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Help! My Child's Anxious

11-29 Media

Parenting is hard. And when anxiety enters the picture, it can feel impossible. If your child is struggling and you're not sure what to do next, this is the podcast for you.

Join broadcaster Vanessa Feltz and her daughter, child therapist Saskia Joss, as they unpack the emotional rollercoaster of raising kids - especially when anxiety or emotional overwhelm start to take over. With a powerful mix of professional insight, real-life stories, and no-judgment honesty, each episode offers clear, compassionate advice to help you feel more equipped and less alone.

From school avoidance and separation anxiety, tricky teens to bedtime battles, they tackle the hardest parenting moments with warmth, humour, and expert guidance - because while parenting doesn’t come with a manual, this podcast might be the next best thing.

Want to get in touch? Email us: helpmychildsanxious@global.com

For advertising opportunities on this podcast email: dax@global.com

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28 episodes
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Avg 33 min
English

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#63
Today · 32 min
BBC Cut Horrible Histories. Are We Protecting Kids Too Much?
The BBC has cut scenes from Horrible Histories, including sketches about child labour and slavery. But are we protecting children from frightening subjects, or avoiding conversations they actually need? In this episode of Help! My Child's Anxious, Vanessa Feltz and her daughter, child therapist Saskia Joss, tackle a big parenting question: how much should we shield children from the frightening realities of life. From the Titanic and the Great Fire of London to death, divorce and scary films, Saskia explains why some children become fascinated by frightening things while others develop fears that spread into everyday life. They discuss how parents can talk about difficult subjects, why age-appropriate explanations matter and whether shielding children from distressing content really builds resilience. Plus, a parent asks why their previously adventurous eater is suddenly refusing familiar foods. Saskia explores food anxiety, fussy eating, texture sensitivity and practical ways to help children feel more comfortable trying different foods. And in Never Felt So Good, the family's extraordinary pet marrow continues its adventures. Subscribe for more practical conversations about childhood anxiety, parenting and emotional wellbeing with Vanessa Feltz and Saskia Joss. Watch more: https://www.youtube.com/@VanessaandSaskia Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helpmychildsanxiouspod/ Send your parenting questions to: helpmychildsanxious@global.com
#62
Wednesday · 24 min
Are Baby Girls Really More Sociable Than Boys?
A new study suggests baby girls may be more drawn to faces than baby boys from the first hours of life. But does that actually mean parents should raise boys and girls differently? Vanessa Feltz and child therapist Saskia Joss unpack what these differences might mean for parents, why gender stereotypes can stop us from seeing the child in front of us, and whether girls may sometimes become better at hiding anxiety. Saskia also explains why children need a mix of calm, connection, physical play and emotional freedom, regardless of whether they're a boy or a girl. Plus, they tackle a parent's bedtime dilemma after their child suddenly refuses to sleep alone, and Saskia reveals how she threw a brilliant children's birthday party without spending thousands trying to recreate Instagram. This episode contains a paid promotion for School Budi find out more about School Budi here: https://schoolbudi.co.uk/ Help! My Child's Anxious is hosted by Vanessa Feltz and child therapist Saskia Joss. Subscribe for practical, compassionate conversations about childhood anxiety, parenting and emotional wellbeing. This podcast provides general information and discussion. It is not a substitute for individual medical or mental-health advice.
#61
September 29 · 31 min
The “Snowflake Generation” Debate Misses One Big Thing
Are today’s children really a “snowflake generation”, or are they dealing with levels of anxiety that previous generations simply didn’t face? Vanessa Feltz and child therapist Saskia Joss unpack the growing mental health crisis among children and young people, following Professor Peter Fonagy’s argument that today’s young people are not “snowflakes” and that it has genuinely become harder to be young. Saskia explains why the pandemic may have left a lasting imprint on children’s anxiety, how prolonged emotional states can influence the way we respond to the world, and why parents should listen before immediately trying to fix an anxious child’s problem. They also answer a difficult question from a parent whose seven-year-old has started calling herself “fat” and restricting her food, discussing body image, self-esteem and what parents can do when children begin criticising their bodies. Plus, Vanessa discovers that sometimes the best childhood memories cost absolutely nothing… provided you have an enormous marrow. Subscribe for more honest conversations about childhood, parenting and anxiety. Produced and distributed by 11-29 Media.
#60
September 22 · 31 min
Is TikTok Diagnosing Your Child? ADHD, Autism & Self-Diagnosis
