📚 When the World Feels Loud: Helping Kids Handle Anxiety in a 24/7 News Cycle
No matter how carefully we mute, block, or switch off, the news has a way of seeping into our homes, and into our kids’ hearts. Children read our faces, catch fragments of conversation, glimpse headlines in checkout lines, hear playground chatter, and notice schedule changes or grown-ups’ stress. Even when we work hard to protect them, what’s happening in the world inevitably reaches them.
That doesn’t mean we have to overload kids with scary details. In fact, the opposite is true: we should shield them from graphic content while framing events in simple, truthful, age-appropriate ways and then give them something they can do. Feeling informed and empowered is one of the best antidotes to anxiety.
Why the news can spike anxiety (even for kids who “don’t watch the news”)
Emotional Wi-Fi: Kids pick up our moods. If we’re tense, they feel it—even without context.
Incomplete stories: Snippets (a headline, an overheard word) leave room for worry to fill in the blanks.
Loss of control: Big events far away can make small bodies feel powerless.
Repetition: The same upsetting image or phrase, repeated, can magnify fear.
📖 "Ruby Finds A Worry"
by Tom Percival
A bright, friendly entry point: worries shrink when we talk about them. Great for normalizing anxiety.
📖 "The Whatifs"
by by Emily Kilgore
Turns “what if?” thoughts into characters kids can talk back to; introduces cognitive reframing.
📖 “Wemberly Worried"
by Kevin Henkes
School-start jitters with warmth and humor. Perfect for separation anxiety or new routines.
📖 "The Rabbit Listened"
by Cori Doerrfeld
A masterclass in empathy: sometimes the best help is a steady listener.
📖 "Breathe like a Bear"
by Kira Willey
Bite-size breathing and grounding exercises, ideal for a “calm corner” toolkit.
📖 "The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions"
by Anna Llenas
Sort and label feelings with color; great for building an emotional vocabulary.
📖 "Puppy In My Head: A Book About Anxiety”
by Élise Gravel (5–9)
A playful metaphor that teaches kids to “train” anxious thoughts with kindness.
📖 "I Am Peace"
by Susan Verde
Simple mindfulness practices kids can try immediately.
📖 "A Little Spot of Anxiety
by Diane Alber
Visualizes anxiety as a “spot” that can grow or shrink; concrete strategies included.
📖 "My Monster and Me"
by Nadiya Hussain
A boy’s worry appears as a big fuzzy monster that grows with avoidance and shrinks when he talks about his feelings and takes small brave steps.
🌍 What helps? How to do it (kid-friendly scripts & tips)
1) Filter + frame• Tell the truth in 1–2 calm sentences; avoid graphic detail; name helpers.
• Script: “There was a bad event far away. Many helpers are keeping people safe. We’re safe right now.”
2) Validate, don’t minimize• Normalize feelings; stay present.
• Script: “It makes sense to feel worried. Your feelings are real. I’m here.”
3) Give a doable action• Make a card for a helper.
• Add coins to a “Helping Jar.”
• Choose one caring action at school.
• Reminder: Doing > doomscrolling.
4) Create a family news routine• Adults screen first.
• Share a short, calm summary at a set time (not near bedtime).
• Then switch to a regulating activity (walk, puzzle, read-aloud).
5) Teach body tools
• Box breath: in-4, hold-4, out-4, hold-4.
• Five senses check: name 5 see, 4 touch, 3 hear, 2 smell, 1 taste.
• Butterfly hug: cross arms, tap shoulders slowly.
6) Watch sleep + screens• Power down earlier after big news days.
• Keep devices out of bedrooms.
When to get extra help: As a mom and librarian books are always the best resource when trying to sort through big feelings and these titles area great starting point. If worries are daily, interrupt sleep or school, or cause frequent stomachaches/headaches, check in with your pediatrician or a counselor.