I'm pretty protective about unnecessarily triggering anxiety in my kids (we talk about guarding what "goes in" and avoid gratuitous violence/disturbing content in entertainment, for instance).
I don't think that's coddling--coddling is allowing your child to avoid any uncomfortable situation, IMO.
OTOH, if you have a clinically anxious child, you soon learn that normal things can be triggers. Those can't be avoided. Then the safest approach is to build coping skills and use systematic desensitization. I don't think that's coddling, either, but careful and compassionate.
Maybe contemporary parents are overly focused on protecting their children--but I still prefer that approach to throwing them to the wolves. I was a very anxious child, though, so my view is biased.
