Being nervous from time to time and feeling “butterflies in my stomach” is a normal part of childhood and, indeed, adulthood. Speaking as a parent, I think I was more anxious the first day of kindergarten than any of my three children were. They happily walked into class while I stood on the blacktop until my wife told me it was time to leave. Such situations are part of life and should not be considered an illness. (Had I not left the school yard, that would have been a different matter!) All children experience some anxiety – this is normal and expected. For example, when preparing for a …