Introduction: When Big Feelings Feel Too Big You’ve seen it before—the clenched fists, the trembling lip, or the meltdown over “the wrong socks.” In that moment, it’s not just defiance or moodiness. For many kids, these are signs of inner anxiety trying to find a way out. Kids anxiety parenting is not about repairing them.

It started with a slammed door. My five-year-old had just screamed something about the wrong cereal. My head was pounding. I stood there frozen—partly furious, partly guilty, and mostly exhausted. I wanted to be the calm, grounded parent I’d read about. But in that moment, I felt anything but. That was the day I realized

Introduction You sort your trash. You use a refillable water bottle. You’ve even made the switch to bamboo toothbrushes. And still, when you hear about global disasters or plastic oceans, you get that feeling in your gut—the one that says, “Is anything I do even doing any good?” That feeling has a name: eco anxiety. This isn’t just in your head. Increasing numbers of people—particularly in the U.S.—are feeling intense emotional distress related to the condition of the world. And while it’s great to care about the Earth, to feel powerless all the time isn’t. Let’s explore why this occurs and how to work with it without becoming burnt out. What Is Eco Anxiety and Why Does It