A list of anxiety books for kids to help children when they worry too much. Books for kids about anxiety and books about helping kids deal with anxiety.
Click to read also: Picture Books to Help a Child with Separation Anxiety
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I received review copies of some of these books, but no other compensation and I was not required to review them here. All opinions are my own.
Books to Help your Anxious Child
What You'll Find on This Page
Anxiety can be a serious challenge for many children. Anxiety in childhood includes separation anxiety, phobias, social anxieties, general anxiety, and panic disorder.
Pediatricians can help with anxiety. These books can also help.
Anxiety Books for Kids
Anxiety can happen at any age. Luckily there are some great resources for all ages.
A Little Spot of Anxiety
A Little Spot of Anxiety creatively helps children identify and control anxiety levels through visualization.
Please Explain “Anxiety” to Me!
Please Explain “Anxiety” to Me! uses dinosaurs to explain the link between brain and body functioning. The book also offers practical therapeutic techniques children can use to manage anxiety. The book also emphasizes that many people struggle with anxiety, and also that many people find ways to manage their anxiety.
Hey Awesome
Hey Awesome reframes a child’s anxieties in the context of their strengths and potential.
Anxious Ninja
Even ninjas feel anxious sometimes! A friend helps Anxious Ninja deal with his anxiety.
Help Your Dragon Deal with Anxiety
Children learn coping skills by reading about a boy and his anxious pet in Help Your Dragon Deal with Anxiety.
The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes
Can you imagine if your identity depended on never making any mistakes? The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes is a great read for children who struggle with anxiety around making mistakes. But please don’t juggle hamsters!
The Invisible String
I adore the imagery in The Invisible String. The idea of an invisible string that we feel in our hearts connecting us to those we love offers a comfort for separation anxiety as well as coping with loss and grief.
Breathe Like a Bear
Mindfulness techniques like those taught in Breathe Like a Bear make a world of difference when coping with anxiety.
Color Monster
Children cope better with challenges when they can label emotions. The Color Monster offers an accessible and engaging path to discussing emotions.
Anxiety Workbooks for Children aged 5-12 years old
These anxiety themed workbooks give children the opportunity to work through their worries while building skills.
Starving the Anxiety Gremlin
Kate Collins-Donnelly uses a cognitive behavioral therapy approach in ” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow”>Starving the Anxiety Gremlin, an anxiety management workbook aimed at children aged 5-9 years old.
The Anxiety Workbook for Kids
The Anxiety Workbook for Kids features fun illustrations alongside helpful facts, coping techniques, and stories.
The CBT Workbook for Kids
The CBT Workbook for Kids features over 40 exercises and activities to help children overcome anxiety and face fears at home, school and out in the world. I especially like the stories the book features about other children to struggle with anxiety, normalizing this issue.
What To Do When You Worry Too Much
What To Do When You Worry Too Much is designed for children aged 6-12 years old. Younger children will likely require parental guidance to work through its pages; older children can use the book effectively on their own much of the time.
The Worry Workbook for Kids
The Worry Workbook for Kids offers evidence-based CBT tools to help kids embrace uncertainty, identify the worry cycle, and change their thoughts and behaviors by taking action. The book was written for children 7-12 years old.
Sometimes I’m Anxious
Sometimes I’m Anxious offers an excellent starting point for talking about anxiety with children aged 8-12 years old.
Anxiety Workbooks for Teenagers
I love workbooks for anxious teenagers. They offer opportunity for teens to work through anxiety even if they are not open to talking to their parents or another adult.
Feeling Better: CBT Workbook for Teens
The Feeling Better: CBT Workbook for Teens offers a range of skills and activities to help teens manage moods, boost self-esteem, and conquer anxiety.
Anxiety Relief for Teens
Anxiety Relief for Teens uses CBT-based skills and mindfulness techniques to help teens manage anxiety and reverse negative patterns.
Mindfulness is one of the most important skills for coping with anxiety. I love the cheerful, efficient approach in Mindfulness for Teens in 10 Minutes a Day.
Parenting Books for Dealing with Anxious Children
Anxiety can happen at any age, so I’ve split these books into categories for toddlers and preschoolers, elementary school aged children, and teenagers. I’ll start here with general parenting anxiety guides, and then move on to age specific parenting books.
When Smart Kids Worry
When Smart Kids Worry helps parents understand why some children worry more than others, and how we can help them balance awareness of risks with realistic risk taking.
Freeing Your Child from Anxiety
Freeing Your Child from Anxiety helps parents distinguish between typical and higher levels of childhood anxiety. It offers tips, techniques, and exercises designed to help parents of toddlers through teens.
Books on Parenting Anxious Toddlers and Preschoolers
How to Parent Your Anxious Toddler
Velcro toddlers who follow you everywhere, toddlers who fall apart when routines are disrupted, and toddlers who resist daily routines over and over often struggle with anxiety. Natasha Daniels’ ” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow”>How to Parent Your Anxious Toddler offers concrete coping mechanisms for dealing with these everyday issues.
The Power of Your Child’s Imagination
Charlotte Reznick’s The Power of Your Child’s Imagination focuses on using your child’s imagination to help them discover creative ways to cope with stress and anxiety. This book is also suitable for parents of elementary school aged children.
Parenting Children Aged 5-12 Who Struggle with Anxiety
Helping Your Anxious Child
Helping Your Anxious Child focuses on helping teaching children to practice “detective thinking” to identify worries. It offers parents advice on what to do when children are frightened, as well as how to gradually expose children to challenging situations and how to help them develop important social skills.
Anxiety Relief for Kids
Written by a clinical psychologist, Anxiety Relief for Kids offers concrete, actionable steps you can take to help your child cope with their anxiety.
Helping Your Child Overcome Separation Anxiety or School Refusal
It is so hard when children don’t want to go to school! Some parents homeschool in this situation, which is fine. But sometimes homeschooling doesn’t feel right or is simply impractical. Eisen, Engler, and Sparrow provide a step by step process for dealing with this problem in Helping Your Child Overcome Separation Anxiety or School Refusal.
Helping Children Manage Anxiety at School
Anxiety and school frequently go hand in hand. Did you know that refusing to go to school, sitting alone, and refusing to complete assignments can all be symptoms of anxiety? Colleen Wildenhaus offers concrete coping strategies in Helping Children Manage Anxiety at School.
The Power of Your Child’s Imagination
Charlotte Reznick’s The Power of Your Child’s Imagination focuses on using your child’s imagination to help them discover creative ways to cope with stress and anxiety. This book is also suitable for parents of preschoolers.
Books for Parenting Anxious Teens
Teenage years challenge children with all sorts of huge transformations. Anxiety makes everything harder.
” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow”>Helping Your Anxious Teen
Psychologist and expert on adolescent anxiety Sheila Josephs wrote ” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow”>Helping Your Anxious Teen as a guide to help parents navigate this landscape.
Parenting the New Teen in the Age of Anxiety
Our teens are dealing with a lot thanks to modern social media and academic pressures. Parenting the New Teen in the Age of Anxiety places all of these issues within the context of the changing teenage brain.
What are your top anxiety books for kids picks?
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