The world can be a scary place for a child. There are so many new things to deal with and it takes courage to do them. Courage is sometimes hard to find. Feeling uncomfortable when faced with something new or different is all part of the learning experience.

‘Courage’ presents situations that children might experience and may, for some, require courage to participate or engage in. Courage to jump in and join friends in the pool or to speak to the new girl. Courage to appear on stage or to own up to mistakes and courage to keep trying at a new skill.

Moving to a new school or town or even a new country requires courage, and it can be hard. People may stare at you because you are new and maybe look or dress a little differently. Their words may sound strange and difficult to understand. You may feel very alone and anxious. It takes courage to go somewhere new, to go right out of your comfort zone. Even if it takes time there are skills you can learn and there are caregivers who can help.

The book encourages the positive benefits of having courage. New friends, learning how good you are at something. Learning that if you try you do not need to be perfect and that we all make mistakes and can learn from them. It means doing things that are important even if they are scary. It means not overestimating the possibility of something bad happening but understanding that while there may be risks there are also the rewards of doing something difficult or new.

Supportive adults can be of great assistance in nurturing courage in children. Adults can help children acknowledge their feelings and, if needed, identify solutions. Adults can help children break things into clear manageable goals, teach them strategies to manage anxious feelings, offer praise for their efforts and encourage them to keep trying.

In 2025, NCACL created a bibliography on Anxiety and Worry which may be of value in helping children how to deal with anxiety

https://www.ncacl.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Anxiety-and-Worry-May-2025-1.pdf

1. Empathy
2. Friendship
3. Hope
4. Kindness
5. Resilience
6. Respect