Kids and Climate Anxiety

Lots of children and teenagers worry about climate change. With such a clear threat coming their way (or already impacting their lives), the anxiety is hardly unrealistic. How, then, do you know if your child is worrying too much about climate change? And how can you help them manage their anxiety without dismissing their fears — or getting overwhelmed by your own?

This week on childmind.org we look at how anxiety about climate change can affect kids and how their families can help them through it. Taking steps to fight climate change is empowering, but if rules become too rigid, they can make anxiety worse. We also cover ways that caregivers can model resilience, and how to know if your child’s climate worries might signal a bigger issue with anxiety.