How to Help a Child with Anxiety or OCD Who has a Hard Time Making Decisions Kids with anxiety or OCD often have a hard time making decisions. This can be for many different reasons. An anxious child might worry that they’ll miss out if they make the “wrong” decision. They might not feel confident in their ability to make their own decisions. A child […]
Helping Anxious Kids Who Crumble Under Pressure Anxious kids crumble under pressure for a variety of reasons. They might worry about deadlines and school work. They might worry about the social pressures of being called on or being watched. They might fear being less than perfect or being worse than others. They might have difficulties making decisions, worried about picking the wrong choice. In this […]
Teaching Our Kids How to Deal with Uncertainty During These Changing Times All the changes and uncertainty have been enough to make my head spin! But what if you had anxiety or OCD and you already lived in panic, you already lived with the fear of uncertainty? Uncertainty and doubt are the hallmarks of anxiety and OCD and they have become the hallmark for society […]
Preparing Our Anxious Kids for an Uncertain School Year There is one thing for sure, next school year is completely uncertain. Will kids go back to school? Will they wear masks? Will school be online or in person? There are more questions than answers when we look ahead. So how do you help an anxious child who craves consistency and stability when reality is anything […]
Ways Parents Can Help Kids with Selective Mutism with Anna Biavati-Smith “He’s just shy, he’ll grow out of it.” That’s what many parents hear when they voice their concerns about a child with undiagnosed Selective Mutism. Selective Mutism is often missed or completely misunderstood. The sad part is with early treatment, kids with Selective Mutism can make great progress. That is why I brought on […]
Helping Kids with Intrusive Thoughts We all have intrusive thoughts, but when you have OCD those thoughts get stuck in your head. They get loud and constant and are hard to ignore. So how is someone meant to get any relief from OCD and these thoughts? It is often the opposite of what you may think. OCD wants you to argue with it. It wants […]
Inside the Mind of A Child with Emetophobia | The Fear of Throwing Up One of the most common anxiety and OCD themes is the fear of throwing up, also known Emetophobia. It impacts kids of all ages, and has the power to completely debilitate a person. In this week’s, AT Parenting Survival Podcast I talk to my own eight-year-old daughter about her struggles with […]
Helping Kids Understand Misophonia | Sound Rage “Just deal with it! No one likes the sound of his chewing.” That’s often how parents deal with Misophonia, a neurologically based disorder where auditory stimuli is misinterpreted in the central nervous system. When parents misunderstand Misophonia it leaves kids feeling overwhelmed and guilty. They might wonder, why can’t I tolerate certain sounds like everyone else? In this […]
Helping Anxious Kids Who Hate Losing The board game goes flying, the game control gets thrown or the ball gets kicked out of the yard. That’s how many anxious kids cope with losing, it’s just simply too much to handle. It’s not surprising that some anxious kids hate losing. Anxious kids can hold themselves to a higher standard than others. They must give their best, […]
What to Do When Therapy isn’t Enough for a Child with Anxiety or OCD Your child needs help, but therapy isn’t cutting it. Maybe it’s because she refuses to go or perhaps it’s because her issues are just too intense for outpatient therapy. What’s a parent supposed to do when the help isn’t helping? Outpatient therapy is where the road starts, but not where it […]
How to Handle the Stress of Raising a Child with Anxiety or OCD Raising a child with anxiety or OCD should come with a warning label, “Warning: May be hazardous to your health.” Being a rock to a child that is often flailing in the sea of chaos, can be draining to even the best of us. It can wear you down, destroy your sleep […]
Understanding Emetophobia, The Fear of Throwing Up with Chrissie Hodges Parents often grapple with what may have caused their child to become so deathly afraid of throwing up. They come up with theories. Maybe it was the time she saw her cousin throw up? Or maybe it was the time she got sick in the car? Or maybe it was the time she got food […]
The Solution to Social Anxiety in Kids is Not what People Think I have spent 47 years with Social Anxiety Disorder. It is an ugly, devastating disorder that tears you down from the inside out. It can demolish any shred of self-esteem you have. It can paralyze and isolate you. But the solution to social anxiety is not what most people think. In fact, I […]
A Parent’s Journey Through Anxiety and Autism Autism can be a confusing disorder because it often comes with so many other comorbid conditions. Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can show signs of anxiety, OCD and ADHD. Initially it can be hard for parents and even professionals to get an accurate diagnosis. In this month’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast segment Member Spotlight, I talk to […]
How to Help Anxious Kids Help Themselves It is hard to watch our anxious kids suffer. It is hard to stomach their pain. It is very tempting to swoop in and protect them. To soften their fall. To protect them from feeling discomfort. But that is robbing them of the opportunity to build their skills. I find that the best way to help anxious kids […]
