When the World Feels Like a Scary Place is a helpful book for any parent or teacher of children from toddlers to teenagers (though it mostly focuses on helping young school-aged children). Obviously, the world IS a scary place! (I write this in September 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic.) Not only do our children have the normal worries of childhood to manage, they now have to manage the fears of a global health crisis.

Dr. Gerwirtz focuses her help for the reader on one key foundational principal: We adults must manage our own reactions to fear and uncertainty and other negative emotions before we can help the children in our lives with them. Easier said than done! She does provide sound advice for the adults, but that isn't her focus. So if the book has a weakness, this is it. If you, as an adult, can't manage your emotions then you'll struggle to help your child manage them.

Nonetheless, she gives great advice for how to walk children through rationally confronting the issues they face and gives examples of how to help children problem solve and calmly face the issues (big and small) in their lives.

This book was super good. It was super original and I flew through it. It didn't feel like anything I've read in the past. Can't wait to read more from the author!! This book was unputdownable.

When the World iFeels like a Scary Place is a valuable resource for families. The author provides clear and practical help for families with small children to deal with fear and anxiety. Many parents are unsure of what to say and how to say it when dealing with big scary topics, this book gives example conversations and gives parents the confidence to use positive active listening skills and help their children identify these scary feelings so they can deal with them. I think this book would be very helpful not only for parents but for anyone who deals with children.

This book is designed as one more tool for families to use to cope with life in uncertain times. Information is presented at a level that's easy to follow. This book delves into so many aspects of parenting. It specifically discusses current sources of anxiety such as gun violence, social injustice, and technology/ social media. There is even an entire section of the book dedicated to the discussion of feelings about COVID-19.

The narration was well done but felt the pacing was a bit slow to my taste. Luckily that is adjustable within the player. Otherwise, I think it the narrator did a good job.

I received an audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley and the publishers.

Dr. Gewirtz has written a book with easily understandable and relatable advice. Her voice on audio is soothing and I like to listen to it! I highly recommend this book especially during these difficult times.

It's overwhelming to be a kid in 2020. And to parent a kid because the world feels like a scary place. We're dealing with a global pandemic, a heated presidential election, school shootings, racial injustice, hurricanes--and then the usual stuff like death, divorce and bullying.

This is a great resource guide for parents who proactively want to get better at communication strategies.

After all, if we're less anxious, our kids will be!

So how do we know what to talk about? And at what age? And what should we say?

Dr. Abigail Gewirtz is a child psychologist and a leading expert on families under stress. In her book, When the World Feels Like a Scary Place: Essential Conversations for Anxious Parents and Worried Kids, she gives parents lots of practical strategies. In particular, we learn how to react to scary things (around our kids), how to shield our kids from scary things, and how to talk to them about scary things. And she gives us real-world examples and suggested talking points based on age groups. That way we can address issues in ways that our kids can understand both emotionally and intellectually.

One of my big a-ha takeaways was learning how to listen to the child's concerns, brainstorm solutions together, write things down and then come up with a plan that we can both agree upon. Talking things through in a rational way helps calm the situation, and is a great coping strategy for dealing with difficult issues as an adult.

I thought the narrator, Robin Miles, did a professional job. She was clear and easy-to-understand. While I enjoyed listening to the book, I think it's useful to have a printed copy as well so you can refer back to the conversation scripts. It's definitely content you need to re-read each year!

Thanks to Workman Publishing Company and NetGalley for an advanced audio copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

When the World Feels Like a Scary Place
By Abigail Gewirtz, PhD

I was listening to the audiobook version of When the World Feels Like a Scary Place when it hit me- I needed the physical book as well.

This book, with it’s subtitle, “Essential Conversations for Anxious Parents & Worried Kids” is just that. Essential.

I am an avid reader but I am a school psychologist by trade. Anxiety has been a growing concern for the American public for many years. Even our youngest students show signs of emotional dysregulation, whether it be difficulty separating from their parents or acting out behaviorally. Anxiety is often at the root of these behaviors.

This book delves into so many aspects of parenting. I found it most useful as it specifically discusses current sources of anxiety such as gun violence, social injustice, and technology/ social media. There is even an entire section of the book dedicated to the discussion of feelings about COVID-19.

This book is full of information but also provides opportunities for introspection and to practice skills relating to parenting an anxious child, even when experiencing big feelings of one’s own. The author goes as far as providing sample conversations for parents to consider adapting for their own use. This is where the book really impressed me.

I love this book so much that I hope to start a book chat at my place of employment. Kudos to the author for her approachable and realistic discussion about parenting in the world as we now know it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. It directly caused me to purchase a physical copy and I encourage others to do the same.

"When the World Feels Like a Scary Place" was the first audiobook I’d listened to and certainly won’t be the last. I found the narration mesmerising and extremely relaxing (great given the topic, and the reason I’d felt compelled to request this particular title).
The book provided many practical tips for parents although I wish I’d read this when my children were younger, I’m just grateful to have found it now!

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the free ARC of this book.

I listened to the audio version of this book and I found it excellent. The stories as well as the dialogues provided here are excellent resources on how to communicate with kids when things in this world are not going well.

In the book When the World Feels Like a Scary Place, author Dr. Abigail Gewirtz, gives parents guidance and direction on how parents can talk with their children about difficult situations in life. Gewirtz also gives actual scripts to help parents and dialogue with kids and teens about out anxious world.
I would recommend this book. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I found the book very interesting and useful. The structure of it was well balance, talking first of more general things, and then goes to the main issue addressing specific situations. The language is simple enough to make it an enjoyable read. The examples were particularly useful, even if sometimes it felt like making a big deal out of something little, but this wasn’t too often.
I love to think there is a tool like, this book, to help parents and caretakers to understand how the way they show their emotions, will reflect on kids. I experience difficulties on knowing how to talk with kids about certain stuff. I’m sure I won’t be the only one. To have some orientation in such issue, is very useful.
Since I listen to the audio book, I also have a comment on the narration. It was well done. The pacing was a bit slow to my taste, but that is something that can be easily changed. Other than that, I think it the narrator did a good job.

