The Evidence Nest
Anxiety in Children · $24.99
Child Wellbeing · Ages 2–18
Anxiety in Children
What Your Child Is Feeling, Why It Happens, and How You Can Help
$24.99
What this guide solves
My child worries constantly and I can't tell if it's normal or something I should take seriously.
The guide explains precisely where the line is between typical developmental anxiety and clinical concern, using DSM-5 criteria in plain language so you can make that call with confidence.
My child's anxiety looks like defiance, stomach aches, or meltdowns. I didn't even recognise it as anxiety.
A full section covers how anxiety masquerades as other things, including school refusal, physical complaints, distraction, and emotional flooding, so you can see what's actually driving the behaviour.
I don't know what to say to my child when they're anxious. Everything I try seems to make it worse.
The guide gives you specific language that helps and language that maintains anxiety, along with scripts for talking to children at different ages about what they're experiencing.
I keep reassuring my child but the anxiety doesn't go away. Why isn't it working?
Reassurance is one of the patterns that unintentionally keeps anxiety going. The guide explains why, and walks through the core principle the evidence supports instead: approach, not avoidance.
I'm not sure whether my child needs professional help or whether I can support them at home.
The guide gives clear indicators for when professional support is warranted, what treatment actually looks like, and how to find the right provider — including what to ask and what to expect.
My child's anxiety is affecting school and I don't know how to work with their teachers.
There's a dedicated section on supporting an anxious child at school, including what schools can offer, how to prepare for a meeting, and how to handle school refusal.
Inside the guide
What Is Anxiety, Really?
p. 4
Types of Anxiety in Children
p. 6
How Anxiety Shows Up: Signs and Symptoms
p. 8
What Causes Childhood Anxiety?
p. 11
Age-by-Age: What to Expect at Each Stage
p. 14
How to Talk to Your Child About Anxiety
p. 15
Practical Strategies for Home
p. 17
When to Seek Professional Help
p. 21
Supporting Your Anxious Child at School
p. 23
Caring for Yourself as the Parent
p. 25
Common questions
Anxiety becomes a clinical concern when it is persistent, disproportionate to the situation, and interfering with everyday functioning — limiting friendships, sleep, learning, or daily life. The guide explains this distinction using DSM-5 criteria in plain language, and gives you age-specific benchmarks for what is typical at each stage.
Reassurance feels like the right response, but research shows it can inadvertently maintain anxiety by confirming that the feared situation is genuinely threatening. The guide explains why this happens and what to do instead, including how to use a graduated exposure approach that builds real confidence over time.
School refusal is one of the most common ways anxiety presents in children, and it is frequently misread as defiance or laziness. The guide covers how to identify anxiety-driven school avoidance, how to work with the school, and the strategies that the evidence supports for getting a child back into the building without forcing or bribing.
Anxiety has a significant genetic component, and children of anxious parents are more likely to develop anxiety themselves. The guide covers the role of genetics, biology, parenting dynamics, and environment honestly, without blame. It also covers what parents can do to model and support healthy coping regardless of their own anxiety history.
The guide gives you clear indicators: when anxiety is significantly interfering with daily function, when avoidance is expanding, when physical symptoms are frequent, or when nothing you try is making a difference. It also explains what different types of professional treatment look like and how to find the right provider.
Yes. The final section is written specifically for parents, covering how your own anxiety intersects with your child's, how to stay regulated when your child is dysregulated, and why seeking your own support is not optional — it is part of the picture.
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About the research
Every claim in this guide is sourced to a peer-reviewed study or clinical guideline. References are listed in full at the end of the guide.