Worry and anxiety are all too familiar to us as adults. We worry about work, money and relationships. We suffer from chronic anxiety triggered by a traumatic event. We worry about our kids. A lot. But sometimes we forget that our kids worry too, even our younger kids.
I recently sat down with my friend Dr. Joshua Straub to talk about kids and worry on my Parenting Great Kids podcast. Joshua and his wife, Christi, co-wrote What Do I Do with Worry?, a children’s book that helps kids put language around their worries and learn how to let them go.
Joshua says he and Christi began noticing worry in their own kids manifesting as other things like anger and disobedience. Once they sat down and began talking to their kids, they realized that the defiance and anger were often masking a different feeling, such as embarrassment, that caused their children to worry.
All children worry, even younger children. They worry about school, being bullied or soccer practice. They worry about whether or not they will belong. They worry that you’re going to make broccoli for dinner. They worry that their grandma is going to get sick. You may not think your child worries because most kids don’t know how to vocalize their worries but trust me, they worry.
The good news is you can help with their worries. Joshua and Christi’s book provides excellent guidelines for how kids can deal with their worries and how parents can help them.
