However, every time she wanted to hop on, Mr Jitters would pop up out of nowhere and ruin her resolve.

``You can't do it,'' he'd say.

Alice's dad, who couldn't see Mr Jitters, believed his daughter was not up to riding, and put the bicycle away.

Luckily Alice was able to explain Mr Jitters to her dad and they worked out a solution.

Mr Jitters is a character invented by Kerry Moss in collaboration with fellow staff at Southern Community Welfare at Kirrawee to help children deal with anxiety.

Mr Jitters is an anxiety monster who needs to be recognised and challenged rather than given power.

Written as a picture book, Mr Jitters is designed to be read and discussed by parents and children aged from four to 10 with the idea of finding ways of dealing with everyday fears.

``It is about helping families work through stressful moments to prevent mental illness later,'' said Ms Moss, a child and family therapist.

``We are a not for profit charitable organisation with a strong focus on serving the community in the areas of risk, resilience and early intervention.

``This book is a great preventative tool and we envisage many families will be strengthened by its use.''

The book was illustrated by Anneliese Dickson, a former student of Caringbah High School who has since moved to Queensland.

Mr Jitters is available at Southern Community Welfare: 2-4 Tea Gardens Avenue Kirrawee: 95450299.