11/18/2025
When Your Child Is Anxious, the Whole Family Feels It
If you’re parenting a child with anxiety, you may already know how quickly daily routines can become stressful. Bedtime becomes a negotiation. School mornings feel like a ticking clock. Your child may need constant reassurance, or avoidance has become the only way everyone can get through the day.
You love your child. You want to protect them. And so you do what most caring parents do—you step in, help, soothe, reassure, stay close, or adapt the family routine to keep your child calm.
These accommodations make sense in the moment. They bring relief.�But over time, they can unintentionally strengthen anxiety and leave you feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to help.
You are not alone. And there is a proven, parent-led way forward.
A New Way of Helping: The Yale-Developed SPACE Program
SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) is an evidence-based intervention developed at Yale University specifically for parents of anxious children and teens. As a clinical psychologist trained in SPACE, I’ve seen how powerful this approach can be for families who feel stuck, scared, or exhausted.
SPACE doesn’t ask your child to change first.�It empowers you, the parent, with tools that gently shift family patterns and help anxiety loosen its grip.
This work is not about removing love or warmth—it’s about helping you show support in a way that builds your child’s bravery and resilience rather than fueling their anxiety.
Why Anxiety Creates So Much Conflict
Anxiety often whispers to parents:
• “If you don’t help right away, they’ll panic.”
• “If you don’t avoid this situation, they’ll fall apart.”
• “If you don’t reassure them, they’ll never calm down.”
So you step in. It’s natural.�But the brain learns from repetition—and anxiety learns quickly.
Avoiding the anxiety trigger or relying on parental rescue teaches the anxious brain:�“This fear is dangerous. I can’t handle it. I need someone else to make it safe.”
No wonder the accommodations grow, and the anxiety grows with them.
How Parents Often Feel (And Why It Makes Sense)
Parents come to me saying:
• “I don’t want to trigger a meltdown.”
• “I feel guilty setting boundaries.”
• “I’m exhausted from being my child’s safety net.”
• “I honestly don’t know what to do anymore.”
Every one of these feelings is understandable.�Anxiety in a child pulls at every instinct you have to protect.
SPACE works with those instincts—not against them—by channeling your care in a direction that helps your child build confidence rather than dependence.
Book now by calling 613-656-3331 or scheduling online at https://ottawariverintegrative.com
