If your child has an irrational fear or phobia and (this is key) they would like to work through it, consider some of these gifts! These gift ideas are focused in on fears in medical setting as well as general anxiety.
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For a fear of needles, doctors, or dentists
Sometimes the best way to face a fear is through play and creativity so that you can safely approach the situation and laugh in it’s presence. A doctor’s kit can be a great tool for this.
Remember: your child has to want to overcome their fear for this to work! Don’t sneak this up on them. If you would like for it to be a surprise, consider buying the kit and giving them a picture of it so that they can decide when they are ready to interact with the kit itself.
This kit is set up for doctors in general while this kit is specifically focused on dentistry.
For general anxiety and fear
If you have seen my resources page, you know I love books! Here are a selection that I found that focus on fear, anxiety, and phobias. The books are ordered from full picture book to fully interactive workbook.
Everyone feels anxious sometimes by Dr. Daniela Owen
The best way to start working on a fear is to give it a name and understand what makes all of us feel anxious or fearful at times. This book is written by a psychologist, goes through many types of fears and how they can manifest, and talks about what you can do when you feel a big fear (and the illustrations are beautiful!)
How to tame my anxiety monster by Melanie Hawkins
I love the interactive nature of this book and that it incorporates art: you get a space to draw your own anxiety monster! It would be a great fit for the child who understands what anxiety is and needs a way to create space between themselves and the feeling that they are experiencing. This would not be a good fit for kids who are in a “scary monsters everywhere” phase.
Anxiety relief book for kids by Ehrin Weiss PhD
Where the first book was a beautiful picture book and the second had some interaction, this is a full workbook with narrative, resources, and activities to help understand and work through anxiety and fears. This book would be a good fit for kids that enjoy reading as there are some “for kids” sections that they may want to read on thier own.
Fear and behavior
Whether your child engages in meltdowns at the thought of encountering their fear or is paralyzed and freezes, phobias and irrational fears have a lot of behavioral components. If your child is ready to make a change, schedule a Discovery Call to talk about how we can help.