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This padlet will serves as a tool for parents to learn more about social anxiety in children. My goal is for parents to see different forms of media ( books, videos, images) that can provide them with a glimpse into what a child with social anxiety or any type  of anxiety  looks like. This is such an important topic that goes unnoticed most of the times and this is the chance to stop that. Children mental health needs to be talked about. Having social anxiety is not just a child "being shy." There is so much more to that and I hope this padlet will help parents understand what it is and how they can help their child.  This padlet can also serve as a forum for parents and families to provide their insight, stories or ask any questions they might have. Let's encourage each other to do better for our children and let them know they are seen and heard. Feel free to explore , comment, like and share your thoughts on what is presented about this topic.

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What is Social Anxiety?

Social Anxiety is an intense and persistent fear of being watched and judged by others. It tends to cause a fear of social situations in which a child will become more reserved or seen as "shy".  This can affect a child's school life and daily activities.

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Social Anxiety is one of the most important topics to me. As a child I have always been seen as the "shy child." I would cry when my parents left me with different or unfamiliar people. I would cry and get nervous if I knew my teacher was absent and was unsure who would be the teacher covering. I hated public speaking. I hated being at parties where I did not know anyone and even being at parties with my own family caused me to feel reserved and want to be alone. As I grew up, I did not "grow out of this phase". I hated presentations in high school and in college. Whenever I had to speak in front of a class, get called on (even if I didn't have my hand raised) or do presentations my anxiety got bad. My face would start feeling hot and my cheeks would be red, I would sweat, I would talk fast and forget things I wanted to say. It is never easy dealing with this. I have been in denial plenty of times but recently I have become more aware of how important it is to confront this and not stray away from it.

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Coming from someone who experiences social anxiety, I have never been able to relate to something more. I am always told that people love me and I am "outgoing" but they don't know that on the inside, I cannot stop worrying and feeling scared that I am not.

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In these next couple of posts, you will see videos describing social anxiety so you can build your background knowledge on it and how to work towards changing the stigma towards social anxiety. Let's move away from the stereotypes that your child is just shy or needs to warm up first. It is more than that!

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Please watch this TedTalk. Marielle Cornes who was a 9th grader in 2018 bravely shared her story regarding how she handled social anxiety. She gives examples of what type of situations were hard for her such as making friends. Marielle even emphasized how hard it was to make a transition to a new school and new state after spending 6 years trying to make friends due to her social anxiety disorder. She ends her talk by advocating for teens who are lonely and struggling with mental illnesses. What surprised you? Are your opinions on social anxiety and mental illness changing?

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Overcoming Social Anxiety | Marielle Cornes | TEDxYouth@MBJH

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"We as humans have the power to make a difference and we should be making a difference in the lives of those suffering from a mental illness" - Marielle Cornes

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AboutKidsHealth - The Hospital for Sick Children

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You are not your thoughts | AboutKidsHealth at The Hospital for Sick Children

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In the next following posts, you will see images of books and small descriptions of them. You will also see some read alouds that I have provided so you can hear the stories being told. These would be great additions to your library. Your child does not need to have social anxiety in order to read these stories. It is always great for children to be exposed to all types of books regarding all types of content to provide them with the knowledge needed if they ever come across someone who might be suffering from social anxiety.

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Have you ever had moments of "what ifs?" Moments where you are worried something will happen before it does or wonderings about what would have happened if you did it a different way. Emily Kilgore takes this topic and creates a story that depicts what a child with anxiety might face. She creates these characters called the "whatifs" who doubt Cora no matter what and causes Cora to be faced with intense fear. Despite the whatifs, Emily concludes her story with a glimpse of Cora finding someone who is seen as her "safe space" and develops this feeling that she can do it and she does.

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The Don't Worry Book by Todd Parr

This is another great book that depicts what might be going through a child's mind when they are dealing with anxiety. Todd parr uses simple language and pictures that are easily attainable for our younger audience as well. Todd includes ways children might get out of this "worry" funk and do things that bring them joy. He also ends the story with telling children to speak to someone they love who can help them. Many times children with anxiety tend to hold it in and bottle it up and might not have a safe place or person to disclose this information with. Children need to know they are able to speak about any issues they are facing without judgment as judgment will lead to more worries and fear of not being or doing what is ideal.

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😟 The Don't Worry Book Read Aloud - Children's Book

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This story is about Camila who likes to hide and worries a lot. Hiding helps her when she begins to worry. This story provides different types of "worries" such as "I can'ts" and the "I'm scared." I think this is such a great way to show children and explain that not all worries are the same. It depicts how a child might feel when other students do not understand what they are feeling inside and get picked on. However, in the end Camila finds another friend who understands what it means to have what ifs and to be afraid. In the end, Camila realizes her "heart is bigger than her fears". I love that phrase!

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The top books on helping kids overcome anxiety and worry for children, teens, and parents.

With everything going on in the world, it's no wonder that many kids and teens are struggling with worry and anxiety - plenty of adults are, too! But while anxiety may be a normal response to many day-to-day stressors, it's important for all of us, including kids, to learn how to manage our worries so that we can feel in control, think clearly, and make healthy choices that suit what we really need, both now and in the future.

Whether or not anxiety is a regular part of your Mighty Girl's life, the books we recommend here will help her understand her feelings and give her strategies to help her stay calm, keep focused, and feel empowered to take on the challenges ahead. We also include a few titles for parents and educators, so that they can support girls as they develop these skills and foster an environment where worries - and techniques to help soothe them - are a manageable part of day-to-day life. Worry will always be with us, but with these resources, kids and parents will feel ready to meet them head-on.

Books About Managing Anxiety and Worry

Cora is constantly plagued with nervous questions - the Whatifs! These sneaky little creatures like to make her worry about everything, from little things - what if my crayon breaks? - to big ones - what if my dog runs away? Backstage before her piano recital, Cora is particularly plagued with Whatif worries. Fortunately, her friend Stella reminds her that not all Whatifs are negative, and by turning her Whatifs around, Cora is able to get out on stage... and even recover when she hits a wrong note. This charming picture book introduces real-life cognitive behavioral therapy techniques in a playful way, perfect to reassure kids that they can thrive even when the Whatifs loom!

Help keep A Mighty Girl growing in the years ahead!

If you discover books or other resources via this post that you would like to purchase, please use the "Buy at Amazon" and other links found on every A Mighty Girl product page. By doing so, at no added cost to you, you help to support the site and allow us to continue providing you with wonderful girl-empowering resources. We appreciate your support!

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When You Worry Too Much: 25 Books to Help Kids Overcome Anxiety, Worry, and Fear

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The top books on helping kids overcome anxiety and worry for children, teens, and parents.

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Feel free to add what ideas you have regarding how can we help our children who may be struggling with social anxiety or any type of anxiety that have gone unnoticed.

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Provide your child with encouragement. Practice looking in the mirror and encouraging your child to think of the positive things they can see or that they love about themselves. Do positive affirmations together.

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Practicing this everyday can allow the child to learn ways to cope when their anxiety tends to get bad and provides positive outcomes.

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Breathe Mtv GIF by INTO ACTION - Find & Share on GIPHY

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Discover & share this INTO ACTION GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.

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Encourage your child to name their feelings. It helps when children are able to describe how they are feeling and putting a name to it. If they do not know what they are feeling, that is okay too. I love how this song has such great visuals because that will peak children interest as well. Children will be willing to listen and maybe follow through with that the song says which is spotting their feelings and naming it.

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Kids Feelings and Emotions SONG Animation with A Little SPOT