How to Raise a Chill Kid in an Anxious World

Two child psychotherapists share a 5-step plan to help parents turn meltdown moments into opportunities for connection, confidence, and calm.

Any of you out there who, like me, have tried to raise a child know that it’s a bit like that old cliché of trying to build an airplane while flying it. We’re doing our best to be models of sanity and good behavior while we ourselves are very much works-in-progress — struggling with our own emotional baggage, insecurities, and imperfections. In a world rife with anxiety and stress, how do you raise strong and resilient kids when you don’t always feel that way yourself?

According to two leading child psychotherapists, the key is learning to manage your own emotions while helping your child do the same. That’s the first step in the 5-part plan they offer below, a plan for turning meltdowns into opportunities for connection, confidence, and calm: