instead it deals with a range of emotions.
In the beginning of this book, there is a page with different ways a child might be feeling- happy, angry, bored, grumpy, scared, quiet, worried, sad, excited, jealous, embarrassed, and shy. Theres a page number next to each emotion, and children can turn to that page to read suggestions of things they can do when theyre feeling that way. This book is a great book for students who are prone to worrying, or to add to a calm down spot.
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David And The Worry Beast By Anne Marie Guanci
David could not stop thinking about the basket he had missed at the end of the big game. He was worried that he might do it again. He was worried that his team mates would be angry with him. He was worried that his parents would not be proud of him. He was also worried about an upcoming math test. In fact, David was worried a lot. ” Luckily, David finally confided in his parents and school nurse, both of whom gave him support and techniques for controlling the “worry beast” within him.Available on Amazon for US and UK customers
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Evaluate Your Child’s Anxiety Level
This free online anxiety test has been developed to help parents determine the level of anxiety in their children. It consists of 45 questions that assess specific traits common in highly anxious children and adolescents. The answers are weighted according to the relative importance of a particular anxiety trait and evaluated based on statistically normalized sample data. The final score indicates the risk of anxiety disorder and serves as a good indication of whether a formal evaluation would be beneficial.
The test was designed by Child Psychologist Dr. Tali Shenfield based on data from the Advanced Center for Intervention and Services Research for Early Onset Mood and Anxiety Disorders.
***Please note that when you take the test our servers record your IP address and the final score. By proceeding with the test, you agree to this condition.
Books About Anxiety For Kids Ages 3
Bright colors and bold lines make understanding worries kid-friendly in this book, which is meant to let them understand that we all worry sometimes. Children will be reassured that even if they are feeling pressures, there are solutions on the road to feeling safe, with fun along the way.
Through storytelling and impressive art work, the author tells the tale of Wemberly the mouse who worries, most notably about the first day of school. Luckily, a teacher introduces Wemberly to a fellow worrywart, and the two soon learn how much fun it can be to learn at school, and spend less time feeling anxious.
This kid-friendly entry point to the topic of mental health and emotions is about Ruby, an otherwise happy and imaginative young girl, who encounters Worry for the first time. Its not until she befriends a boy to discover that everyone deals with worries, and that she can get rid of them!
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‘anxious Ninja: A Children’s Book About Managing Anxiety And Difficult Emotions’ By Mary Nihn Available At Amazon $1199
While anxiety can be overwhelming, “Anxious Ninja” breaks it down with a bit of humor. Geared toward elementary school students, the story weaves in useful coping mechanisms alongside fun cartoon illustrations of the story’s ninja characters. Hammond points out that “Anxious Ninja” provides realistic solutions that children can use to calm their anxiety.
What To Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kids Guide To Overcoming Anxiety
This author of this book is psychologist Dawn Huebner, PhD. In addition, she has a specialty in working with children. In the book she guides children through Cognitive Behavioral Techniques which is a commonly used treatment of anxiety. For instance, she makes it easy to understand for children and uses metaphors, humor and clearly defined steps for children to develop skills to reduce anxiety.
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Puppy In My Head: A Book About Mindfulness
Her head is filled with a puppy! A puppy like Ollie can get excited or panicky, just like any other dog. When that happens inside her brain, the narrator also gets stressed out. It’s good that she knows a few things that can help. Her breath can be a “magical leash,” exercise can help her get rid of Ollie’s extra energy, and when she needs help, she can talk to an adult, too! As a child, Elise Gravel tells kids that everyone gets excited from time to time, but that if you use some calming and mindful techniques, you can stay in control.
‘a Little Spot Of Anxiety’ By Diane Alber Available At Amazon $1079
This story uses engaging illustrations to help children identify when they are feeling anxious: a gray spot represents anxiety and a green spot symbolizes peacefulness. It also provides tools for coping with uncomfortable feelings of anxiety. The illustrations and the simplicity of the language in this book impressed Hammond.
