Help an Anxious Child

My child is dealing with anxiety and I'm struggling to know how to help without making it worse.

Child's age: [AGE]
How the anxiety shows up: [e.g. school refusal / meltdowns before social events / separation anxiety / physical symptoms / worrying about everything]
How long this has been going on: [TIME]
What I currently do when they're anxious: [DESCRIBE your response]
Have they seen anyone professionally: [YES / NO / on a waiting list]

Give me an anxiety support guide:
1. **Why my current response might be maintaining the anxiety** — the reassurance trap
2. **What actually reduces anxiety vs what reinforces it** — evidence-based approaches
3. **In-the-moment toolkit** — what to say and do when they're anxious right now
4. **Longer-term strategies** — building resilience week by week
5. **School support** — how to talk to their teachers and what reasonable adjustments look like
6. **When to push for professional help** — signs this is beyond what parenting changes can fix

My child is dealing with anxiety and I'm struggling to know how to help without making it worse.

Child's age: [AGE]
How the anxiety shows up: [e.g. school refusal / meltdowns before social events / separation anxiety / physical symptoms / worrying about everything]
How long this has been going on: [TIME]
What I currently do when they're anxious: [DESCRIBE your response]
Have they seen anyone professionally: [YES / NO / on a waiting list]

Give me an anxiety support guide:
1. **Why my current response might be maintaining the anxiety** — the reassurance trap
2. **What actually reduces anxiety vs what reinforces it** — evidence-based approaches
3. **In-the-moment toolkit** — what to say and do when they're anxious right now
4. **Longer-term strategies** — building resilience week by week
5. **School support** — how to talk to their teachers and what reasonable adjustments look like
6. **When to push for professional help** — signs this is beyond what parenting changes can fix