Children and their emotionsChildren and their emotions
All In The Mind
Are children are more anxious these days? There’s no way to be really sure, but according to some researchers anxiety is one of the more common mental health problems that kids are facing.
29:20•19 Jul 2015
Children, Anxiety and Attachment: How Early Emotions Shape Growing Minds
Episode Overview
- Anxiety is common in children, but it becomes a problem when it starts to interfere with everyday life such as school and social activities.
- Early emotional development and secure, warm attachment relationships strongly influence later mental health and resilience.
- Overprotective parenting and avoidance can unintentionally maintain or increase anxiety by preventing children from learning they can cope.
- Structured programmes like Cool Kids teach realistic thinking and gradual exposure to feared situations, with benefits that can last into adulthood.
- Helping children build their own coping skills, rather than removing all worries, can support healthier long-term emotional development.
“Let kids play in the mud and allow them to face situations, even if life is messy and dirty and you get yuck sometimes.”
What emotional and inspiring tales of recovery are out there? This episode of *All In The Mind* looks closely at how children's emotions shape who they become, and why anxiety is showing up so often in young lives. You’ll hear psychologist Professor Jenny Hudson from Macquarie University explain why anxiety is "the most common mental disorder that children experience", ranging from worries about school and friendships to fear of separation from parents.
She breaks down how genetics, environment and parenting style all play a part, with overprotection highlighted as a major factor that can unintentionally keep anxiety going. Dr Rachel Wilson from The University of Sydney takes things back to basics, outlining primary emotions like fear and anger, and secondary emotions such as empathy, guilt and love.
She stresses how early attachment and "emotional warmth" between caregiver and child can protect against later problems, describing secure and insecure attachment in simple, relatable terms. Her message is clear: strong, loving relationships in the first years matter deeply. Children’s author and mum Susan Whelan brings a personal story to the mix, sharing her daughter Elizabeth’s exhausting bedtime anxiety and how it pushed the family to seek professional help.
Rather than shielding her daughter from all worries, Susan focused on helping her build skills to decide "what was worth worrying about and what she could let go" – lessons that later inspired her picture book *Don’t Think About Purple Elephants*. You’ll also get a taste of the "Cool Kids" anxiety program, where children learn realistic thinking and gently face situations they’ve been avoiding, with long-term benefits into adulthood.
If you’re a parent, carer or anyone curious about how childhood emotions ripple through a lifetime, this episode offers practical ideas and reassurance in equal measure. How might its stories and strategies shape the way you respond to the anxious kids in your life?
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