Can we be friends with anyone? (Michael, Age 9) | 141

Re-release of Ep. 108 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Strategies for facing fears | Friendship advice for kids FREE guide for parents: 12 ways to help your child make friends https://drfriendtastic.com/gift/ Parents, check out my online workshops for kids at learn.eileenkennedymoore.com. Would YOUR KID like to be featured on the podcast? SUBMIT A QUESTION TO DR. FRIENDTASTIC at https://DrFriendtastic.com/submit (Obviously, this is not psychotherapy, and it’s not for emergency situations.) For an easy-to-read TRANSCRIPT, go to: https://DrFriendtastic.com/podcast/ Like the podcast? Check out my books at https://EileenKennedyMoore.com. Subscribe to my NEWSLETTER, https://DrFriendtastic.substack.com, to get podcast episodes sent to your email plus articles for parents. *** DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: – What were you afraid of when you were younger but aren't afraid of now? How did you become unafraid of that? – Think of a time when you felt anxious in a social situation. What thoughts were going through your mind (i.e., what were you afraid might happen)? How did you handle the situation? – Dr. Friendtastic said, "Feeling anxious can lead them to avoid social situations, but that guarantees they're not going to build the friendships they want." How could you explain that in your own words? – There are two main ways to cope with anxiety: Jump right in or go in toe-by-toe. Which do you generally prefer and why?

Re-release of Ep. 125 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Adding to the fun | Friendship advice for kids FREE guide for parents: 12 ways to help your child make friends https://drfriendtastic.com/gift/ Parents, check out my online workshops for kids at learn.eileenkennedymoore.com. Would YOUR KID like to be featured on the podcast? SUBMIT A QUESTION TO DR. FRIENDTASTIC at https://DrFriendtastic.com/submit (Obviously, this is not psychotherapy, and it’s not for emergency situations.) For an easy-to-read TRANSCRIPT, go to: https://DrFriendtastic.com/podcast/ Like the podcast? Check out my books at https://EileenKennedyMoore.com. Subscribe to my NEWSLETTER, https://DrFriendtastic.substack.com, to get podcast episodes sent to your email plus articles for parents. *** DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: – What are some ways to pick teams that are fair and kind to everyone? – Why is it sometimes hard for kids to be a good sport? – How do you decide who to play with at recess? (Hint: What might make you choose to try to join one group of kids but not another?) – Have you ever "started the fun" at recess? If so, what did you do? If not, what fun game or activity could you try to start with other kids?

Ep. 165 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Smoothing over friction in friendship | Friendship advice for kids FREE guide for parents: 12 ways to help your child make friends https://drfriendtastic.com/gift/ Parents, check out my online workshops for kids at workshops.eileenkennedymoore.com. Would YOUR KID like to be featured on the podcast? SUBMIT A QUESTION TO DR. FRIENDTASTIC at https://DrFriendtastic.com/submit (Obviously, this is not psychotherapy, and it’s not for emergency situations.) For an easy-to-read TRANSCRIPT, go to: https://DrFriendtastic.com/podcast/ Like the podcast? Check out my books at https://EileenKennedyMoore.com. Subscribe to my NEWSLETTER, https://DrFriendtastic.substack.com, to get podcast episodes sent to your email plus articles for parents. *** DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: - What does friction mean? Why is it always part of friendship? - What do you expect from a close friend (versus a stranger)? What could you do if a friend doesn’t meet those expectations? - When (not if) a friend does something you don’t like, why is it NOT helpful to assume that means they are a mean and terrible friend? - Why is it not a good idea to insist that a friend always has to play only with you? (Hint: How might that make the friend feel?) = How could caring about a friend help smooth out friction between the two of you?

Ep. 164 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Avoiding empathy blindspots | Friendship advice for kids FREE guide for parents: 12 ways to help your child make friends https://drfriendtastic.com/gift/ Parents, check out my online workshops for kids at workshops.eileenkennedymoore.com. Would YOUR KID like to be featured on the podcast? SUBMIT A QUESTION TO DR. FRIENDTASTIC at https://DrFriendtastic.com/submit (Obviously, this is not psychotherapy, and it’s not for emergency situations.) For an easy-to-read TRANSCRIPT, go to: https://DrFriendtastic.com/podcast/ Like the podcast? Check out my books at https://EileenKennedyMoore.com. Subscribe to my NEWSLETTER, https://DrFriendtastic.substack.com, to get podcast episodes sent to your email plus articles for parents. *** DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: - Sometimes kids think they only have to be kind to people they know and like. What could you say to argue against that idea? - What do you expect from a close friend? What do you expect from someone who is not your friend? How and why are these expectations different? - Why would it be unkind to have a party and invite everyone in a group except one person? What could you do instead? - What is an empathy blindspot? - How might being mean to someone end up hurting you?

Ep. 163 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Why friends lie and what to do about it | Friendship advice for kids FREE guide for parents: 12 ways to help your child make friends https://drfriendtastic.com/gift/ Parents, check out my online workshops for kids at workshops.eileenkennedymoore.com. Would YOUR KID like to be featured on the podcast? SUBMIT A QUESTION TO DR. FRIENDTASTIC at https://DrFriendtastic.com/submit (Obviously, this is not psychotherapy, and it’s not for emergency situations.) For an easy-to-read TRANSCRIPT, go to: https://DrFriendtastic.com/podcast/ Like the podcast? Check out my books at https://EileenKennedyMoore.com. Subscribe to my NEWSLETTER, https://DrFriendtastic.substack.com, to get podcast episodes sent to your email plus articles for parents. *** DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: - Why is it sometimes hard for kids to tell the truth? (Hint: What might they be afraid could happen if they tell the truth?) - What’s the difference between lying and saying something that’s not true? (Hint: What are some examples of statements that are not true but also not a lie?) - How might telling lies hurt a friendship? - Do you think telling a lie can ever be a kind thing to do? Why or why not? - Why is it not a good idea to accuse a friend of being a liar?