As a therapist who adores working with children, I’ve witnessed how worry can consume young minds in ways that break your heart. Children’s imaginations, which bring such joy and creativity, can also become breeding grounds for fears that feel insurmountable to their developing brains.
How Worry Shows Up in Kids
Unlike adults who might verbalize their concerns, children often express worry through behavior—stomachaches before school, difficulty sleeping, clinginess, or sudden outbursts. Their worry can feel as relentless as Wilma Jean’s in “Wilma Jean the Worry Machine,” where anxious thoughts spin and multiply until they consume everything.
The Unique Challenge of Childhood Worry
Children lack the cognitive tools to evaluate whether their fears are realistic. A worry about monsters under the bed feels as valid and terrifying as an adult’s concern about job security. Their developing prefrontal cortex can’t yet effectively regulate the emotional responses generated by their highly active amygdala.
The Power of Validation and Tools
Just like Wilma Jean needed strategies to manage her worry machine, children benefit from concrete tools—deep breathing exercises, worry time limits, or physical activities that help discharge anxious energy. Most importantly, they need adults who take their concerns seriously without dismissing them as “silly” or “just imagination.”
Hope for Worried Hearts
With patience, understanding, and appropriate support, children can learn to befriend their worries rather than be overwhelmed by them. Teaching kids that worry is a normal human emotion—but one they can learn to manage—gives them lifelong skills for emotional resilience.
Remember: behind every worried child is a heart that cares deeply about their world.
Salt + Cedar Collective 