If you are the parent of a child that suffers from anxiety, you know that some of the emotions and behaviors that come with it, can seep into the fabric of the entire family. Managing the anxiety day to day can cause disruptions and mood changes for everyone involved. You may even find yourself accommodating the anxious behaviors in an attempt to keep the peace for ‘just one more day’. To quote our ‘Accommodating Childhood Anxiety’ blog post, “The truth is that accommodating anxiety isn’t helping our kids learn and grow - it’s teaching them to be dependent on you to control the situation and decrease their anxiety.”
Here are 3 books that are helpful for parents of anxious kids:
"Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD: A Scientifically Proven Program for Parents is the first and only book to provide a completely parent-based treatment program for child and adolescent anxiety. Parents will learn how to alleviate their children's anxiety by changing the way they themselves respond to their children's symptoms--importantly, parents are not required to impose changes on their children's behavior. Instead, parents are shown how to replace their own accommodating behaviors (which allow anxiety to flourish) with supportive responses that demonstrate both acceptance of children's difficulties and confidence in their ability to cope. From understanding child anxiety and OCD, to learning how to talk with an anxious child, to avoiding common traps and pitfalls (such as being overly protective or demanding) to identifying the ways in which parents have been enabling a child's anxious behaviors, this book is full of detailed guidance and practical suggestions."
"How do you manage a child who gets stomach aches every school morning, who refuses after-school activities, or who is trapped in the bathroom with compulsive washing? Children like these put a palpable strain on frustrated, helpless parents and teachers. And there is no escaping the problem: One in every five kids suffers from a diagnosable anxiety disorder. Unfortunately, when parents or professionals offer help in traditional ways, they unknowingly reinforce a child's worry and avoidance. This audiobook exposes the most common anxiety-enhancing patterns-including reassurance, accommodation, avoidance, while offering exercises and techniques to change both the children's and the parental patterns of thinking and behaving."
"Learn about the various types of anxiety, symptoms, how to help your child cope, and how to react better as a parent to difficult situations. If you want to have more resources to help your child deal with daily challenges like going to school, meeting new friends, being afraid of making mistakes, or feeling overly emotional, this audiobook will be a great resource for you."
What are some of the ways you help your anxious child cope? We would love to hear!