A review by essrich
Freeing Your Child from Anxiety: Practical Strategies to Overcome Fears, Worries, and Phobias and Be Prepared for Life--From Toddlers to Teens by Tamar E. Chansky

hopeful informative medium-paced

4.75

This is without question the best book I’ve found on understanding and navigating anxiety. There are so many different sections on varying ways anxiety can present so you can choose which chapters to read (it took me a long time to truly finish the book only because I had initially skipped a few chapters that didn’t apply). The author covers the science behind anxiety, offers child-friendly language to discuss it, and many examples of situations and dialogue for caregivers to use. Specific topics covered include GAD, phobias, social anxiety/mutism, separation anxiety/panic disorders, OCD/PANS, tics/Tourette’s/trichotillomania & PTSD. She covers the spectrum of each as well to determine what’s normal vs how disordered it may be. Also covers sleep issues and school refusal, sports/test performance pressure. And to top it all off, she includes strategies and dialogue for all age groups of children. I have used this book often and imagine I will continue thru the teens as well. Recommend for parents or anyone else that works with children. The only mark against it was in the title - not sure those that struggle with anxiety are ever “free” from it.