ARC Review: Why Do I Feel So Worried? by Tammi Kirkness

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Publication Date: March 22, 2022

Synopsis:

An interactive way to calm kids’ anxiety and promote better mental health with simple illustrated activities
 
Children need mental health days, too. There are lots of stressors in today’s world, from the global pandemic, to economic recession, to global warming, and kids aren’t exempt from the effects that these issues have on our minds and emotions. What’s worse, letting worry and stress get out of hand can turn short-term feelings into long-term states of mind like anxiety and depression. We all need help tackling these issues, but a lot of the time, we just don’t know where to start.
 
Why Do I Feel So Worried? is an interactive book for children ages seven to twelve (and their parents/caretakers) to help them kick anxiety to the curb and create a common language to help both generations understand feelings together. Incorporating evidence-based methods like breathing techniques, visualization, and pattern interruption, Tammi Kirkness helps bring calm into stressful times. This book abounds with illustrations, games, and exercises to empower kids to take control of their emotions, and to teach parents the importance of facing mental challenges head-on.
 
From yoga to psychology, Kirkness educates children on mental health and teaches parents how to set an example for their kids and raise a more mindful generation. Through mutual healing, both parents and children can use this book to acknowledge and conquer their longstanding fears.

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This is an excellent guide to helping your kid work through some worries. My kid worries – a LOT – and I will definitely be reading this with them. I can definitely see how some of the exercises could really help them.

The information is presented in a clear, easy-to-understand, and visually appealing way. It is easy to work through the entire book or just the section that is relevant to the child’s current worry. There are incisive questions to ask the child and exercises (meditation, etc) to help deal with each specific type of worry.

*Thanks to NetGalley and The Experiment for providing an e-arc for review.