Children are supported to recognise fear and worry as experiences they can understand, talk about and gradually learn to manage. The workbook is written directly for kids, with a reassuring welcome that explains why some children miss out on enjoyable things because of worry, and how practising new skills with their parents can help them feel more confident over time.
The early pages introduce anxiety as a natural emotion linked with worries, shyness, fear and feeling scared. A simple smoke-in-the-house example shows how danger can trigger thoughts, body reactions and actions, helping children see why anxiety can be useful in real danger but unhelpful when the threat is not real, such as mistaking a noise outside for a burglar.
A clear framework explains the three parts of anxiety: the body, thoughts and actions. Children are shown that anxiety can involve a fast heartbeat, tense muscles, quick breathing, scary thoughts about something bad happening, and urges to run away, lash out or avoid situations that might otherwise be fun. This makes it useful for CBT-style anxiety work with children who need concrete, visual explanations.
Parents are given guidance on using the workbook alongside the companion parent book, with an emphasis on reading together, discussing worries, and completing activities over several months. It is especially suited to parents and carers of anxious children, as well as child psychologists, counsellors, family support workers and school wellbeing staff who want printable anxiety worksheets for use at home, in practice sessions or in therapeutic work.
The tone is warm and normalising, including a short So Why Me? section that explains how some children experience more anxiety than others and that anxiety can be changed by learning and applying new skills. The workbook is by Heidi Lyneham, Ann Wignall and Ronald Rapee, with the parent guide authors also referenced in the introductory instructions.
