The Child Anxiety FAQ

Welcome to the Child Anxiety FAQ Podcast, hosted by Dawn Friedman, a seasoned expert in child and family support with over 30 years of experience. In this episode, Dawn addresses a common concern from parents: what to do when their anxious child is upset, especially when the goal is not to make them feel better immediately. Dawn explains the importance of helping children face their fears gradually through exposure plans, and highl...

In this episode, Dawn Friedman, an experienced child anxiety expert, answers a listener's question about how to involve siblings in the management of a child's anxiety. Dawn discusses the impact of family dynamics on siblings, the importance of recognizing and addressing parenting pitfalls, and strategies to ensure that non-anxious siblings receive the attention and support they need. She emphasizes the significance of understandin...

In this episode, we address a common concern among families—distinguishing between a child's anxiety and personal preferences. We explore how to identify if a child's behavior is driven by anxiety or simply a lack of interest in certain activities. Tune in to gain insights on this important topic and learn strategies to better understand your child's needs. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to my podcast for more valuable...

In this episode of the Child Anxiety FAQ Podcast, Dawn Friedman addresses a listener's question about the use of reward charts for anxious children. Dawn shares her extensive experience working with families and discusses the complexities of using rewards and charts. She explains her flexible stance on rewards, noting the potential pitfalls, such as children focusing on rewards rather than the process. Dawn also highlights the impo...

In this episode of the Child Anxiety FAQ Podcast, Dawn Friedman addresses a listener's question about why a child's progress in therapy can seem to wear off over time. Dawn explains that anxiety in children is often reinforced by family patterns, termed 'Parenting Pitfalls', which unknowingly support avoidance behaviors. She discusses the importance of continuous practice and parental involvement in managing anxiety and reinforces ...

In this episode of the Child Anxiety FAQ podcast, Dawn Friedman addresses how to encourage children to become more independent in managing their anxiety. Dawn emphasizes the importance of self-education on child anxiety, modeling coping strategies, practicing these strategies with your child, and consistently offering encouragement. She also discusses allowing children to make their own choices and decisions, even if it involves ex...

In this episode, I get personal and share lessons and reflections from my own parenting experiences—specifically, what I wish I’d done differently with my anxious child. Parenting is a wild ride; full of challenges, growth, and yes, some regrets, too. But don’t worry! We don't dwell there. Instead, we use these reflections as stepping stones towards understanding and doing better.

So, if you're feeling a little lost or just need som...

Welcome to the Child Anxiety FAQ Podcast with Dawn Friedman, where listeners' questions about child and teen anxiety are answered by a seasoned child anxiety expert. In this episode, Dawn discusses what to do if you've pushed your anxious child too far, illustrated through a common scenario featuring 'Joan,' a 10-year-old with school refusal. Dawn explains how the family's efforts to manage anxiety may unintentionally exacerbate it...

Welcome to "The Child Anxiety FAQ" podcast, where we dive deep into the everyday challenges and questions that parents face when dealing with child and teen anxiety. I'm Dawn Friedman, and with over 30 years of experience working with kids and families, I'm here to offer practical advice and support. In each episode, I aim to tackle the questions you're losing sleep over, like how to differentiate between healthy coping crying and ...

This is an issue that's present for many of the families with whom I've worked so I thought I'd bring it here to the podcast and talk about the underlying concerns for parents when they bring this up. Our empathy and concern can make anxiety intervention difficult and we have to address it as we move forward.

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A better question might be WHEN shouldn't I ask my anxious child why they're anxious but this episode gives us a good start to the topic. Besides, of COURSE you're going to ask your anxious child why they're anxious but lots of us are anxious for no reason except that we have anxious brains. And getting too stuck in the question can keep our families stuck in anxiety. Learn exactly what I'm talking about in this episode of The Chil...

In this episode, we explore the dynamics of family functioning patterns and what the research has to say about how to intervene when families are struggling. If you're not sure if child anxiety is an issue for your family, I recommend you take my Parenting PItfalls Quiz. This will help you identify where you're struggling (and where you should start) and also give you the chance to catch my free webinar an...

In today's episode I'm talking about what healthy coping really looks like—it’s not always pretty, but understanding this helps us prepare to keep going even when it's hard. Realistic expectations and an understanding that (to quote Jessica Baird), "Crying is coping" makes it so much easier to power through as we support our kids in overcoming their anxiety. 

Learn more about Jess...

In this episode we're discussing how to talk about real-life worries, the big worries that maybe are already keeping you up at note, too, like climate crisis, economic uncertainty, or natural disasters. It's hard to be a regular old adult when we're facing these kinds of anxieties let alone being a growing kid or teen who's just trying to get a handle on how the world works! I look forward to your feedback...

(Sorry about the audio quality -- I'm having some issues with my editing software!) 

Welcome to The Child Anxiety FAQ podcast! 

Today's episode answers the question: "How can I determine if my own anxiety is influencing my parenting of my anxious child?" We'll talk about the ways in which parental anxiety can impact child anxiety, what the research has to say about it and discuss strategies for breaking the cycle.

If you find our c...

In today's episode, we're diving into the  topic of setting limits for your anxious child without succumbing to guilt. We talk about the complexities parents face, particularly those who are working to heal their own childhood wounds while supporting their children. We'll address why feelings of guilt are a natural part of parenting and how understanding anxiety can help in making informed, beneficial deci...

In today's episode of The Child Anxiety FAQ, host Dawn Friedman MSEd addresses a crucial question from our listeners: What are some practical steps I can take to encourage my child to tolerate their anxiety? With over 30 years of experience working with children and families, I offer general strategies that can be adapted to different age groups and situations. The goal is not to eliminate anxiety, but to ...

Welcome back to another episode of The Child Anxiety FAQ, where your questions about child and teen anxiety are answered. I'm your host, Dawn Friedman, and today we're diving into a challenging but common issue many parents face: dealing with anger towards their anxious children. With over three decades of experience working with families, I'm here to help you understand the roots of this anger, often link...

In today's episode, we tackle a common but complex question: "How can I support my anxious child while also addressing their inappropriate behavior?" Using a real-life example of a parent dealing with their 10-year-old's morning meltdowns before school, I explore some of the root causes of school refusal, the importance of ensuring a supportive environment, and strategies for managing anxiety and inappropr...