Raising Worry-Free Girls: Helping Your Daughter Feel Braver, Stronger, and Smarter in an Anxious World

Friends will disappoint them. Their parents will disappoint them. They’ll disappoint themselves. Things won’t turn out like they hope or expect. There is pain, but she reminded every kid what God promises us in the midst of the pain.

What are your hopes for your daughter as you move forward with this journey? What do you want her to know about herself? What do you believe you can do to help? What would you like to change about how you help her fight her worries? What do you want to remember as you go forward?

Down time is an important part of children learning to entertain and problem-solve for themselves. It’s also often the first to go in a busy schedule. Sixty to 80 percent of the brain’s energy is used in the default mode of the brain . . . doing nothing.

“A meta-analysis from Johns Hopkins in 2013 found that meditation was linked to significantly reduced anxiety (and depression and insomnia).”

The great thing about taking heart is that it’s not really our heart that matters. It’s God’s. His love gives us confident courage.

have seen several girls over the years who blame general but persistent stomach problems for everything that ails them . . . and don’t really want to be told anything different.

Some anxious children will scream and cry. They will rage at you if you disrupt their schedule or system. Or maybe they won’t. Their responses may be huge and loud and feel attention seeking. Or, they may quietly spend hours going over and over and over the same math problems to get them just right.

By nature, girls want to please. Girls define themselves against a backdrop of relationship. Feeling known and loved is crucial. So to say something that might sound crazy or weird, or might make others reject them, can feel like a terrible risk.

Bravery exists in the presence of fear, not the absence of it.