The book behind the method
Scaredies Away
Confident Kids. Never Give Up. I've Got This.
A warm, practical guide that gives kids and parents a shared language for anxiety — and a simple, proven path through it. Co-authored by a certified school psychologist and Barry McDonagh, bestselling author of Dare- The New Way To End Anxiety An Stop Panic Attacks, Scaredies Away makes the hard stuff feel totally doable.
Scaredies Away!
The Story
Meet the Characters (inside and outside of the book!)
Every child who has ever felt a flutter of fear will find a friend in these pages.
Jack
The Hero
Jack is a curious, big-hearted kid who gets the Scaredies — those wobbly, what-if feelings that show up at bedtime, before school, or out of nowhere. He doesn't know it yet, but he's about to discover something powerful: he's been in charge all along.
Miss Stacy (and Jack!)
The Guide
Warm, steady, and always in Jack's corner — Miss Stacy doesn't fix things for him. She hands him the tools and steps back. Her superpower? Believing in kids before they believe in themselves.
Jack's Mom and Dad
The ParentS
Mom and Dad love Jack fiercely and wants nothing more than to take his worries away. Sound familiar? Jack's mom learns something too — that the best thing she can do is trust him to handle it, with just a little help from the right tools.
Jack's Family Portrait
support system
Meet Jack’s Family- Behind Jack is a family that loves him, cheers him on, and wants to help him grow—without taking every scary feeling away for him. Mom and Dad are there with reassurance, patience, and plenty of encouragement, while his little sister adds her own dose of fun to family life. They remind us of something every parent can relate to: we can’t face every fear for our kids, but we can give them the tools, support, and confidence to discover that they can face them themselves. And when Jack starts realizing, “I can do this,” his whole family is right there cheering him on.
Clay
The Friend and Cousin
Clay is Jack's big cousin — easygoing, fun, and totally unfazed by the things that trip Jack up. He understands all about getting scared. But he no longer runs from his fears. He learned the MFC from his surfer buddies and can't wait to share that tool with Jack! Sometimes that's exactly what a kid needs.
The Scaredies
The Worry Crew
Loud, wiggly, and a little dramatic — the Scaredies are the feelings that love to make things seem bigger than they are. They're not villains, though. Once Jack learns to name them and talk back, they shrink right down to size.
The Ride Attendant
The Gatekeeper
He's just doing his job — but to Jack, he's the final test. Getting past the Scaredies and stepping up to that ride is the moment everything Jack learned comes together. The attendant doesn't know it, but he's part of the story.
“Scaredies Away is a wonderful resource for children and parents dealing with anxiety and worry. It presents complex psychological concepts in a fun, accessible way that children can easily understand and apply. I highly recommend it.”
Dr. Harry Barry
Author of Anxiety and Panic: How to Reshape Your Anxious Mind and Brain
The Story
As young as 4+ have loved Scaredies Away!