“When Joseph would get scared about sleeping alone, Jessica and her husband, Chris Calise, did what he asked and comforted him. ‘In my mind, I was doing the right thing,’ she says. ‘I would say, ‘I’m right outside the door’ or ‘Come sleep in my bed.’ I’d do whatever I could to make him feel not anxious or worried.’ But this comforting — something psychologists call accommodation — can actually be counterproductive for children with anxiety disorders.” (My mom and three older sisters are nodding their heads right now…) NPR: For Kids With Anxiety, Parents Learn To Let Them Face Their Fears. (In Jewish families, it’s less about helping our kids face their fears and more about confirming that their fears are entirely justified.)