Recognising Childhood Anxiety: What Parents Need to Know with Dr Lexi Frydenberg

In this episode, Dr Jodi Richardson welcomes Dr Lexi Frydenberg, a pediatrician with over 20 years of clinical experience working with children and families at a large pediatric hospital in Melbourne and the Victorian Children's Clinic.
Dr Frydenberg shares what she's seeing in the clinic and how anxiety in children has changed, particularly post-COVID. She explains how anxiety often shows up in ways parents might not expect - through behavioral challenges, tummy aches, headaches, and school refusal - rather than children simply saying "I'm anxious."
In this conversation, they discuss:

How young children are now presenting with anxiety (younger than the traditional tween years)
The three main ways anxiety presents in children: somatic symptoms, articulated worries, and behavioral challenges
Why it's important not to rush to label children with diagnoses
The concept of anticipatory anxiety and how labels can become self-fulfilling prophecies
Practical first steps for parents: recognition, education, and having conversations at the right time
The power of "catching them being good" and focusing on strengths over challenging behaviors
Co-regulation: how parents need to regulate themselves first before helping their child
The fine line between helicopter/lawnmower parenting and teaching resilience
Graded exposure with practical examples (like food-related anxiety)
Why celebrating small wins matters more than achieving the end goal

Dr Frydenberg emphasizes that anxiety is a normal, protective response we all experience, but offers clear guidance on when it's gone too far and practical strategies families can use while waiting for professional support.
This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Join us next week for Part 2, where Dr Frydenberg discusses the roles of different practitioners, when medication might be helpful, and what to do when teens refuse to talk.
Resources mentioned:

https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/anxiety/ https://mentalhealth.melbournechildrens.com/media/kiuftzzo/mhs_childhood-anxiety_guide_e-single.pdf 

Raising Children’s Network: https://raisingchildren.net.au/ 

Anxiety and fears in children (0-8 years) Generalised anxiety in children (3-8 years) Anxiety: the stepladder approach (3-18 years) Raising Healthy Minds App

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