Cool Little Kids: Helping Parents Tackle Childhood Anxiety

Does your 3-6 year-old often seem worried, fearful or uncertain? Do they struggle with gaining independence?

If so, you may be interested in attending the Cool Little Kids Program.

The Cool Little Kids program was developed by The Centre for Emotional Health, an internationally recognised specialist research centre at Macquarie University. The program has been safely and effectively used in Australia for over 10 years.

South Eastern Community Connect is offering the Cool Little Kids program for free in Mascot to City of Sydney residents.

It covers the following topics:

• How shyness and anxiety develop

• How to gradually and gently teach your child to face their fears

• How to increase your child’s bravery

• How to identify and reduce unhelpful parenting strategies

• How to help your child become more independent

• How to keep thoughts accurate

Who should attend?

Parents and carers of young children (aged 3-6 years) who have a shy, quiet, nervous or anxious temperament.

What’s involved?

Parents and carers must be able to attend five weekly sessions in a group of approximately 10 families. This program is generally not a suitable option for children who have experienced trauma.

The benefits to you:

The free, subsidised program does require a commitment of your time and effort, but the reward will be worth it: a more confident, less fearful child.

Parents have found Cool Little Kids helpful for improving young children’s fear and anxiety about:

• Saying hello/ goodbye

• Separating from parents (e.g. at preschool)

• Playing with unfamiliar people (e.g. playdates, parties)

• Trying new activities (e.g. swimming lessons)

• Going to sleep

These sessions are run by Ruming Yang, accredited Cool Kids and Cool Little Kids facilitator.

You'll be equipped to assist your child in managing everyday anxieties. You won't want to miss this.

Note: This is a parents-only program. No child minding is available, but please contact us if you need to discuss child minding.