Climate Change Anxiety in Kids: Expert Advice on Helping Kids Cope
Submitted by Meghan Rose on
Climate change anxiety is real, and can feel so scary and existentially threatening for kids that it poses a real mental health challenge. Fires, floods, unseasonal tornados, extreme heat, snowless winters—it's real, and the constant exposure on social media can lead to worry and depression that lead to what experts call "climate change anxiety" in kids.
It's hard to deal with as an adult, and it's doubly hard to know what to say to your worried and anxious kids that doesn't either belittle the problem or outright lie! So, we went to an expert: Aja Chavez, Executive Director of Adolescent Services at AMFM Healthcare. She answered our questions on why kids are experiencing anxiety, how it manifests, and what parents can do to help.
Keep reading for great tips to immediately calm anxious kids below. We've also rounded up actions kids of any age can take, how to live more sustainably, and more in our Earth Guide for Kids.