Unfortunately, I don’t think the download is compatible with my device because it never would fully download and as a result, I cannot provide a review of the audiobook. I look forward to purchasing it in the future though because the description was very intriguing.

Listening to an audio-book is different than sitting down to read an actual book. #1. You are using your ears and listening intently for any changes in voice sounds, music, if any, changes in step-by-step sequences, and you can be doing other things while listening. #2. Because of these attributes, I like audio-books. I also like sitting down and reading a good book from time to time. When you are reading a book, you have to keep your eyes on the book in order to know what is going on. When listening to an audio-book, you don't have to just sit there. Have you ever tried reading a book while walking on a treadmill? Or walking outside? Or trying to walk through your house? That, to me, is like an accident waiting to happen. With an audio-book, you can accomplish all of those things while listening. If you have poor eye sight and are unable to make out some of the words while reading, audio-books would be the answer.
This audio-book, WHEN THE WORLD FEELS LIKE A SCARY PLACE, by Abigail Gewirtz, opened softly with soothing music, as the narrator/reader, Robin Miles, in a soft tone announced the opening credits.
Then she announced the introduction with the school year, the same year of the 9/11 attacks . As she began reading, I listened intently. Then in part 1, as each chapter was being read, her voice brought out each character, even the way they might have felt, like fear, anger, joy, or excitement. She would say if the character was (mom), (dad), or a (child), character, and each child had a name. That way I could differentiate between characters and what was going on in each chapter. The reading style of the narrator/reader seemed to bring each voice and the text to life, in a not too loud clear voice, but very distinct, as if I was there with the characters while the talking was going on. Or if there was a problem to be solved, during the listening process, I listened more intently. Also, in my opinion, the narrator/reader seemed to be talking to me as though I was in the same room with her. Especially as each story or problem was talked about or talked through.
The pacing wasn't too fast or too slow. I was able to keep up with each sequence, and the pauses in between each character and each chapter. The stories and problems seemed to flow along and were brought out step by step until the closing of the book, and there was that soft, soothing music again. which fascinated this listener. Because the author seemed to bring the characters to life through each story or problem by expressing what was written in the text. To me, that took great skill.
Also, in my opinion, the author knew what the narrator/reader was talking about in the book, and the narrator/reader knew what the author wanted and needed for the audio-book and the text to come out the way the author wanted it to as each chapter by chapter sequence was introduced throughout the audio-book by the narrator/reader. This, to me was very effective indeed. It was like, the narrator/reader and the author each knew what the other wanted.
This book impacted me more as an audio-book rather than just a book to be read because of the way the format was set up for this audio-book. The author wrote and kept everything separate and in its own place step-by-step. I really liked this audio-book and recommend it highly!

I absolutely loved this audiobook! This book was very helpful and provided lots of tips on how to deal with a very common problem: anxiety. As citizens during this time (COVID-19, climate change, etc.), kids gain knowledge on a lot of subjects that could provide stress. I am happy that there are books bringing these issues to light! When I was younger, I definitely did not get spoken to on how to deal with general stress and anxiety. I wish I had.

"When the World Feels Like a Scary Place" is great for parents with kids of all ages, and the tone of this book was amazing. I loved the narrator of this story, and the whole idea of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the free ARC of this book.

I listened to When The World Is A Scary Place on audio. The narrator is perfect for this book.
I really liked this book, she (author) starts out by explaining that our children, mostly learn about their emotions from watching the parents, and teaches you how to remain calm and talk to your child about what’s bothering them and how to teach your child about emotions. She goes on, teaching you to talk to your child in many different situations. She provides games/exercises for you and your child.

A lot of good possible things to say and how to say them in various different situations that children may encounter as they grow up. This is the kind of book you could pull out and read the section that you need to again if/when your child has questions or experiences any of the scenarios that are explained. Helpful from an adult perspective as well to see how to approach different possible conversations and how to help your child cope with a lot of different things in our world.

When the World Feels Like a Scary Place gives us answers to our frequent questions. How to fight all the fear we are facing these days, and how to talk to children about that? How to raise children to be confident and independent in a world that seems so scary? You will see how our emotions drive our fears and reactions. With practical exercises.

This is a book that every parent should read. You will learn how to deal with your emotions and how to talk with children about delicate matters.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this! All opinions are my own.

This is a great resource for any parent, caregiver, educator. Anxiety is on the rise among youth and children and Gewirtz does a great job at providing real, applicable information for the conversations we need to be having with our kids. Given the current pandemic and uneasiness of whether or not to go back to school this is a valuable resource to make sure you're having the right conversations with your kids and not using your own narrative to color theirs.

When the World Feels Like a Scary Place should be suggested reading for all parents navigating through the digital and emotionally overwhelming world we live in. I wouldn't even consider myself an anxious parent but there are so many trick and tools to help understand new issues. The author is a child psychologist and mother of four, which gives the data and advice such a personal touch. The audiobook was perfectly narrated by Robin Miles, who has such a soothing and calm voice - perfect for this book!

This is a must read/must listen book. I like the narration. It made me feel like I'm listening to my favorite podcast. Still, it's better to have the book version while listening to it because this is a bit interactive and the illustrations being told by the narrator are in the book version. It is recommended to parents for them to learn how to be able to communicate with their children the proper way despite them being so busy with work.