According to the Highly Sensitive Refuge Website, highly sensitive people (HSP) make up more than thirty percent of the population. These adults and adolescents are more aware of subtleties and process information deeply. This means they tend to be creative and insightful, but it also means they’re more prone than others to stress and overwhelm.
This invaluable website went on to explain that being an HSP isn’t a bad thing. Like any personality trait, it comes with challenges but also many strengths.
As the parent of two highly sensitive and anxious kids, helping them understand that they are not alone, broken, or inferior was huge in helping them navigate life. Both are now young adults and have thankfully gained the skill of knowing what to do (most of the time) when their anxiety and worry ratchet up about ten notches.
But younger age groups are still learning and struggling with how to cope in a big and noisy world. The following are some books, old and new, that will help your young reader know their strengths and find confidence in being who they are. Enjoy!
The Nervous Noodle: Social Anxiety, Fitting In, And Standing Out (Growing Pains Of The Grains)
Is your child nervous about their first day of school? Or may it be difficult to be in new groups?
Join Nervous Noodle on a wild ride as he faces his worst fears on his first day of school in “The Nervous Noodle,” the perfect story for young children experiencing social anxiety.
Through Nervous Noodle’s journey, children will learn valuable lessons about dealing with self-doubt and overcoming their fears, ultimately allowing them to remain calm and ease any stress they may be feeling.
This multi-award-winning heartwarming story is the first book in the “Growing Pains Of The Grains” series, a must-have addition to any child’s bookshelf.
Don’t let social anxiety hold your child back. Today, grab a copy of “The Nervous Noodle” and learn how to conquer those first-day jitters!
I Am Stronger Than Anxiety: Children’s Book about Overcoming Worries, Stress and Fear (World of Kids Emotions) by Elizabeth Cole
All children worry from time to time, which is a normal part of growing up. But, when anxiety becomes overwhelming, it can significantly affect kids’ behavior. It may lead to a feeling of stress, exhaustion, isolation, and many others. It is essential to be aware of these emotions and to know how to deal with them healthily.
This activity book captures children’s attention, provides kid-friendly entry points into understanding the essence of the feeling of anxiety, and is a perfect tool for educating them about overcoming worries, fear, and phobias.
What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety
Clinical psychologist Dawn Huebner, Ph.D, created this book that became a Gold NAPPA (National Parenting Publications Awards)winner. What to Do When You Worry Too Much guides children and parents through the cognitive-behavioral techniques most often used in the treatment of anxiety.
Did you know that worries are like tomatoes? No, you can’t eat them, but you can make them grow, simply by paying attention to them. If your worries have grown so big that they bother you almost every day, this book is for you.
Put Your Worries Away (Kids Can Cope Series) by Gill Hasson
A gentle and supportive guide to help children cope with worry and anxiety. All children worry sometimes, and they often need help learning how to deal with anxiety. In this encouraging picture book, readers discover ways to help themselves when anxious, nervous, or fearful. Strategies for how to calm down and cope with worries are clearly explained, from breathing exercises and playing with friends to seeking help from an adult.
Accompanying the text are gentle illustrations featuring diverse children in various situations. Readers will enjoy seeing kids their own age working to overcome challenges and deal with nervousness, worry, and other complicated feelings healthily.
A Little SPOT of Anxiety: A Story About Calming Your Worries (Inspire to Create A Better You!) by Diane Alber (Author, Illustrator)
Anxiety comes from feelings of being worried, scared, or anxious. When these feelings are in small amounts, that’s okay because they are there to help protect us, but when they get TOO BIG, they become overwhelming and need to be managed. When a child experiences anxiety, it can prevent them from doing what he/she wants and and/or needs to do, which can make anxiety a disability.
This story addresses how anxiety can affect all ages and how it can show up in all different situations. The Gray SPOT in the story creates a visual representation of Anxiety so that a child can see when it gets too big and how to shrink it back to a Green PEACEFUL SPOT.
It offers creative strategies for children to help cope with anxiety as well.
From the tip of my finger to the center of my palm,
I can do this! I can be calm!
This worry grew too big, and could not stay,
take a deep breath, and blow it away!
This book aims to give children the tools needed to identify what emotion they are feeling and how to manage that emotion properly.
Mindfulness for Kids: 30 Fun Activities to Stay Calm, Happy, and In Control by Carole P. Roman
Mindfulness for Kids offers fun activities for kids ages 6-12 to stay cool, happy, and present with mindfulness.
Homework horrors, chores, and not-so-friendly friends are enough to hurt any kid’s brain. Mindfulness for Kids applies mindfulness exercises to stories and real-life scenarios that kids go through at home, school, and with friends. Shared through the voices of five children: Jasmine, Willow, Kayli, Colby, and Zeke, Mindfulness for Kids is an engaging, kid-friendly guide for handling challenging situations and powerful emotions mindfully.
Mindfulness 101 teaches kids what mindfulness is and how they can be mindful of their emotions and senses with relatable, real-life scenarios that kids encounter at home, school, and with friends.
This book also includes 30 Fun exercises that show kids how tricks like a gratitude list, “counting to calm”, and even yoga poses can help them relax and feel better from not-so-nice feelings.
Mindfulness is a superpower we all have but don’t know how to use. In this book, kids will learn how to use this power to feel good about themselves and the world around them through activities and stories told by kids, for kids.
The Kissing Hand (The Kissing Hand Series) by Audrey Penn
The first day of school jitters is one of the many anxiety-inducing triggers in kids (and moms!), but separation anxiety can strike at any time. Thankfully, stories like The Kissing Hand are a fun, sweet, and memorable spin on calming a child’s fears of being away from mom. “School starts in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go.
To help ease Chester’s fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to reassure him of her love whenever his world feels a little scary. Since its first publication in 1993, this heartwarming book has become a children’s classic that has touched the lives of millions of children and their parents, especially during separation, whether starting school, entering daycare, or going to camp. Kindergarten teachers widely use it on the first day of school. Stickers at the back will help children and their parents keep their Kissing Hand alive.”
One More Thing
Did you know that Dragons are the masters of disguises?
Did you know that Dragons LOVE to tell riddles?
Did you know that Dragons LOVE to READ?
Dragons are REAL! This may make you roll your eyes with disbelief. But it’s TRUE!
Dragons Are Real by Valarie Budayr is a “fairly true” story based on a childhood friendship with a very special Dragon that the author and her brother spent two magical summers enjoying.
“Whimsical ideas & bright colors that transport kids to a fantasy land.”
“This is a book for children to keep, to linger over and treasure, not only for the amazing images but because the detail within each page keeps the reader there.”
You can learn more about this magical picture book for young readers HERE or you can grab your copy on Amazon today.