Vanessa Feltz and child therapist Saskia Joss look at the explosion of mental-health content online, why some children are identifying strongly with diagnostic labels, and how parents can take their concerns seriously without accepting everything an algorithm tells them. They discuss misleading ADHD content on TikTok, why symptoms can look different between children, what teachers can help parents spot, when a professional assessment may be useful and why children can often receive helpful support even before a diagnosis. Plus, Saskia answers a parent's question about mysterious stomach aches before school and explains how anxiety can produce very real physical symptoms. Help My Child's Anxious with Vanessa Feltz and Saskia Joss. This podcast provides general information and discussion. It is not a substitute for individual medical or mental-health advice. Watch this episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/HQyo0clazko
#59
September 14 · 32 min
"My Child Doesn’t Want to Go to School" Your questions answered
Back-to-school anxiety can appear at the school gates, after the school day, around exams or in the way a child suddenly talks about themselves. In this episode of Help! My Child’s Anxious, Vanessa Feltz and child therapist Saskia Joss answer real questions from parents struggling with the return to school. What should you do when your child cries and refuses to go into school? Why can a child behave brilliantly all day, then completely fall apart the moment they get home? How do you help a teenager who has lost confidence after disappointing exam results? And when should you let your child quit an after-school activity? Vanessa and Saskia discuss: • School refusal, separation anxiety and difficult drop-offs • Why settling into a new school year can take several weeks • Exam anxiety, motivation and avoiding shame • “After-school restraint collapse” and why children melt down at home • Low-demand evenings after overwhelming school days • Helping children rebuild confidence and self-esteem • What parents can do when a child says they are “the worst” in their class • When children should stick with an activity and when it may be time to stop Plus, Vanessa reveals how a trip to Cadbury World became a memorable attempt to motivate Saskia at school. Help! My Child’s Anxious is hosted by broadcaster Vanessa Feltz and her daughter, child therapist Saskia Joss. Subscribe for practical, compassionate conversations about childhood anxiety, parenting and emotional wellbeing. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VanessaandSaskia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helpmychildsanxiouspod/ #ChildAnxiety #Parenting #SchoolAnxiety #BackToSchool #VanessaFeltz
#58
August 27 · 24 min
Why Parents Are Giving Their Kids a ’90s Summer (with no phones!)
What if the answer to an increasingly connected, anxious childhood is to go backwards? Vanessa Feltz and child therapist Saskia Joss explore the growing “90s summer” trend, where parents are swapping packed schedules, constant screen time and endless online stimulation for bikes, books, boredom, playing outside and a little more freedom. But can you really take the phones away without making summer feel like a punishment? Vanessa and Saskia discuss what children may have lost as childhood has become more connected, why real life can struggle to compete with the intensity of screens, and how parents can recreate the best parts of their own childhood without pretending the 1990s were perfect. Plus, they answer a listener whose eight-year-old daughter's friend has started her period. How early should parents talk to children about puberty, periods and their changing bodies? Help! My Child's Anxious is hosted by broadcaster Vanessa Feltz and her daughter, child therapist Saskia Joss, offering practical advice for parents navigating childhood anxiety, emotions and everyday family life. Watch this episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/LyXkogjdxT8
#57
August 12 · 35 min
Navigating Childhood Anxiety, Neurodiversity, and the Hidden Pressures on Families with Zara Kadir
In this episode of Help! My Child’s Anxious, hosts Vanessa Feltz and Saskia Joss are joined by child, family, and adult psychotherapist Zara Kadir (from The Therapy Shed) to explore how anxiety and neurodiversity intersect in children. Zara shares insights from both her professional practice and her personal journey parenting a son with ADHD. The conversation dives into the common ways anxiety manifests—from school avoidance and separation anxiety to phobias and rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD)—and offers practical strategies for parents. Topics covered include: Understanding Accommodation vs. Support: Why removing every anxiety trigger can accidentally make fears bigger, and how parents can "outsource confidence" and stay grounded instead. Scaffolding for Neurodivergent Kids: Practical tips for building routines, using executive-function tools (like dementia alarm clocks), and setting up intentional morning systems. Managing Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD): How to reduce shame, believe your child’s lived experience, and sit with their big emotions without rushing to fix them. The Impact on Siblings: Addressing the "tyranny of the weak" dynamics, balancing attention, and ensuring siblings of neurodivergent children aren't forgotten or forced into premature responsibility. Practical Co-Parenting: Simple team strategies for partners, including burn-out code words and avoiding post-bedtime debrief fatigue.
#56
August 6 · 28 min
Shakira Akabusi On OCD, Anxiety And Motherhood
