How to Help Anxious Kids So They Don't Turn Into Anxious Adults, According to Two Child Therapists

In this week’s episode of The Parent Chat, Dylan Dreyer shares how she first realized Calvin's nightly stomachaches weren't always physical, and what happened when she finally reached out to therapists Sissy Goff and David Thomas for help.

The authors of Capable and co-hosts of Raising Boys and Girls break down the anxiety epidemic hitting kids earlier than ever: what the warning signs actually look like, why boys need to move before they can breathe through it, and how a calm down corner changed everything for Calvin.

They also tackle the harder stuff — co-parenting after divorce, the "Parent Trap" phenomenon, and the screen time conversation nobody wins. Plus a rapid-fire "big deal or small deal" round covering secret social media accounts, lying about why you can't get a pet, having a favorite child, and kids who just will not stop fighting.

• 0:00 — Calvin's Calm Down Corner: "Can I Really Punch a Pillow?".

• 0:23 — Introducing Sissy Goff & David Thomas: The Therapists Who Helped Dylan's Family.

• 1:00 — How Dylan First Noticed Calvin's Anxiety — and Why She Almost Missed It.

• 3:03 — What to Look For: The First Signs of Anxiety in Kids.

• 4:00 — Why Stomachaches Are One of Anxiety's Most Common Disguises.

• 5:05 — What's Actually Happening in Your Kid's Brain During an Anxiety Spiral.

• 5:55 — Boys vs. Girls: Why They Need Different Tools to Calm Down.

• 7:00 — How to Build a Calm Down Corner That Actually Works.

• 8:00 — Dylan's Update: Calvin Doesn't Need It Anymore — But the Other Two Might.

• 10:00 — How to Figure Out What Each Kid Needs — and Teach Them to Know It Too.

• 11:10 — The Science Behind Anxiety Stomachaches.

• 12:40 — Co-Parenting After Divorce: What the Research Actually Says.

• 14:00 — How to Answer Kids' Hard Questions Without Oversharing.

• 15:48 — Conversations in Doses: Why Kids Can't Stay Underwater as Long as Adults.

• 16:00 — The Parent Trap Phenomenon: What Happens When Divorced Parents Are Too Happy Together.

• 17:55 — Should You Do Holidays Together After Divorce? Sissy's Honest Take.

• 19:00 — The One Thing Kids Need to Navigate Any Big Life Transition.

• 19:40 — Screens, Dopamine, and Why iPads Make Kids Mean When You Take Them Away.

• 21:00 — The "Next to Last" Rule: The Smartest Way to Handle Social Media.

• 22:00 — At What Age Should Kids Get a Smartphone? What the Experts Say.

• 23:00 — Big Deal or Small Deal? Having a Favorite Child.

• 24:30 — Big Deal or Small Deal? Not Liking Your Kid's Best Friend.

• 25:30 — Big Deal or Small Deal? Lying About Why You Can't Get a Pet.

• 26:30 — Big Deal or Small Deal? Siblings Who Won't Stop Fighting.

• 27:40 — Big Deal or Small Deal? Your Kid's Secret Social Media Account.

• 29:00 — Dylan's Takeaway: The Tools That Helped Her Kids Can Help Yours Too.