App will help preschool children cope with anxiety

A campaigning mum has launched a crowdfunder in a bid to build a digital app helping pre-school children with anxiety.

Christina Cran lives with Type One diabetes which led to her experiencing anxiety as well as making her young son worrying about her health.

Her two-and-a-half year-old son Fin would ask questions which she couldn’t answer so she thought about developing an interactive app to help.

Christina said: "He wasn't in a great space. It was heartbreaking to listen to him and realise the impact my health was having on him.

"Knowing how much childhood experiences can affect your entire life, I wanted to help him overcome the fear and anxiety he was showing but didn't know how."

Christina took up meditation to deal with her anxiety and wanted to share this technique with others. She taught Fin breathing techniques she had learnt through meditation which made him much calmer.

It inspired her to mount a crowdfunding campaign has now been launched aiming to raise at least £7,000 to develop the app called Wee Seeds.

The app uses mindfulness and meditation-based games to help with anxiety.

A prototype launched in summer was successfully received by parents after they reviewed it.

Three quarters of the parents said they noticed a positive difference in their children and themselves after using the app.

Kirsty Comley trialled the app with her daughter Sofia when she was starting school,

She said: "Sometimes you feel like you're constantly asking 'what did you do today?' and the same response 'oh, I don't remember' so this app is a great tool to get them to open up.

"I felt like it wasn't me that was asking all the time."