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Sidetracked By Diana Harmon Asher
With debilitating phobias of everything from hard-boiled eggs to gargoyles, Joseph struggles to make friends at school. But when his seventh-grade teacher compels him to join the school track team, he makes an unlikely friend and finds himself off the sidelines for the first time.
Buy it: Sidetracked on Amazon
The Opposite Of Worry: The Playful Parenting Approach To Childhood Anxieties And Fears
- Lawrence J. Cohen
No parent wants to see their child struggling, and every parent wants to help when they do. The problem is, worrying about your childs worries will only compound the anxiety in your home.
The Opposite of Worry recognizes that, and instead encourages parents to find fun ways to help their children through their fears. Its a great book for parents who are starting to realize that their kids may be having a harder time dealing with anxiety than they would like.
Why we like it
- This is a book that teaches parents how to address their childs anxieties from an early age, something most parents probably dont know how to do on their own.
- The book encourages parents to approach anxiety from a place of compassion, which is something everyone with anxiety needs.
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Which Children Become Anxious
Like many mental health issues, anxiety tends to run in families children who have anxious parents are more likely to become anxious themselves. Temperament may also play a role children who are sensitive, cautious and negative tend to exhibit higher levels of anxiety. A more in-depth description of the aforementioned traits can be found below:
Sensitivity: Sensitive children are very aware of their surroundings, often noticing details that other people miss. They often point out small changes in others, such as new glasses, or a new haircut, and seem to have an uncanny knack for overhearing conversationseven those which happen several floors above or below them. They are often emotional sponges who detect even subtle changes in other people’s demeanors, and inquire about what is troubling the adults in their lives even when said adults think they are hiding their concerns or problems well.
Sensitive children also react differently to stimuli in their environment than normal children they may be sensory seeking or sensory avoidant. Smells, sounds, and tactile sensations may all worsen these children’s anxiety.
In small doses, all of the above traits have their meritsit is wise, after all, to be observant of one’s environment and the people in it, to think twice about unfamiliar situations, and to review risksbut when these traits limit a child’s ability to live his or her life, they are crippling rather than beneficial.
Dont Worry Little Crab
Little Crab and Very Big Crab live in a tiny rock pool near the sea. Today theyre going for a dip in the big ocean. This is going to be so great, says Little Crab, splish-splashing and squelch-squelching along, all the way to the very edge. Then comes a first glance down at the waves. WHOOSH! Maybe its better if they dont go in? With vivid colors, bold shapes, and his trademark visual humor, Chris Haughton shows that sometimes a gentle dont worry, Im here can keep tentative little crabs sidestepping ahead and help them discover the brilliant worlds that await when they take the plunge.
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Helping An Anxious Child
Helping your anxious child begins with teaching them to understand what thoughts are and how the body responds to negative thoughts and stress. Unaddressed anxiety can significantly impact your child and lead to lifelong negative implications.
A Thought is a Thought is a childrens book to help with anxiety.
Key fundamentals that help reduce anxiety:
Recognizing thoughts as thoughts
Identifying the emotion associated with the thought
Building resiliency through positive thoughts
Calming the nervous system through deep breathing
The book helps caregivers introduce these fundamentals to reduce anxiety and provides worksheets and activities that compliment these principles. Implementing these key principles provide anxiety relief for the whole household.
It is important to talk to your child about the negative thoughts they are having and to provide empathy for what they are experiencing. This childrens book can help open the dialogue to what is causing them anxiety and provide you with tactical tools to help them relieve their anxiety.
For more resources on how to help your anxious child click here.
‘the Boy With Big Big Feelings’ By Britney Winn Lee Available At Amazon And Barnes & Noble From $1349
This story is not specifically about anxiety, but it addresses heightened sensitivity, empathy, and managing big emotions. Lee explains physical symptoms as feelings that “glow from cheeks, spill out of his eyes, and jump up and down on his chest.” Hammond says this story can help teach children to cope with strong emotions.
