Ep. 108: Strategies for facing fears | Friendship advice for kids

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 and webinars 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 pregfer and why?

*** 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. 95 - Handling embarrassing moments (Sara, Age 7)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep95-handling-embarrassing-moments-sara-age-7

Ep. 12 - Kid bullies him at recess (Adrian, Age 9)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep-12-adrian

Re-release of Ep. 47 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic | Friendship advice for kids

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 and webinars 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 do you think having good friends makes it easier for kids to cope with stress? How has a friend been kind or helpful to you when you’ve had to deal with difficult situations?

- How can too much conflict hurt a friendship?

- Why do you think kids sometimes stick with a low-quality friendship (where there’s a lot of conflict and not much fun or closeness)?

- What are some examples of things you’ve done to support or care for a friend?

- Think of a time you had a friendship rough spot. How did you handle it?

- Dr. Friendtastic says that learning to be a good friend “is a step toward peace and justice in the world.” Do you agree? Why or why not?

*** You might also like these podcast episodes:

Ep. 97 - How and why to understand a friend’s feelings (Zoya, Age 7)

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

Ep. 92 - What to say when a friend is feeling down (Mason, Age 13)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep92-mason-age-13-what-to-say-when-a-friend-feels-down

Ep. 44 - Change self to make friends? (Vera, Age 8)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/vera-age-8-change-self-to-make-friends

Ep. 107: Strategies for making wise choices

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 and webinars 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 when you were able to do what was right even though you were tempted to do something else. How did you do that? What helped you have self-control?

- Why do you think it’s sometimes hard to have self-control?

- Dr. Friendtastic mentioned three strategies for self-control: 1) change the situation, 2) replace the behavior (do something else), and 3) use self-talk. Which do you think is the easiest strategy to use? Which have you found to be the most helpful?

- Think of an area in your life where you’d like to have more self-control. (Hint: It could be related to a bad habit you have or something you’ve done in the past that has caused problems in your relationships.) If you were going to use self-talk to give yourself a pep talk about doing the right thing in this area from now on, what would you say to yourself

*** You might also like these podcast episodes:

Ep. 53 - How to stay calm when someone is bragging (Lillian, Age 11)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/lillian-age-11-how-to-stay-calm-when

Ep. 52 - Friend's parents don't like him (Tyler, Age 12)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/tyler-age-12-friends-parents-dont

Ep. 70 - Knowing when and how to stop (Owen, Age 8)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep70-owen-age-8-stop-signals