196 The Explosive Childiety. Can Plan B reduce a child’s anxiety and irritability?
Absolutely—by helping parent and child solve the prob-
lems that are contributing to the irritability and anxiety
in the first place. In other words, many children’s irri-
tability and anxiety can be traced back to chronic prob-
lems that have perpetually gone unsolved. Might the
child be less anxious if we finally found a way to solve
the problem of the monster under the bed? Might the
child’s anxiety be reduced and mood be enhanced if the
problem of being bullied at school was finally durably
solved? If the problem of an unrecognized learning dis-
ability that has been adversely affecting his academic
performance was finally durably solved? If his father’s
alcoholism was finally acknowledged and addressed?
Medicine doesn’t solve these problems, and neither do con-
sequences. Only solving problems solves problems.
Cognitive Flexibility Skills.As you may recall, children whose difficulties stem
from the cognitive flexibility pathway typically approach
the world in a very black-and-white, literal, rigid manner.
They have difficulties with grayer aspects of living, such
as problem solving, social interactions, and unpredictable
circumstances. In different ways, each of the three steps
of Plan B can be extremely useful in helping these chil-