A seven-minute walk was taking Shakira Akabusi three and a half hours. From the outside, nobody had a clue. In this episode of Help! My Child is Anxious, Vanessa Feltz and child therapist Saskia Joss sit down with women's health expert and StrongLikeMum founder Shakira Akabusi to talk about body anxiety, OCD, and what happened when pregnancy pulled the floor out from under her. Shakira grew up in a sporting family with an Olympian father, and still ended up with obsessive-compulsive disorder so severe it cancelled a family holiday at the airport check-in desk. She talks openly about the compulsions, the isolation of new motherhood, and how she recovered through hypnotherapy, talk therapy and movement, without medication. Then the conversation turns practical. Saskia explains why compulsions are really an attempt to control something uncontrollable, and why pregnancy so often brings buried fears to the surface. Shakira shares what actually works for families: the after-dinner walk, the indoor obstacle course, the kitchen dance, and why the word "workout" puts most parents off before they start. If you are the parent holding everything together and quietly running on empty, this one is for you. Anxiety does not only live in the head. It lives in the body too, and that is often the easier door to open. Watch this episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/dJKxakAG5F0
#55
July 30 · 35 min
Autism, Anxiety and PDA with Lisa Lloyd
Your child holds it together all day at school, then falls apart the moment they get home. If that is your house, this episode is for you. Vanessa Feltz and child therapist Saskia Joss are joined by Lisa Lloyd, autism advocate and author of Unmasking Mum, for one of the most honest conversations we have had on this podcast. Lisa is mum to two autistic children, and she was only diagnosed autistic herself at 41. Her son took four years to get a diagnosis because he masked so well at school that nobody could see what was happening at home. Her daughter has a PDA profile, which means being asked to do almost anything can trigger an anxiety response. Lisa talks about the mornings that swallow two hours over a pair of shoes, the meltdowns in public that stop looking acceptable once your child is over six foot, and the friendships that quietly disappeared because she kept having to say no. Saskia explains why anxiety is the most common condition to travel alongside autism, what a meltdown actually is, and how masking works. She describes it as walking around with a pin stuck in your side and telling nobody. If you are somewhere in the assessment queue, or you have a diagnosis and no support, or you are simply exhausted and starting to wonder whether it is you, this one will make you feel less alone. In this episode: • Why the child who masks is often the one suffering most • What PDA (pathological demand avoidance) really is, and why it is anxiety-driven • Which demands you have to hold, and which you can safely let go • Why a diagnosis does not automatically bring any support • Children who fall between mainstream school and specialist provision • Why anxiety and autism so often turn up together • What actually helps: structure, ear defenders, getting ahead of change • Meltdowns in public when your child is bigger than you • The loneliness, the lost friendships, and the fear of who will be there when you are gone • Building independence in very small steps • What autism parenting does to a marriage, and how Lisa and her husband protect theirs • What Lisa wishes neurotypical parents knew, including one simple thing that changes everything We want to hear from you. Which part of this landed hardest? Tell us in the comments. If your child masks at school and unravels at home, say so. There will be a parent reading who thought they were the only one. Subscribe to Help! My Child is Anxious for new episodes every week. Warm, practical, honest conversations for parents raising anxious children in a world that rarely slows down. Buy Lisa's latest book: https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/312673/lisa-lloyd
#54
July 23 · 28 min
Navigating Parental Fears & Milestones with Laura Amies
Welcome to Help My Child's Anxious, hosted by broadcaster Vanessa Feltz and her daughter, child therapist Saskia Joss. In this episode, Vanessa and Saskia welcome special guest Laura Amies (known as Nanny Amies), a former nanny turned parenting expert and mother. Laura opens up about her personal journey after her daughter Elizabeth was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). She candidly shares how dealing with a rare genetic condition impacted her mental health—bringing on her first clinical panic attack—and how she finds positivity and strength through daily routines. Later in the show, the team tackles listener questions from Instagram: Potty Training: How to manage parental anxiety, introduce low-pressure routines, and handle stubborn toddler resistance. Nursery Drop-Offs: Tips for managing drop-off distress and separation anxiety. Bedtime Struggles: How to help a child who hates being left alone at night using the "checking method". Fears & Phobias: Simple ways to desensitize children to loud noises like hand dryers and animals like dogs. They wrap up with their favorite segment, "Never Felt So Good," sharing budget-friendly ways to bring instant joy and connection into family life
#53
July 15 · 36 min
Overparenting, "Anxious Parents Make Anxious Kids"
