Babies, toddlers, and young children are always looking to their parents for guidance, so they are naturally very good at understanding expressions and behaviors. If you feel anxious about something, they will start to feel anxious too.

“You’re handing your child over to someone else, so it’s normal to worry. But try not to show it – a lot of the reason kids get anxious is because they sense their parents are anxious,’ explains Linda.

Try to be excited and positive about a planned trip, even if you feel a little anxious about it – this will affect the child. Don’t overdo it though…

“Be careful not to get too hyper,” says Linda. “Although children are quite good at interpreting negative versus positive emotions, they are better at capturing emotion intensity.

“So if you say, ‘WOW, THIS IS GOING TO BE SO BIG!’this can be just as frightening as if the parent were truly anxious. It’s a fun, “Wow, isn’t that cute?” “You’re going to end up doing what mommy and daddy do.”