What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety (What to Do Guides for Kids) [Paperback]

Dawn Huebner (Author), Bonnie Matthews (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: What to Do Guides for Kids

Guides children and parents through the cognitive-behavioral techniques most often used in the treatment of anxiety. This interactive self-help book is the complete resource for educating, motivating, and empowering kids to overcome their overgrown worries.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Dr. Dawn Huebner has created a completely accessible, easy-to-understand book to show worrying children a new way of life. Kids will breathe a sigh of relief to learn solutions that really work." -- Tamar Chansky, PhD, Author of Freeing Your Child from Anxiety

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction to Parents and Caregivers -

If you are the parent or caregiver of an anxious child, you know what it feels like to be held hostage. So does your child. Children who worry too much are held captive by their fears. They go to great lengths to avoid frightening situations, and ask the same anxiety-based questions over and over again. Yet the answers give them virtually no relief. Parents and caregivers find themselves spending huge amounts of time reassuring, coaxing, accommodating, and doing whatever else they can think of to minimize their child’s distress.

But it doesn’t work. The anxiety remains in control. As you have undoubtedly discovered, simply telling an anxious child to stop worrying doesnÂ’t help at all. Nor does applying adult logic, or allowing your child to avoid feared situations, or offering reassurance every time the fears are expressed.

Anxiety has a way of growing, spreading, shifting in form, and generally resisting efforts to talk it out of existence. But there is hope. What to Do When You Worry Too Much will teach you and your child a new and more successful way to think about and manage anxiety. The techniques described in this book will help your child take control.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Magination Pr; 1 edition (September 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591473144
• ISBN-13: 978-1591473145
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (108 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #375 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Emotions & Feelings
  • #4 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Health
  • #5 in Books > Children's Books > Sports & Games > Activity Books

More About the Author

Dawn Huebner, PhD, wrote most of her first book (What to Do When You Worry Too Much) on walks to and from her office in downtown Exeter, NH. The rest of her series was similarly conceived, although she eventually set up a computer (and designated a writing day) in a spare room at home.

A clinical psychologist in private practice, Dr. Huebner recognized the need for lively, easy-to-read take-home materials to help children practice the strategies they were learning in her office. She created a format effective for 6-12 year olds, teaching sophisticated concepts using metaphors, language, and humor easily understood by kids.

The What to Do Guides for Kids series echoes Dr. Huebner's philosophy - that children can and should be taught to help themselves overcome challenges. Engaging, interactive, and clinically accurate, Dr. Huebner's books do just that - empowering children to help themselves. Her books sell briskly around the world, having been translated into 12 languages (with more in the works). Dr. Huebner has been featured on the TODAY Show, and is frequently interviewed for articles in popular parenting magazines.

Dr. Huebner maintains a file of requests for future topics she has received from readers, along with stories of lives transformed. She is always at work on her next book...

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

168 of 169 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kids can relate to the ideas in the book., July 9, 2007

By 

Andrea L. Polk (Southern Oregon) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety (What to Do Guides for Kids) (Paperback)

When your child's anxiety overtakes and consumes their joy, you'd buy 200 books if they'd help your child to feel better. Don't buy 200 books... BUY THIS ONE for your child.

My daughter is 9, but reads at 8th grade level, so I was a bit apprehensive about getting this book for her; fearing she'd think it was too baby-ish. Much to my surprise and delight, she loves the book! She says "I love the pictures. It's kind of funny and I like that it has activities to do. The book has good ideas about how to fix my worries."

The book does have great kid-friendly concepts like: Worry Time and Worry Bully, with places to draw and write down thoughts. It not only addresses how worries can take over, but empowers kids to fight back and reassures them that when they do, the worries will get smaller and smaller, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY...LOSE THEIR POWER OVER YOUR CHILD.

The book talks about the positives of getting rid of worries, like giving kids more time to play with their friends instead of worrying. Simple concepts perhaps, but written in a way that kids relate. The concepts are ones that both kids and parents can easily remember and refer to, which also helps when the Worry Bully shows up unexpectedly.

Other books that have helped my daughter:
Worried No More Worried No More - Second Edition: Help and Hope for Anxious Children by Aureen Wagner, PHD (this is an excellent resource for Cognitive-Behavioral therapy support; workbook pages in the back...) and the meditations books for children by Maureen Garth: StarbrightStarbright--Meditations for Children, Moonbeam Moonbeam: A Book of Meditations for Children, and Earthlight Earthlight (read together before bedtime to help your child visualize a safe, quiet place before they fall asleep...).

88 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent intervention, November 17, 2005

By 

Michelle S. Saidel "Child and Adolescent Psyc... (Portsmouth, N.H.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety (What to Do Guides for Kids) (Paperback)

As any mental health provider will tell you, Anxiety disorders are one of the most frequent problems children face. Trying to help a frightened child talk about the problem and address their fears is often difficult. Children fear that even talking about the problem will make it worse. Dawn Huebner's book provides the solution. In developmentally appropriate and engaging scenarios, Dr. Huebner puts the problem in perspective and introduces interventions and activities which are fun and effective! The book provides a child friendly means of understanding how anxiety disorders can grow and affect a child's life. Cognitive and behavioral skills are than introduced in a manner in which the child can understand and practice. There are even workbook style pages for documenting progress and skills achieved! All of this is presented in a gradual, friendly, manner which is invaluable for the anxious child. This book is a must have for mental health professional, teachers, guidance counselors and parents of anxious children.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Empowerment! Practical Help rather than meds!, February 20, 2007

By 

Mom, homeschooler, small business owner (Arlington, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety (What to Do Guides for Kids) (Paperback)

This book is great! Written at a child's level and it works! I asked doctors for this help and they just wanted to medicate or acted like I was being unreasonable. It really helps children get more in touch with what is going on in their heads and empowers them to defeat it. Empowers parents to be able to help them. For children old enough and with verbal skills enough to discuss what they think and feel. Really opens communication. Children often don't even know how to express their worries.