Helping Kids Feel Safe in a Scary World

​There are plenty of tips and tricks to handle anxiety, but the best ones involve human connection.  Take time to cuddle, talk, and play.  Turn off the television and all of its bad news.  Turn off the cell phone with all of its constant interruptions.   We can’t change the world, but we can help each other feel safe right at home.

• Read a book together
• Play a card or board game
• If you have girls, play Beauty Shop
• If you have boys, teach them to “shave” with a spoon
• Bake
• Sing
• Dance
• Draw on his/her back and let him/her guess what it is
• Play the “Guess What I Am” game
• Color
• Make a silly story, each person adds a sentence on each turn
• Manage your own anxiety
• Use effective parenting strategies for difficult behaviors 

Whatever it is, just take time to just be fully present.  Kids internalize safety.  So, time spent connecting with each other will help them feel more confident when they are away from you at school or day care.

​Photo credit: Getty Images

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