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Why are so many kids today more anxious than ever, and what can parents actually do about it?

In our newest podcast episode, ESF Co-Founder Michael Rouse sits down with Dr. Muniya Khanna, one of the country’s leading voices on childhood anxiety, and a former ESF summer counselor, for an honest conversation about raising emotionally healthy kids in a world built on comparison and pressure.

Meet Dr. Muniya Khanna

Dr. Khanna is a clinical psychologist, author, and nationally recognized expert in childhood anxiety and OCD based in the Greater Philadelphia area. As the founder of the OCD & Anxiety Institute and former faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, she helped establish the evidence base for cognitive behavioral therapy in children, and has spent her career developing the kind of practical, evidence-based tools that actually work in real life.

She pioneered some of the first digital mental health programs designed specifically for children, Camp Cope-A-Lot, and is the author of The Resilience Recipe: Raising Fearless Kids in the Age of Anxiety and The Worry Workbook for Kids. In other words: when she shares what she wishes more parents knew, it’s worth leaning in.

A Few Ideas That Reframe Everything

• Anxiety is almost always worse before the thing than during it. Understanding that one fact changes how you coach a nervous kid through the doorway.
• The power of the word “yet.” What it does for a child who’s convinced they “can’t” — and how to put it to work.
• How smartphones are fueling the anxiety and depression crisis in ways most parents don’t fully understand.
• Being present has nothing to do with attending every game. Dr. Khanna unpacks what being present actually means.

The Four Ps and a Lifestyle of Approach

At the heart of the episode is Dr. Khanna’s framework for a grounded, fulfilling family life, the four Ps: People, Purpose, Perspective, and Pursuit. Research points to these as the real ingredients of a meaningful life, and Dr. Khanna shows parents how to build a home around them.

Paired with that is the central shift of the whole conversation: a Lifestyle of Approach. Instead of helping kids avoid what scares them, it’s about helping them lean into challenge head-on, because facing the hard thing, with support, is exactly how kids build resilience, distress tolerance, and earned confidence.

It’s also why camp environments like ESF are uniquely powerful places for kids to build these emotional muscles. The manageable challenges, the supportive adults, the freedom from performance pressure, they add up to what ESF calls MaxJoy: a life intentionally built around meaning, positivity, and fulfillment.

Listen, Then Act

This conversation will change the way you think about anxiety, challenge, and what your kids are really capable of. It’s the language, the tools, and the encouragement to build a family life full of MaxJoy.

“Anxiety in Youth & the Challenges It Brings to Families” is available now wherever you get your podcasts.

If you’re ready to give your child a summer that builds something real, find your ESF Camps location to explore program offerings and dates to experience MaxJoy this summer. From STEAM and sports to multi-activity and social development, there’s a track designed for exactly where your kid is right now. 

Living MaxJoy is brought to you by ESF Camps & Experiences in partnership with Nemours Children’s Health. Learn more about our partnership with Nemours.