Addressing Anxiety with Conversation Starters

Megan is a Columbus, Ohio, mom whose daughter has been living with a diagnosed general anxiety disorder for 5 years. Having access to the free tools found on our website, including our Conversations Starters, is proving invaluable in helping her support her daughter as she continues her mental health journey. 

“My daughter Sophia was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder at the age of 6,” said Megan. “While she continues to work and make progress with her therapist, I am finding as she gets older (she is now 11) it is growing increasingly difficult for me to find the right words and questions when I have my daily check-ins with her.” 

Megan accessed our Conversation Starters. These guides, created by our team of clinical experts, are specifically designed to help parents start and continue conversations with children about their mental health. And to help make it a routine.

“On Our Sleeves has been my go-to resource for support and guidance,” she said. “They have online resources available 24/7, which allows access to helpful tools and conversation prompts that provide great confidence to me when we need to work through a challenge immediately.”

According to Ariana Hoet, PhD, executive clinical director of The Kids Mental Health Foundation and clinical psychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, talking with kids increases the likelihood that parents and caregivers will notice when children need support and, also, that kids will come to them when they need help. Trusted adults who ask questions, listen to the answers and invest time understanding their kids are showing support, building trust and creating healthy relationships.

To build that trust, Megan also accessed our conversation cards. These tools – which prompt simple questions such as “Did you talk to anyone new today?” or “What animal do you think is most like you?” – help parents open conversations, build rapport with their children and create a healthy habit of talking.

“In addition to the online resources, we use the ‘Conversations at Home’ cards on a regular basis. These cards help us to establish a safe place to start a conversation about what she is feeling and why,” she said. “This allows us to work through those feelings and find solutions that work for her in that moment.”

For any parent, having support navigating a child’s mental is helpful. In cases like Megan’s, who is helping and guiding a child with a diagnosed disorder, the support from The Kids Mental Health Foundation can become even more crucial for the parents, and for the entire family.

“I am beyond thankful to have the resources provided. Having a child with anxiety can be heartbreaking to witness and often adds a heightened sense of anxiety for all in the family,” said Megan.