BLOGS
U-Turn Anxiety Content Hub
Monday, March 17, 2025
The ABC Method: From Tantrums to Trust
It’s 7:30 AM, and chaos reigns in your kitchen. The clock is ticking. You’re late. Your child is wailing, tears streaming down their face because their favorite cereal is gone. You didn’t even know “the dinosaur cereal” was that important until now.
Monday, March 03, 2025
A True Story of Connection in Chaos
Parenting isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s a kaleidoscope of emotions - love, frustration, pride, and sometimes, helplessness. We’ve been told to default to a “calm and collected” response when a child spirals into a meltdown, believing it’s the antidote to chaos, but here’s the uncomfortable truth: it often backfires. Why? Because in those moments of emotional turmoil, your child can’t hear reason. They’re not being "difficult" but in distress.
Monday, February 17, 2025
How to Resolve Your Child’s Defiance for Good
Sarah is the mother of 9-year-old Ethan, who was struggling with defiant behavior for months. Years? Forever? Sarah couldn’t even remember anymore. She lived in a fog. Every morning, Ethan began the day by refusing to get ready for school, throwing tantrums and hiding in his room.
Monday, February 03, 2025
Instead of “Staying Calm” When Your Child’s Anxiety Spirals, Do This
"Stay calm. Take deep breaths." If you have a sensitive child who frequently has intense anxiety spirals, you’ve heard all this advice a million times. However, the more calm you are, the more hysterical your child gets. I’ve been there – as both the parent, and the child. It is not a positive experience for anyone. So let’s change the script.
Monday, November 11, 2024
What to Do and What NOT to Do About School Anxiety
Your child's bright, creative spirit used to light up the room. But lately, that light seems dimmed by a dark cloud of anxiety. You see their internal struggle unfold daily through meltdowns, school refusal, and overwhelming fears. Behind their worried eyes lies a sensitive soul yearning to break free, and as their parent, watching their pain is almost unbearable.
Monday, September 09, 2024
The Hidden Impact of Emotional Trauma on Childhood Anxiety
Many of us grew up hearing phrases like, "Why are you crying? I'll give you something to cry about!" These words, often said in frustration, may seem harmless in the moment but can have lasting effects on a child's emotional well-being.
Sunday, August 25, 2024
Why I Became Resistant and Anxious at School - A Client Story
Have you ever wondered why your child seems to resist school more and more? The anxiety, the reluctance to get ready in the morning, the excuses not to go—it’s enough to make any parent worry. What if it’s not just a phase? What if something deeper is at play?
Sunday, July 28, 2024
What’s Wrong with Asking “What’s Wrong?”
As an anxious child I used to think there was something seriously wrong with me. In fact, for four decades I kept this a secret until I discovered there was nothing wrong with me at all. My parents would often ask…… “what’s wrong, now?" And I cringe as I recall myself saying this to my sensitive, big feeling daughter.
Sunday, June 30, 2024
Proud Mum Moment From Depressed and Anxious Child to Archie Finalist
I am incredibly honored and thrilled to share a heartwarming story of transformation, resilience, and artistic achievement that encapsulates the essence of what we do at U-Turn Anxiety. This journey is particularly special as it demonstrates the profound impact of empowering the parents who then become the drivers of the change they wish to see in their home.
Sunday, June 16, 2024
Don’t Let Anxiety Rule - Let Your Child Reclaim Their Power!
As parents, it's natural to want to protect our children from anything that causes them distress or pain. When our kids struggle with anxiety, our instinct is often to soothe them and try to make the anxious feelings go away. However, what if I told you that this approach can actually reinforce anxiety long-term?
Sunday, May 26, 2024
Your Anxious Child Doesn't Need Therapy
Having experienced anxiety personally as a child and parent, along with raising two anxious kids, working in the school system, and my own business supporting hundreds of anxious kids and their parents, I’ve seen and experienced what works and what doesn’t.
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Here's A Powerful Parenting Question
Are you asking this powerful question when your child seems stuck? Parenting can be an emotional rollercoaster, especially when you see your child grappling with anxiety, anger, or distress. Your deepest wish is for them to feel strong and in charge of their emotions.
Sunday, April 14, 2024
Do Time Outs Really Work?
Are time outs truly effective in teaching children valuable lessons, or do they inadvertently hinder kids’ learning and emotional growth? Many parents and educators rely on time outs as a disciplinary tool, but does this method work for our kids? Join me as we explore time outs' effectiveness and discover alternative approaches that prioritise empathy and understanding.
Sunday, March 24, 2024
Discover How 3 Easy Steps Can Help Your Anxious Child Thrive
In the realm of children's anxiety, the concept of contagion takes on a profound significance. Children often catch anxiety from their environment, absorbing fears and uncertainties from parents, peers, and the world around them.
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Blogs
Are You Unintentionally Invalidating Your Child? How to Respond with Empathy & Support
Sunday, October 19, 2025
When your child is anxious—whether over school, friendships, or how they look—logic alone won’t help them feel safe. In this blog, Sue explores how well-meaning phrases like “don’t worry what others think” can unintentionally invalidate your child’s emotions. You'll learn how anxiety disrupts their ability to process reasoning, and how emotional validation creates the trust they need to open up. With real-life examples, validating phrases, and a 3-step practice, this blog offers a compassionate roadmap for building connection before correction.