It's our one-year anniversary! Vanessa Feltz and her daugther child therapist Saskia Joss look back on twelve months of Help! My Child's Anxious — from topping podcast charts in 47 countries (yes, including the Solomon Islands) to what a year of talking about anxiety has taught them both. This week they tackle a headline-grabbing claim from Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson: are anxious, "helicopter" parents raising a generation of children who can't cope? Saskia unpacks what "overparenting" actually means, why doing too much for your child can backfire, and where the line is between helping and hindering. Plus, don't miss this week's Never Felt So Good — a ridiculously simple (and soaking wet) summer activity using nothing but a clothes airer, magnetic tiles and a water gun, guaranteed to buy you an hour of peace. And a first look ahead: this summer, Help! My Child's Anxious is bringing you back-to-back guest episodes with some of their favourite parenting experts and mums. Don't miss it. Get in touch: Instagram @helpmychildanxiouspod or helpmychildanxious@gmail.com
#52
July 9 · 37 min
1 Million Referrals: What is Triggering the UK Childhood Anxiety Pandemic?
If you are currently trying to figure out how to help an anxious child while facing an absolute crisis in youth healthcare access, you are not alone. In this episode of Help! My Child's Anxious, veteran broadcaster Vanessa Feltz and child therapist Saskia Joss confront the reality of the 2-year CAMHS waiting list and explain how parents can step in to build a safe psychological sanctuary at home right now. We dissect the staggering new statistics showing over 1 million UK children referred for mental health care and answer critical reader questions about why modern children are masking anxiety, how high-altitude sociological stressors change our kids' brains, and how to tell the difference between malicious lies and anxiety-fueled childhood coping mechanisms. Watch this episode on the Youtube Channel Now: https://www.youtube.com/@VanessaandSaskia
#51
July 2 · 33 min
The Anxiety Bag Trend: What Actually Helps Anxious Kids (And What Doesn't)
Everyone's talking about "anxiety bags" on TikTok — but is packing your child a bag full of comfort objects actually helpful, or does it risk making anxiety worse? In this episode, child therapist Saskia Joss and her mum Vanessa Phelps unpack the trend, explore the psychology of transition objects and sensory tools, and share why reframing it as a "confidence kit" might work better. We also tackle a listener question about a 9-year-old suddenly terrified of lions despite living nowhere near any — and what it reveals about how children's fears actually work. Plus, what real resilience looks like (hint: it's not about not feeling scared), and this week's "Never Felt So Good" — a silly, free game to bring some laughter back into an anxious household this summer. In this episode: What's actually in a TikTok "anxiety bag" (and the science behind it) Why labelling it an "anxiety bag" might backfire — and a better alternative How to handle sudden, seemingly random fears in children What resilience really means (and why it's hard for adults too) A free, silly game to try with your kids this week Got a question about your child's anxiety? Send it to us on Instagram @HelpMyChildsAnxiousPod or email helpmychildanxious@gmail.com — we'd love to help. Join the Whatsapp Channel so you never miss a thing: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbA6W9EEAKWNqBHTKn0G If this episode helped, please subscribe, share with a friend, and leave us a review — it really helps other worried parents find the show.
#50
June 25 · 33 min
The Role of Grandparents
Child therapist Saskia Joss explains to her mother Vanessa Feltz why Grandparents play such a crucial role in the lives of children. They also go into how you can Grandparent from afar. Saskia answers a question about boredom and Vanessa gets interviewed for a job at the Palace. Watch and Subscribe to the Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@VanessaandSaskia Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helpmychildsanxiouspod/ Email the Show: Helpmychildsanxious@gmail.com
#49
June 18 · 38 min
How to stop feeling overwhelmed as a parent.
Vanessa Feltz chats to her child therapist daughter about why parents feel they are in constant competition and what parents can do to address this feeling. Saskia also answers a very funny listener question and they also hear from comedian Francine Lewis. Subscribe to the Help! My Child's Anxious Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@VanessaandSaskia
#48
June 11 · 31 min
How to get out of Survival Mode
Child therapist Saskia Joss explains Survival Mode and how to escape it to her mother Vanessa Feltz. Saskia gives us some simple tips to help parents go from surviving to thriving. Watch this episode on the Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/9hicNxbeqZA Follow the Show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helpmychildsanxiouspod/
#47
May 21 · 37 min
How To Beat Bullying
You can make your child have the safest home and build them a strong network of people but bullying may still take place when they're at school. We talk about the signs to spot and how you can help your child with opening up to you
#46
May 13 · 33 min
Can Teenagers Develop Social Anxiety?
We didn't lie to you this is part 2 to our social anxiety episode. Last week we spoke about anxiety for littlens and this week we're talking about teenagers. The signs are slightly harder to notice but we're here to help with that!
#45
May 7 · 31 min
Does Social Anxiety Ever Go Away?
Social anxiety is such a debilitating anxiety but as you'll hear in todays conversation it doesn't just stick to kids.
#44
April 30 · 30 min
Is My Gentle Parenting Too Gentle?
Wellcome back all for another episode this week we're talking about 'Gentle Parenting'. Does gentle parenting work or does it raise rabid children?

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