CHAPTER
1 What Is School Anxiety?
anxiety is a normal aspect of being humanpositive
and negative effects on mental and physical
functioningdefinition of school anxiety
and discussion of symptomscauses and effects of
school anxietyshort- and long-term effects
of school anxiety
CHAPTER 2 Anxiety
Is a Mind-Body Experience
examination of stress and children's
reaction to stressphysiological effects
of anxietydiscussion of the nervous
systemfight-or-flight and relaxation
responsesmatching physical, mental, and emotional
anxiety symptoms to physiological changesreasons
for chronic anxietydevelopment of an anxiety
disorderguidelines for professional helplist
of common anxiety disordersways to help children
deal with stress
CHAPTER 3 Help!
My Child Won't Go to School
causes and effects of school refusaldiscussion
of why leaving home can be difficultchildhood
fears of parents dying while child is at schoolchildhood
worries about not "fitting in"definition
of separation anxiety disorder (SAD) and
its symptomsguidelines for preventing and
easing the anxiety of school refusalexercises,
techniques, and parental guidelines
CHAPTER 4 My
Child Can't Stop Worrying
sources of
childhood worry (testing, homework assignments,
teachers, socializing)explanation of chronic
worry and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)effects
of worry on school performancetips to help
children stop worryingexercises, techniques,
and parental guidelines
CHAPTER 5 My
Child Panics and Avoids Situations
definition of panic disorders and
symptomscauses and effects of panicdiscussion
of agoraphobia and its effect on attending
schooltips on helping children cope
with panicexercises and examples
CHAPTER 6 My
Child Fears People, Places, and Things
definitions of social phobia and simple
phobia and explanation of childhood symptomscauses
of phobiasexamination of phobia's effects
on school experienceinformation on types of
professional treatmentexercises and techniques
to help stop phobiastips for creating a systematic
desensitization programguidelines for helping
children cope with phobias
CHAPTER 7 My
Child Has Homework Anxiety
guidelines if child dreads homeworkhow
to ease homework anxietycreating a comfortable
homework spacebreaking down the homework loadanswers
to common questions for parents of a school-anxious
childexercises and techniques for conquering
homework anxietytips for making learning exciting
for children
CHAPTER 8 My
Child Has Test Anxiety
definition of test anxiety and discussion of its
symptomshow test anxiety builds
upexplanation of physical, mental, and emotional
effects of pretest anxietysymptoms of test anxietyexercises,
test-taking techniques, and parental guidelines
CHAPTER 9 My Child
Is a Perfectionist
definition of perfectionismcharacteristics
and causes of perfectionismlink between perfectionism
and anxietyguidelines to help children become
less rigid in their thinking and ease the anxiety
associated with perfectionismexercises and techniques
include learning how to relax, "letting
go," and practicing making mistakes
CHAPTER 10 Building
Your Child's Self-Esteem
definition of self-esteem and self-worthcauses
of low self-esteemnegative self-talkguidelines
to build up a child's self-esteemeasy
projects and exercises for parents and children
to work on togethertips on how to use a child's
strengths to build self-esteem
CHAPTER 11 My Child
Is Being Bullied
definition of bullyingdifferences
between girl and boy bullieslink between
bullying and school anxietyhow to
help children cope with bullieswhen
to step in to help your child and
when to contact the schoolwhat to
do if your child is the bullyexercises
to help children take control of the
bullying situationhow to help your
school enact an antibullying program
CHAPTER 12 Parental
and Family Conflict and Issues
types of family conflict that create
anxiety and lead to school anxietyunique
ways children handle family conflictsymptoms
of family conflict such as anxiety,
behavior problems, and poor gradesguidelines
to help a child deal with divorce,
death of a parent, and moving to a
new home and school
CHAPTER 13 My Child
Has Learning, Physical, or Emotional Challenges
physical and learning challenges
that make the school experience difficultlink
between learning challenges, physical
challenges, and anxietyinformation on
how to prepare children for the school
environment academically and emotionallytips
and exercises to teach children how to
cope and thrive at school
CHAPTER 14 Learn
to Breathe to Feel at Ease
breathing and anxietyexplanation of
belly breathing (diaphragmatic breathing)
and its positive effect on the relaxation
responsephysical, mental, and emotional
effects of belly breathinghow belly
breathing can stop school anxietyguidelines
and instructions for practicing belly breathinghow
to use belly breathing in stressful school
situations
CHAPTER 15 "Be Present" for
School Success
how to live in the momenthow being
in the moment can reduce school anxiety
for test taking, homework, or speaking
up in classguidelines for practicing
living in the momentinstructions for
teaching children to live in the momentexercises
for a variety of school situations
CHAPTER 16 Learning
to Let Go and Flow
teaching your child to face fears to reduce
anxietydescription of the white-knuckle response
and how it increases your child's school anxietyinstructions
on helping your child ride out anxiety when
it surfaces in schoolhow to help your child
to "loosen and float" at
schoolguidelines
for loosening anxiety's grip on your child's
mindexercises for facing fears and letting
them go
CHAPTER 17 Eat Right
to Feel Right
link between nutrition and increased
or decreased anxietyeffects on school
performance of a child's diet that is
high in processed and fatty foodshow
vitamin and mineral deficiencies cause
anxietyguidelines for choosing a diet
to help prevent and ease anxietytypes of
professional help available for parentssuggestions
for helping your school change its lunch menus
and snacksstudies showing how diet can help
decrease anxiety and behavioral problems
CHAPTER 18 Getting
Physical with Your Child
how exercise reduces anxietywhy exercise
has a positive effect on anxiety and anxiety
disordersdescription of kinds of exercises paired
with developmental stagesguidelines for beginning
an exercise program for your child, yourself,
and even your whole family
CHAPTER 19 What
Are Traditional Medical Treatments for
Children?
discussion of traditional medical treatments
such as medication and numerous psychotherapiesuse
of antidepressants in childrenwhat happens
in a psychotherapist's or psychiatrist's officetypes
of mental health practitioners who practice
therapykinds of therapy available for childrendiscussion
of the downside of psychotropic medications
for children
CHAPTER 20 What
Are Alternative Treatments for Children?
description of complementary and alternative medicine
(CAM)discussion
of yoga, herbs, and acupuncturepractitioners
of CAM such as holistic medical physicians
and alternative practitioners