Does your child become distressed easily?
Sunday, October 05, 2025
Does your child melt down over small issues, retreat to their room, or lash out with hurtful words? These aren’t just “tantrums”, they’re signs of Distress Intolerance (DI), when anxiety shows up as an inability to cope with tough emotions. Left unaddressed, DI can carry into teen and adult years, impacting relationships, careers, and wellbeing. But there’s good news: Distress Tolerance is a skill that can be learned and strengthened. In this blog, Sue explains what distress intolerance really is, why it emerges in childhood, and how it affects kids and families. She then shares a simple 5-step method parents can start using today: accept emotions instead of suppressing them, notice how feelings show up in the body, get curious about what’s being triggered, release pent-up energy through movement, and practise consistently until it becomes second nature. By modelling these steps first, parents can guide their child to build resilience, emotional competence, and a calmer, more connected life.
My Teen Won’t Go To School
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
School refusal isn’t laziness, defiance, or a parenting failure, it’s a nervous system stuck in survival mode. In this blog, Sue shares the raw truth behind why so many teens say, “I’ll go tomorrow” and then don’t. You’ll learn how anxiety, rejection, and emotional shutdowns are often behind the resistance, and how your child may be quietly overwhelmed, not oppositional. With powerful insights and compassionate scripts, this post offers: A breakdown of what school refusal really means A real-life example from a parent navigating this with her teen 12+ practical conversation openers you can try today A reminder that your calm presence, not pressure, is the turning point This blog is a lifeline for any parent navigating the emotional rollercoaster of school anxiety. Your child isn’t giving you a hard time, they’re having a hard time. And with the right approach, change is possible.
View Recent Blogs
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
When a 9-year-old girl sees “her anxiety” as a lifelong identity, it starts holding her back. She stops enjoying her favorite activities. Her parents realize she’s developed the internal belief that her anxiety means she can’t have fun and she is broken. To help their daughter become courageous and resilient (and get her back to having fun), they focus on rewriting her internal beliefs – including the belief that anxiety is something she has to deal with forever.
Monday, May 12, 2025
After moving to a new school at 11 years old, Noah’s anxiety took a turn for the worse. The last three years have been a nightmare for him and his mum. Mum Melissa has waited for the experts at school to solve the problem. But nothing they try is working. Finally, Melissa realises that it’s up to her to lead the charge. Read on to see how Melissa figured out the solution that let Noah become a thriving, happy child again.
Monday, April 28, 2025
The scripts from that parenting coach on Instagram. The strategies the therapist gave you. The tricks from your friend whose kid actually listens the first time. You’ve tried it all. And for a day or two, they worked for you. But then? Right back to square one. The tantrums. The power struggles. The exhaustion. And you’re left wondering: Why does nothing stick? What is going wrong?
Monday, April 14, 2025
You know the scene: You tell your child it’s time to turn off the tablet, and suddenly, the sky is falling. Tears, screaming, maybe even a full-body flop onto the floor. Your sweet child just giggling at a silly YouTube video is now thrashing around like you’ve taken away their oxygen.
Monday, March 31, 2025
You’ve done everything right - kindness, listening, connection. You’ve embraced gentle parenting, believing it’s the key to raising a confident, emotionally healthy child. But now your child clings to you, paralyzed by fear, and you wonder: is my well-intentioned approach unintentionally making their anxiety worse?
Monday, March 17, 2025
It’s 7:30 AM, and chaos reigns in your kitchen. The clock is ticking. You’re late. Your child is wailing, tears streaming down their face because their favorite cereal is gone. You didn’t even know “the dinosaur cereal” was that important until now.
Monday, March 03, 2025
Parenting isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s a kaleidoscope of emotions - love, frustration, pride, and sometimes, helplessness. We’ve been told to default to a “calm and collected” response when a child spirals into a meltdown, believing it’s the antidote to chaos, but here’s the uncomfortable truth: it often backfires. Why? Because in those moments of emotional turmoil, your child can’t hear reason. They’re not being "difficult" but in distress.
Monday, February 17, 2025
Sarah is the mother of 9-year-old Ethan, who was struggling with defiant behavior for months. Years? Forever? Sarah couldn’t even remember anymore. She lived in a fog. Every morning, Ethan began the day by refusing to get ready for school, throwing tantrums and hiding in his room.
Monday, February 03, 2025
"Stay calm. Take deep breaths." If you have a sensitive child who frequently has intense anxiety spirals, you’ve heard all this advice a million times. However, the more calm you are, the more hysterical your child gets. I’ve been there – as both the parent, and the child. It is not a positive experience for anyone. So let’s change the script.
Monday, November 11, 2024
Your child's bright, creative spirit used to light up the room. But lately, that light seems dimmed by a dark cloud of anxiety. You see their internal struggle unfold daily through meltdowns, school refusal, and overwhelming fears. Behind their worried eyes lies a sensitive soul yearning to break free, and as their parent, watching their pain is almost unbearable.
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