Raising A Child With Anxiety: Where Is The Joy?

On this episode, Colleen Wildenhaus, founder of Good Bye Anxiety, Hello Joy; Parenting an Anxious Child, and a guest blogger to Parenting That Kid (Raising an Anxiety Warrior)  shares her reality, struggles, and success stories raising a child with debilitating anxiety. This episode provides a glimpse into the struggles that simple daily tasks can have on a child with anxiety. Colleen helps parents of “That Kid” by sharing tools and tips as well as ideas on where to start when you are a parent of an anxious child. Colleen Wildenhaus is the mother of a 13-year-old girl suffering from severe anxiety and OCD.  Her blog Good Bye Anxiety, Hello Joy shares with readers the journey her family takes to enjoy the small moments each day, keeping the beast of anxiety from taking away the joy of life.  Colleen became frustrated with medical and self-help books available to parents; while they offered suggestions, many were out of touch with reality. Through her blog, she shares the day to day struggles of parenting a child with anxiety, offering guidance, encouragement, and hope to parents.  In addition to being a mother and writer, Colleen is a former elementary teacher who holds two Master’s Degrees in Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. She draws from her expertise as an educator to coach parents and teachers in ways to make school successful for children with anxiety. Beyond writing, Colleen finds happiness in life’s simple joys — her children’s laughter, waves crashing on the beach, the wide-eyed excitement when students experience an “ah-ha!” moment, and fresh baked cookies.    Guest Social Media links Website - @https://goodbyeanxietyhellojoy.com Facebook- @https://www.facebook.com/groups/goodbyeanxietyhellojoy/ Hi, I’m Ashleigh Tolliver, and this podcast is a road map to Parenting That Kid. As a mother to a highly sensitive little boy, I know what it means to parent a child who does not fit into the ‘box’ modern society has put children into. My mission is to help other parents of “that kid”  feel less alone, more confident and more equipped by asking the tough questions to the professionals, gathering tools and resources and connecting with other moms who are wrestling with the same struggles. If recording my journey as I seek a clear starting point, community and effort to normalize life with a highly emotional, sometimes out of control child, supports at least one parent, then my time is not wasted. And if it doesn’t well, there’s documented proof that moms deserve a glass of wine. Cheers Thanks for listening! It means so much to us that you listened to our podcast! If you would like to continue the conversation with us, head on over to https://www.parentingthatkid.com/. If you know somebody who would benefit from this message, or would be an awesome addition to our community, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a note in the comment section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe on the podcast app on your mobile device. Leave us a review We appreciate every bit of feedback to make this a value adding part of your day. Ratings and reviews from our listeners not only help us improve, but also help others find us in their podcast app. If you have a minute, an honest review on iTunes goes a long way! Thank...