Helping Children Deal With Anxiety
If the start of the new school year (or any other situation) causes your child anxiety, Caris Snider’s new picture book, There’s an Elephant on My Chest, might be a helpful resource for you. I caught up with Caris and asked about her story.
What inspired you to write There’s an Elephant on My Chest? I wrote the book because I wanted to provide a resource for families, teachers, counselors, and children to learn how to respond to that heavy weight of anxiety and stress. Anxiety feels scary as an adult so imagine how it feels for a 4–8-year-old still learning to describe what’s going on inside their bodies. I wanted to show children that anxiety is normal and there are healthy ways to respond to it to relieve the pressure they might be experiencing.
What does the title mean? I started out as a speaker before I became an author. When I share my story of overcoming anxiety and depression, I always describe my anxiety attacks as a heavy weight, like an elephant on your chest jumping up and down. I knew this title would be the perfect visual for readers.
What is your favorite quote from the book? There is a scene where the main character, Allie, is trying to stop her friends from seeing her. She’s embarrassed about the elephant. When the friends come running in, I love when one says, “Don’t worry, sometimes I have an elephant too.” This helps normalize the feeling of anxiety and lets our kids know it isn’t just them, so they don’t have to hide it.
What do you hope readers will take away from There’s an Elephant on My Chest? I hope readers gain a better understanding of how to respond to anxiety and stress. I hope children see they aren’t the only ones who might experience anxiety in situations like going back to school, going to the dentist, moving, etc. I hope parents feel more equipped to respond to their children and have a better understanding of symptoms their children might be experiencing. I hope teachers can add this book into their curriculum as another resource to teach students a healthy way to deal with their emotions.
You can find Caris:
Instagram and Facebook: @carissnider
Website: www.carissnider.com
And buy her book on her website, or:
Thank you for sharing about your book, Caris! I know you also have resource to help parents and teenagers deal with anxiety, all in the “elephant” family. Those books can also be found at the same places listed above. And readers, be sure to sign up to receive updates of each new post on our Christian Children’s Authors blog. Follow us for new book news, free resources, parenting tips, and encouragement.
– Lori Z. Scott IG: @Stories.by.Lori
#christianbooksforkids #christianchildrensbook #christianchildrensbooks #christianhomeschool #emotionallearning