308. Is it normal anxiety or something more? Understanding the signs and supporting kids through fears with Jennie Monness

Jennie Monness is joining me this week to break down the difference between developmentally normal (and healthy!) anxiety and signs that your child may need additional support—and how you can adjust your parenting approach to effectively support both.

Together we explore:

• Why our instinct to remove discomfort may actually make anxiety worse—and what to do instead.

• How to support children with separation anxiety, and the surprising stressors that often go unnoticed during transitions.

• Utilizing strategies to help your child feel more grounded, like routines, visual schedules, and previewing.

• The difference between information gathering and reassurance seeking behaviors in children - and how knowing this difference can impact which parenting tool you use to best support them.

• Dr. Sarah’s simple “anxiety formula” that helps you know exactly where to focus your support.

• How to get to the root of your child’s fear, when it isn’t so obvious to decode and identify for parents.

• Play therapy techniques and somatic work you can use to explore the fears that are hard for your child to talk about or that they are avoiding outside of playful environments.

Whether your child is anxious about school drop-off, starting something new, or just seems to struggle with big feelings, this conversation will help you feel more empowered to support them—without needing to rescue them from every hard emotion.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MY GUEST:

• https://www.jenniemonness.com/

• https://www.unionsquareplay.com/

• https://charmspring.com/

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

📱 @jenniemonness

📱 @drsarahbren

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:

• Beam : Breathwork + Meditation App

• Hatch Restore 3 light

MORE PODCAST EPISODES YOU MAY LIKE:

🎧 3. The Wonders of Play: More Than Just a Way to Pass the Time with Jennie Monness

🎧 82. Tips for traveling with babies toddlers and children what every parent needs to hear before their family vacation begins with Jennie Monness

🎧 105. How RIE can evolve into lifelong respectful parenting: Growing your parenting approach as your child grows with Janet Lansbury

🎧 202. Regulation, reward systems, and rest: Rewiring the way our kids interact with screens with Alé Duarte

🎧 72. Supportive parenting for anxious childhood emotions space how a new treatment for childhood anxiety and OCD is revolutionizing care with Dr. Eli Lebowitz