Teaching Kids to Manage Anxiety: Superstar Practical Strategies - Paperback

by Deb Hopper (Author), Heather Hackett (Editor), Nelia Olival (Cover Design by)

Kids today are growing up in a fast-paced world where information and opportunity overload can be overwhelming. Teaching Kids to Manage Anxiety offers parents and teachers simple strategies that can make a massive difference to a child's ability to cope.

Based on many years of clinical experience as an Occupational Therapist, Deb Hopper has been using her Just Right Kids(R) Model to teach children to communicate and manage their stress and anxiety by:
- Identifying their "body speed",
- Understanding their stress triggers, and
- Implementing simple strategies to reduce anxiety and stress.

Deb unpacks a comprehensive look at anxiety from a refreshing perspective. This includes

• understanding what happens in the brain when children are anxious,
• the role of memory,
• how to identify stress and anxiety in children through their clues,
• the impact of gut health on anxiety
• a new perspective of the extent of anxiety in children including the concepts of
  • occupational anxiety
  • sensory overload and
  • screen time as contributing factors.

Deb steps through practical strategies for how to support children with the 5 types of 'occupational anxiety', or anxiety in a child's occuption, including

• Learning anxiety
• Sensory induced anxiety
• Social anxiety
• Emotional anxiety, and
• Transitional anxiety.

The final section outlines both body/ physically based (bottom up) and cognitive/ thinking strategies (top down) approaches to supporting children to reduce anxiety and thrive from day to day.

Both parents and professionals will be refreshed and empowered to help their children/ the children they work with.

Reviews

"This is quite simply the best, most comprehensive and practical book I have ever read to help teach children - and many grownups - how to manage anxiety. It is written in an easy to read way with lots of fabulous graphics. This brilliant book needs to be in every home, every school and every library."

Parenting author and educator Maggie Dent

"Deb Hopper brings some wonderful practical strategies, drawing on her many clinical years of experience as an OT, to help anxious children. The Just Right Kids(R) Model contextualises where kids function best. A great read for all parents seeking practical help for their anxious child."

Dr Andrew Pennington Integrative GP BSc(hons); BMed; DRANZCOG Adv; FRACGP; FARGP

"If you are a teacher, children's counsellor or parent, then this is a must read. Deb very helpfully and clearly identifies many causes of stress and anxiety for kids. But more than that, she carefully outlines different techniques and strategies to help kids lead more regulated lives."

Peter F, Counsellor, Parent and Foster Parent.

"Through this wonderful book I was able to recognise that often as a parent we try to rescue our children from their stress and anxiety, when we should actually take the opportunity to create teachable moments of how to self regulate."

Peta C, Mum, Disabilities and Mental Health Worker.