Are there any goals that your child is still working towards? Are there anxiety triggers that your child still needs to work on? This will be the case for most families, and that’s okay! You may also be anticipating future events that are likely to cause your child anxiety (like starting a new school year, entering high school, or getting their driver’s license).
When Sophia and her mom looked back at her fears/worries and goals from the beginning of LUNA, they realized that they ran out of time to work on Sophia’s worries about accidents happening to her parents. Sophia often experiences anxiety when she is away from her parents because she is worried that something bad will happen to them. She texts them while she is at school to check in on them and worries a lot if her parents need to travel or if she must be away from them for a long time.
At first, Sophia chose not to prioritize this fear because her parents had not been traveling, and the only time she was away from them was during the school day. But it’s still important for her to work on this fear!
Sophia’s mom just started a new job that requires her to travel instead of work from home. Sophia and her mom decided to make a new plan of action for this fear so that Sophia is able to go about her school day without worrying about her mom getting hurt, especially now that her mom will be traveling more often.
George and his mom are also planning for the future after completing LUNA. They are thinking about the near and distant future to see what fears George might face. George will soon be getting his driver’s license, and he will need to start driving himself places as his schedule gets busier. Learning how to drive can be scary for anyone, but George is extra nervous about having to drive during storms or bad weather. George and his mom decide that they will use skills learned from LUNA and create a plan of action for driving during storms to help George with his anxiety in the future.
George’s mom has been reflecting on her own behavior as well. After learning about accommodation in Module 3, she noticed ways that she helped George avoid his anxieties (for example, by giving George too much hand sanitizer to carry with him and by wiping down doorknobs/counters before George touches them).
She learned that accommodation of a child’s anxiety is a very natural and universal instinct for a parent, as no one likes to see their child upset. However, she now understands that this is not helpful in the long run when dealing with anxiety. The more she helps George avoid his fear of germs, the more anxious Geroge will feel next time he encounters something dirty, and he will continue to rely on her and her help when he is anxious. George’s mom has decided to monitor these behaviors in the future
Planning for the Future
Now, take some time to brainstorm. Think about the anxiety-related obstacles that your child could face in the future by answering the questions below (or view on the Planning for the Future worksheet). These questions will help you determine what your child may need to work on moving forward.
- What fears/worries do my child and I want to keep working on? Are there any goals that we didn’t have time to focus on in LUNA?
- What things are important to your child and what things are important to your family? Would your child need to work on any fears/worries to do these things?
- What skills will my child need in the next few years? Is there anything that makes them anxious about entering new stages of life?
- Does your child have any anxieties or fears that might cause them or your family problems in the future (even if they don’t currently cause problems)?
