Help! My Child's Anxious

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

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

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

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.
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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.

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