Both my girls suffer from a lot of anxiety. I am always trying to think of new therapeutic ways to help them. Neither child sleeps well (this is a huge understatement), Bunny suffers from quite severe separation anxiety, nightmares and cries A LOT and Kitten is probably the most anxious person I have ever met – self harming, very hyperigilant, rocking, stimming, nightmares etc etc.
So my mum found this lovely little creature online:
It’s a Worry Eater; you write your worry on a piece of paper and zip it into her mouth and then the Worry Eater deals with it for you. Isn’t that a lovely idea? Worth a try mainly for Kitten who is a bundle of stress and worries.
So I was explaining this to my girls and suggested we could share her and put our worries in there especially if they felt they couldn’t tell me. Bunny was very enthusiastic. I turned to Kitten ‘What do you think Kitten?’ ‘It’s very cute Mummy but I don’t think I’ll use her. I’m lucky I don’t have any worries.’
Well that has taken the wind out of my sails somewhat. It is all very well to provide the Worry Eater but if Kitten does not have the level of introspection needed then it’s never going to work. Everyone involved in Kitten’s care recognises how anxious she is, but if she herself is unable to recognise even the most minor worry then my Worry Eater will have to go back on the shelf for now.
Back to the drawing board….
3girlstogether 
Big girl is just the same, she’s super anxious and worries about everything, especially at night time so she gets very little sleep. Yet she doesn’t always, actually she rarely, knows what she worrying about, or even acknowledges that she’s worried at all.
It’s hard when you want so badly to help them yet they also need to be able to help themselves but don’t have the resources within themselves to do so. Hugs x
I love this idea 🙂 maybe if she hears yours and kittens worries, overtime she will start to understand hers?
Poor kitten, it must be so tough feeling anxious and scared all the time. May that us part if the problem for her, in terms of self awareness .. Maybe it us so rooted in emotion that its all back brain feeling with little frontal lobe thought? That’s how it seems for our little miss. 😦