Accommodation vs Validation in Kids with Anxiety or OCD Even though we don’t want to accommodate our child’s anxiety or OCD, it doesn’t mean that we can’t support or reassure our kids. Yes, I said reassure our kids. It’s how we reassure our kids that matters. Do we reassure their anxiety or OCD, or do we reassure them. It is important to validate our children’s […]
Is Anxiety or OCD Taking Over Your Child’s Identity? It is wonderful for our kids to recognize they have anxiety or OCD. It is also helpful for them to communicate when they are struggling with these issues. But sometimes our kids can over identify with their anxiety or OCD. I have OCD, I can’t! It’s my OCD, leave me alone! You know I can’t go. […]
Anxiety & OCD Struggles Around the Holidays Even though the holidays are exciting, they can bring with it some struggles for our kids with anxiety or OCD. Often these issues are unrelated to their anxiety or OCD themes. The holidays bring with it downtime, gatherings, new foods, busy schedules and high expectations for fun. All of which can cause our kids stress and anxiety. In […]
Raising Multiple Kids with Anxiety or OCD It’s hard enough having one child with anxiety or OCD, but what if you have more than one? What if even your partner or you also struggle? It can be daunting to realize you have a packed house full of anxiety or OCD. Trust me, I get it! But even though we can’t control if this happens, we […]
What Anxiety or OCD Stories Does Your Child Believe? Anxiety and OCD like to tell our kids stories. Stories like… You can’t sleep in the dark You can’t eat that You can’t be in crowds You can’t do that alone You can’t touch that You can’t think that You can’t survive that When our kids embrace these stories and take them at face value they […]
Do You Blame Yourself for Your Child’s Anxiety or OCD? It’s hard not to focus on what we have done or haven’t done to help our child’s anxiety or OCD. It is a slippery slope and many of us fall into the black abyss of self-blame. In this episode of the AT Parenting Survival Podcast, I talk about why parents shouldn’t blame themselves for their […]
Helping Your Child Celebrate Small Wins around Anxiety or OCD Mindset is half the battle when it comes to anxiety or OCD. But how do we teach that to our kids and teens? How they view their wins is key to their long-term success. Do they acknowledge when they’ve overcome a fear or challenge? Do they recognize how far they’ve come, even if they have […]
What to Do When Your Partner Triggers your Child’s Anxiety or OCD It can be overwhelming when your partner triggers your child’s anxiety or OCD. In the latest episode of the AT Parenting Survival Podcast I talk about how our partner’s can trigger our kids, why that sometimes happens and most importantly…what to do about it! Click here to listen: Subscribe and Listen Later:
Don’t Let Anxiety or OCD Rob Your Kids of Self Love Anxiety and OCD already rob our kids of so much, so it hurts when it takes a hit at their self love as well. Anxiety and OCD can feel stigmatizing and embarrassing. It can bombard a child with feelings of unworthiness and hopelessness. In this week’s Youtube video I talk to kids and teens […]
Why Consequences Don’t Work on Anxiety or OCD Raising a child with anxiety or OCD is hard enough, but when you disagree with family members on how to approach it, the boat gets even rockier! In my practice I often watched as family members bickered over whether they should consequence behavior that was anxiety or OCD related. I would hear things like: You coddle him […]
Our Kids See What Their Anxiety & OCD Want Them to See Anxiety and OCD aren’t passively in the background. They are actively working to prove that the world is full of your worst fears. Anxiety and OCD will whisper, see I am keeping you safe. Look at all these situations that aren’t safe. Thank goodness for me, right?! Unfortunately, our brain is wired to […]
When to Push and When Not to Push Our Kids with Anxiety or OCD? Raising a child with anxiety or OCD is a balancing act. We have to learn when to push and when to not push our kids with anxiety or OCD. We want to empower them without overwhelming them. We want to validate their fears without always accommodating them. But how can you […]
2 Powerful Ways Kids Can Crush OCD on a Daily Basis Often parents and even some therapists talk about addressing OCD in a one dimensional way. But there are actually two ways we want our kids to tackle OCD on a daily basis. I call it playing both defense and offense. In this YouTube video, I explain to kids how to address their ocd both […]
Depersonalization, Derealization and Existential Fears Anxiety and OCD can make our kids question everything, including their reality. This is different from a philosophical curiosity to understand the nature of the universe. These thoughts create sheer panic in our kids and teens. In this week’s episode of the AT Parenting Survival Podcast I explore depersonalization, derealization and existential fears and talk about how we can help […]
Helping Our Kids with Anxiety or OCD by Leaning into Acceptance It is hard to accept that our child has anxiety or OCD. It is even harder to accept the pain, discomfort, and struggle they have to go through each day. But often we spend so much energy trying to swim upstream we get lost in the struggle. In this week’s episode of the AT […]
