Our Favorite Books Parents Can Enjoy with Their Kids at Home
Our anxiety therapists at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis are a wealth of knowledge! They have so many resources and ideas that they love to use when working with kids in our office and during online therapy sessions.
Today we wanted to share some of their favorite books for kids with anxiety that you can share with your child at home. And if you would like to hear more about all of the help that our therapists can offer you as a St. Louis child therapist or parent coach, please reach out and schedule a free consultation call to learn more!
Molly Shaffer, MA, LPC
Molly Shaffer, MA, LPC
Child & Teen Therapist, Trauma Specialist and Parent Coach
I love the book Hey Warrior. This is a great book for littles and families that explores anxiety and its physical symptoms, where they come from, and why it happens. It helps to normalize the experience of anxiety and can lead to some good conversations for families.
You can then create some art together by creating your own anxiety warrior and naming it. It can give kids a way to name and be more aware of their anxiety and reactions when it is happening.
Rachel Simons, MSW, LMSW
Rachel Simons, MSW, LMSW
Child Therapist, Play Therapist in Training
I have really enjoyed the book "The Feelings Ninja". The book is a great first step to help young kids understand and express emotions in a healthy way. It has fun and colorful illustrations, centers the story on a ninja who learns to handle different feelings, and it promotes emotional intelligence and self-regulation. I think the book is especially helpful for young boys who love characters like ninjas!
Samantha Ferrara, MSW, LCSW
Samantha Ferrara, MSW, LCSW
Teen & Child Therapist, RO-DBT Level 1, Parent Coach
I really enjoy the book "The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes" by Gary Rubienstien and Mark Pett. It talks about a girl who has always done things perfectly throughout her life, acknowledging the praise she has received from adults due to her lack of mistakes. Throughout the book, the main character makes a mistake during a talent show, giving parents and kids an opportunity to talk about feelings that may arise for the character (was she embarrassed because the mistake happened in front of so many people? Worried she would get in trouble or that people would look at her differently?).
I love this book because it helps normalize the kids' experience of being fearful of making mistakes, while allowing the parent to talk about mistakes they have made in the past (kid appropriate of course!). There is also room to talk about how the worry, embarrassment, etc. makes the consequence of the mistake seem much more bigger/scarier than it actually might be.
Learn More About Support at Home with Parent Coaching
When you have a child who is struggling with anxiety and big feelings, you can often feel at a loss. Child therapy makes a big impact on kids - and parents need support, too, which is why we offer Therapeutic Parent Coaching at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis.
Curious to learn more about parent coaching and therapy for child anxiety and anxiety-driven anger? Reach out to us at hello@compassionatecounselingstl.com. As child anxiety experts, we love working with kids, teens, college students and parents to help manage their anxiety, stress, and anger. Compassionate Counseling St. Louis is located in Clayton, MO and works with families by offering both in-person counseling and online therapy throughout St. Louis, Creve Couer, Ballwin, Town and Country, Brentwood, and Ladue. We also provide online therapy Missouri -wide to teens and college students. You can set up your first free consult on this website, on our consultation page.