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Ruby Finds A Worry By Tom Percival Available At Amazon And Barnes & Noble From $1499
Rubys worry is small at first, but the worry continues to grow and grow with her until she learns that everybody has worries, and there are means of coping with them. Hammond says this story does an excellent job of explaining the ways that fears can often develop into specific anxious fixations. She also appreciates how the story normalizes worrying.
Breath With Me: Using Breath To Feel Strong Calm And Happy
When youre mad or worried or cant wake up in the morning, what can you do? Use the amazing superpower that you already havebreathing.
Our newest offering from the bestselling creators of Good Night Yoga teaches kids fun and easy breathing practices based on the proven methods of yoga and mindfulness meditation.
Sample practices:
When something makes you mad or even feels unfair,try this counting breath and youll feel calmer there.
Sit up and let your spine grow tall.Take a deep breath in, counting silently 1 . . . 2 . . . 3.Then let your breath out slowly, counting 1 . . . 2 . . . 3.
When you go somewhere youve never been and you arent sure what to do,you can use a dandelion breath to feel more comfortable trying something new.
Sit up and let your spine grow tall.Put one hand on your chest.Place your other hand on your belly.Take slow deep breaths and feel your chest and your belly move up and down as the air goes in and out of your body.
At night when its hard to fall asleep because your mind is busy and your body feels tight,try balloon breath to get relaxed and ready for a good night.
Lie down on your back and let your hands rest by your sides, palms up.Inhale through your nose and imagine filling your body with breath like a big balloon.Exhale and blow the air out through your mouth.What color is your balloon?
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How Do We Help You
Our boutique counselling clinic only accepts 20-25 patients. This means that within this group, we put our attention and effort on your health. You get priority access to our calendars and our time away from sessions are focused on you and your treatment. We present you with research supported care and offer services by a professional psychologist who is also a psychotherapist. This clinical and experiential approach has helped many see healthy returns.
Information:
My Anxious Mind: A Teens Guide To Managing Anxiety And Panic By Michael A Tompkins And Katherine Martinez
Beginning with relaxation and moving through more complex strategies, each step in this book builds a layered approach to managing anxiety. The final chapters stress the importance of proper nutrition, exercise, sleep, and the possible need for medication.
Are there other books for kids with anxiety that you would recommend? Come and share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.
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Ghost By Jason Reynolds
Castle Cranshaw, also known as Ghost, is a speedy sprinter on his middle school track team, but he feels like hes been running his entire life particularly from the memory of his violent, abusive father. Dealing with PTSD and the aftermath of violence, this book is an important read for teens dealing with anxiety following trauma.
These anxiety books for kids are a great starting point for any children who struggle with worry, anxiety or panic. For more recommendations, have a look at , or, for older readers, try .
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A Kids Books About Money
Many parents dont know how to talk to their kids about money. And that leads to more adults who may not be financially literate. Adam Stramwasser, a financial coach and educator, helps kids understand what money is. And he also teaches early financial literacy and how to be responsible with your money.
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Helping Your Anxious Teen: Positive Parenting Strategies To Help Your Teen Beat Anxiety Stress And Worry
- Sheila Achar Josephs
The teen years can be difficult, even without anxiety added to the mix. Its a time when kids are naturally starting to pull away from their parents and seek their own independence. A time when parents might feel like they no longer know how to connect with their child.
Add in anxiety and it can feel impossible for some parents to reach their teen. This book can help with that. It equips parents with the tools they need to help their teenager with anxiety. Even when that teenager may think they dont want their parents help at all.
Why we like it
Research has found that anxiety disorders often run in families. So while some kids who deal with anxiety are born into families that have no understanding of what that means, most probably have at least one parent who has dealt with anxiety themselves.
If youre that parent, you may be longing even more for a resource that can help you help your child. After all, you dont want them to face the same challenges you have.
But guess what? Your desire to help them may be contributing to your own worries and creating a cycle of anxiety in your home. This book can help put an end to that cycle once and for all.
Why we like it
- Any book that helps both parent and child is a winner as far as were concerned.
- Both writers have backgrounds in the mental health field and experience working with families living with anxiety.