If your child struggles with anxiety, rest assured that you aren’t alone. The good news is that kids can learn to turn their overly anxious thoughts into curiosity, determination, and bravery. The Anxiety Busting Workbook for Kids uses kid-friendly skills based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to overcome anxiety.
ACTIVITY 3
The “Brave Prizes” strategy is a reward system and participative method where kids earn points for attempting anxiety-inducing tasks, no matter the result, building confidence and motivation along the way!
ACTIVITY 4
With simple, relatable scenarios, this activity spotlights the importance of recognizing anxious responses to everyday situations. Help your child question if they’re really in danger or if it’s just uncomfortable feelings misinterpreted as threats.
ACTIVITY 7
This activity first explores how to get your kid’s ‘Guard Dog’s’ attention. It can be incredibly challenging to think clearly amidst the barking- the metaphorical noise created by anxiety. Then it teaches your child how to soothe the ‘Guard Dog,’ quietening its barking, and allowing the mental space to realize that everything is indeed alright.
ACTIVITY 9
Get ready to demystify the confusing feelings of fear and anxiety. In this fun activity, your child will learn to recognize and understand these physical responses to fear. By understanding these sensations and acknowledging them as reactions to fear rather than fearing them, we can help them redefine their relationship with anxiety. Remember, it’s okay to feel afraid, your body is merely doing its job.
ACTIVITY 23
This game brilliantly defies the fear of making mistakes that often fuels anxiety disorders. While our brains may scream catastrophe at every blunder, this game teaches kids (and adults) that mistakes are not only okay, they’re opportunities for growth and learning.
Debra Kissen, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, and CEO of the Light On Anxiety Treatment Centers. She is author of several books on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-focused management of anxiety, worry, panic, and fear, including The Panic Workbook for Teens, Rewire Your Anxious Brain for Teens, and Break Free from Intrusive Thoughts.
Meena Dugatkin, PsyD, is a licensed clinical child psychologist at Light On Anxiety Treatment Centers. She specializes in evidence-based CBT and exposure and response prevention (ERP) treatments to help children and teens struggling with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Grace Cusack, LPC, works with families and clients of all ages at Light On Anxiety Treatment Centers, has advanced training in ERP and CBT, and helps her clients develop symptom awareness and coping strategies for anxiety, OCD, and other related disorders.
Foreword writer Eli R. Lebowitz, PhD, is a child and adolescent psychologist, and director of the Child Study Center’s Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program at Yale School of Medicine.