Children’s Books for Anxiety and Separation
Anxiety in children can be a source of stress for parents. But the more we learn about it and how to cope with it, the better we can help our children. There are many great children’s books that teach how to manage anxiety and separation. Here are my favorite picks for ages 3-8.
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Related: Books That Teach Children About Feelings
Table of Contents
Picture Books for Anxiety
Here are three books that teach three different techniques to relieve anxiety:
- the Magic Finger Countdown,
- looking at worries in terms of what can be controlled and what cannot,
- and conscious breathing with visualization.
Scaredies Away, by Stacy Fiorile and Barry McDonagh
Scaredies Away is the story of a little boy, Jack, who is scared of many things and is terrified of going on the roller coaster. His older cousin tells him that he used to be afraid of surfing big waves. But a surf pro taught him a calm-down technique to help him overcome his fear.
This book teaches children the “Magic Finger Countdown” technique, which is proven to help with panic and anxiety. It is a little wordy, but my kids enjoyed it and asked me to read it again and again.
In the back of the book, there is information on the science behind the Magic Finger Countdown, tips for implementing the MFC successfully, and a free bonus audio for the book.
Wilma Jean the Worry Machine, by Julia Cook
Wilma Jean the Worry Machine is a funny book that my kids enjoy a lot! It makes them laugh, and they also learn how to control their anxiety.
Wilma Jean is a little girl who is constantly tormented by “what ifs”. She is worried that she won’t do well on her spelling test, that she might finish last, that she won’t know how to solve the math problem if she is asked to go up to the board, and so on. Her mother is beginning to worry too.
Wilma’s teacher helps her to separate her worries into ones she can control and ones she can’t control. Then together they begin to look for strategies to help Wilma with the worries that can be controlled. For the rest, Wilma learns to put them all in a hat that will hold them for her.
At the end of the book, there are tips for parents for dealing with an anxious child.
When Worry Takes Hold, by Liz Haske
In the book When Worry Takes Hold, Maya is a little girl who worries. And the more she worries, the bigger her Worry grows. Worry is represented as a big, tangled cloud above her head. Maya asks her mom if she will walk her to class, and what time she will pick her up, she worries about getting lost when her dad drives the car.
But one day Maya learns a calming breath that brings on Courage.
My favorite page in the book is when Maya faces her Worry and greets it, without trying to push it away. Maya knows that Worry never goes away for good and that it is there to make sure she is safe. But she learns to bring on Courage in order to feel lighter and to be able to enjoy everyday activities.
Children’s Books to Help With Separation Anxiety
Here are two books that I love. They assure the child of the parents’ never-ending love to hold them as they try to find their courage away from their parents.
The Invisible String, by Patrice Karst
The Invisible String is about two children who are scared by the thundering storm and come to seek their mother for comfort. Their mother tells them that she is always with them. They are “connected by a very special String made of love.” It is a beautiful image that my kids have drawn on multiple times when worried. “Even though you can’t see it with your eyes, you can feel it with your heart and know that you are always connected to everyone you love.”
Then children, of course, test their mother by asking her how far the String could reach: deep under the ocean, on top of a mountain, all the way to the jungle, or out in space. The mother assures her children that the String will keep them connected and that it never goes away, even when she gets mad at them, and even when the children fight.
The children go back to bed and dream about all the strings that connect them to all the people that love them, near, and far. They realize they are never alone.
This book helped my kids at the beginning of the school year when it was hard for them to go and be on their own for many hours. At the same time, it is a good book to use to remind children they have many people who love and appreciate them, especially when they have friendship struggles.
The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn
This is such a classic book! I am sure most of you are familiar with it. If not, it is a good addition to your home library.
In The Kissing Hand, Chester Raccoon starts school and is very nervous about leaving his mother. He just doesn’t want to go. His mother teaches him that we all have to do things we don’t want to do sometimes. Then she tells him an old secret, the Kissing Hand. She kisses the little raccoon’s hand and he feels “his mother’s kiss rush from his hand, up his arm, and into his heart.” This is a beautiful image that can be used with children to visualize. The mother tells her little one that, whenever he feels lonely and needs some loving from home, he should press his hand on his cheek and think, “Mommy loves you.”
There are heart-shaped stickers in the book that you can put on your child’s hand, but they don’t stick. I asked my kids if they wanted me to draw a little heart on their hand to remind them that my love will be with them all day in school. But they preferred to imagine the kiss on their hand instead.
This is a very emotional book. In the end, Chester finds the courage to go to school. Before he leaves, he gives his mother a kiss on her hand. The mother watches him scamper away and is filled with emotion. She presses her hand against her cheek and tells herself “Chester loves you.” (Sob!)
Final Thoughts
It is hard being small in a big world. Our children worry a lot about things they do not understand or have no control over. Sometimes these worries get so big that they hinder their participation in daily activities. We can help our children by reassuring them of our love and by teaching them strategies to clear their minds and find courage. You will find these children’s books to be wonderful resources for dealing with anxiety and separation.
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