Helping Anxious Kids Thrive

Did you know that anxiety among children has nearly doubled in recent years? According to a meta-analysis, 20.5% of youth worldwide now struggle with anxiety symptoms. That’s 1 in 5 kids! Today, I want to share some practical strategies to help your child understand and articulate their feelings of anxiety, especially if they are hard to engage.

Let’s start with a real-life example. Recently, I took a risk with a 15-year-old gamer who played video games for about 7 hours a day and only spent 2 hours on school work. Instead of confronting him about his school work, I asked, “Why aren’t you playing more video games?” I know, I know how that sounds, but bear with me. This unexpected question disarmed him and opened the door for a more meaningful conversation. Why I did this, I find hard to explain. I took a risk. I don’t recommend that unless you are able to connect with someone and empathise (Will Graham style)

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