Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Friendship Advice for Kids (K-8) cover art

Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Friendship Advice for Kids (K-8)

Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Friendship Advice for Kids (K-8)

By: Eileen Kennedy-Moore PhD author psychologist focusing on children's feelings children's friendships parenting mental health.
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About this listen

Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is a weekly, 5-min. podcast for children about making and keeping friends. Each episode features an audio recording of a question about friendship from a kid (gr. K-8) plus a practical and thought-provoking answer from Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD, (aka Dr. Friendtastic,) an author and clinical psychologist based in Princeton, NJ. For transcripts and discussion questions: https://DrFriendtastic.com/podcast. To submit a question: https://DrFriendtastic.com/submit. For parent resources: https://EileenKennedyMoore.com

drfriendtastic.substack.comEileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD
Episodes
  • When you cry easily (Beth, Age 6)
    Dec 13 2025

    Ep. 128 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: 5 Things to Do When You Feel Like Crying But Don't Want To | Friendship advice for kids

    Parents, check out my online workshops for kids at workshops.eileenkennedymoore.com.

    FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://eileenkennedymoore.ck.page/e37dcc098f

    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:

    - Think of a time you cried recently. What triggered your tears? Were you alone or with others? If you were with others, how did they respond?

    - Everyone cries sometimes. What do you think are some good or not-so-good places to cry? Why? [Hint: Who’s around and how are they likely to respond?]

    - Have you ever tried to comfort a friend who was crying? What did you do?

    - Dr. Friendtastic mentioned 5 self-soothing strategies to use when you feel like crying but don’t want to cry. Which of these appeals to you? What other strategies might be helpful?

    - Research says that females tend to cry more often than males. Why do you think that is?

    *** You might also like these podcast episodes:

    Ep. 102 - How to express your feelings with friends (Aida, Age 5)

    https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep102-how-to-express-your-feelings-with-friends

    Ep. 97 - How and why to understand a friend’s feelings (Zoya, age 5)

    https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep97-how-and-why-to-understand-a-friends

    Ep. 5 - Friend doesn’t want what I want (Edith, age 8)

    https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-episode-af3



    Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe
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    8 mins
  • Friend wants space (Sloane, Age 6)
    Dec 7 2025

    Ep. 127 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Closeness vs. separateness in friendship | Friendship advice for kids

    Parents, check out my online workshops for kids at workshops.eileenkennedymoore.com.

    FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://eileenkennedymoore.ck.page/e37dcc098f

    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:

    - How have you tried to learn about other cultures? (Hint: Do you know any words in a different language? Have you eaten food from a different culture? Have you had the chance to travel to different countries? Have you read books about someone who lives in a different country or comes from a different culture?)

    - Do you like physical affection with friends or do you prefer a hands-off style of relating? How do you let friends know what you prefer?

    - Has a friend ever told you they wanted space from you or didn’t want to be your friend anymore? What happened?

    - Have you ever wanted physical or emotional space from a friend? How did you handle that?

    *** You might also like these podcast episodes:

    Ep. 123 - How to Keep Friends (Eva, Age 6) https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep123-how-to-keep-friends-eva-age-6

    Ep. 111 - Friend won’t forgive her (Thea, Age 10) https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep111-friend-wont-forgive-her-thea-age11

    Ep. 73 - Best friend suddenly stops playing with him (J.J., Age 11) https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep73-jj-age-11-best-friend-stops-playing-with-him



    Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe
    Show More Show Less
    7 mins
  • The Right Gift for a Friend (Saanvi, Age 12)
    Nov 29 2025

    Re-release Ep. 37 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: The Joy of Giving | Friendship advice for kids

    Parents, check out my online workshops for kids at workshops.eileenkennedymoore.com.

    FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://eileenkennedymoore.ck.page/e37dcc098f

    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 is the best gift you ever received from a friend? What makes you think it’s the best?

    - Why do you think Saanvi’s parents don’t want her to give her friend an expensive gift? What are some reasons why giving a friend an expensive gift might not be a good idea?

    - What is something you gave to a friend that didn’t cost any money, but the friend really liked it?

    - Dr. Friendtastic listed a bunch of ideas of possible gifts for a friend that cost little or no money: teaching the friend something, helping a friend with chores, makin a drawing or a craft, yummy food, a photo collage, a slide show, or a video about the two of you, writing a letter or a card telling the friend how much they mean to you. Which of those would you most like to receive? Which of these–or another idea–would you most like to give to a friend?

    *** You might also like these podcast episodes:

    Ep. 47 - Why friendships matter (Brayden, Age 9) https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/brayden-age-9-why-are-friends-important

    Ep. 67: Choosing good friends (Paul, Age 12) https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/paul-age-12-choosing-friends-who

    Ep. 123 - How to keep friends (Eva, Age 6) https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep123-how-to-keep-friends-eva-age-6



    Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe
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    6 mins
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