HOW TO HELP A CHILD WHO WORRIES A LOT
Seeing your child anxious or fearful can be heartbreaking. Many parents quietly search for answers, wondering how to help a child who worries a lot without making the problem worse. When children cling to comfort objects, ask repeated reassurance questions, or struggle to relax, it is often a sign that their nervous system feels overwhelmed rather than that something is “wrong.”
Worry is actually the brain’s attempt to protect us. In children, however, those protective signals can become loud and confusing because they are still learning how to understand their feelings and the world around them.
The encouraging news is that there are gentle, effective ways to help children develop a sense of inner safety and calm.
Why Some Children Worry More Than Others
So how to help a child who worries a lot? – Sometimes you will notice that children are naturally more sensitive or thoughtful. They may notice changes in routines, pick up on adult emotions, or imagine worst-case scenarios more easily. Life transitions such as starting school, friendship challenges, illness in the family, or separation from parents can also increase anxiety.
Importantly, worry does not mean weakness. Many deeply empathetic and intelligent children experience anxiety at some stage.
How to Help a Child Who Worries a Lot
There are several supportive strategies that can make a meaningful difference:
1. Validate Feelings First
Instead of saying “don’t worry,” try acknowledging the emotion:
“I can see this feels scary for you.”
Feeling understood reduces anxiety more than immediate reassurance.
2. Offer Predictability and Routine
Consistent routines help children feel safe because they reduce uncertainty. Knowing what will happen next builds confidence.
3. Teach Simple Calming Skills.
Gentle breathing, cuddling a favourite toy, quiet time, or sensory comfort can help regulate a child’s nervous system.
4. Encourage Small Steps of Courage.
Confidence grows when children experience manageable success. Celebrate effort rather than perfection.
5. Use Stories to Explore Feelings.
Stories allow children to see their emotions reflected safely in characters. This helps them process fears without feeling alone or overwhelmed.
How Stories Help Children Feel Safe Inside.
How to help a child who worries a lot – Books can be powerful emotional tools. When a child connects with a character who experiences worry and learns coping skills, they begin to internalise those same possibilities for themselves.
One gentle story that supports this process is Murphy Helps with Worries: Learning to Feel Safe and Calm Inside. In the story, Murphy experiences anxious feelings but gradually learns that calm can grow from within and that worries do not last forever. The reassuring message helps children feel understood, comforted, and hopeful.
You can explore the book here:
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Building Inner Safety Over Time.
The goal is not to remove every worry from a child’s life. Instead, we help them develop resilience — the belief that they can cope with difficult feelings and that support is available when they need it.
Children who learn emotional regulation skills early often grow into more confident teenagers and adults with stronger self-belief.
Patience, warmth, and connection are the most powerful tools parents have.
When to Seek Extra Support.
Sometimes children’s worries become intense or begin to interfere with daily life, such as sleep difficulties, school refusal, frequent stomach aches, or avoiding normal activities. In these situations, additional support from a trusted adult, teacher, or child therapist can be helpful. Early support does not mean something is seriously wrong — it simply gives children extra tools to understand their emotions and feel more secure. With the right reassurance and guidance, most children learn that worries can be managed and that calm is something they can return to again and again.
FREE RESOURCE FOR YOUR CHILD
To support calm moments together, you can also download a free Murphy colouring page. Colouring encourages relaxation and creates a gentle opportunity to talk about feelings naturally.
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COLOURING PAGE HERE
If your child worries frequently, remember: with understand and reassurance, children can learn that calm is something they carry inside them wherever they go.
MURPHY HELPS CHILDREN WITH BIG FEELINGS – BOOKS FOR ANXIOUS & SENSITIVE CHILDREN.
