Ep. 118 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: What to do when everyone else seems paired up | 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:

- Have you ever had a best friend? What did you do to build your friendship?

- Dr. Friendtastic said, “Friendships aren’t all or nothing.” What does that mean?

- How might increasing your kind actions lead to more friends or closer friends?

- Why is getting together with a friend outside of where you have to see them a good way to deepen friendships? [Hint: What does the invitation communicate to the friend?]

- How is a friend different from a chair (other than appearance)?

*** You might also like these podcast episodes:

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

Ep. 48 - New friend claims to be best friend (Lily, Age 6)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/lily-age-6-new-friend-claims-to-be-best-friend

Ep. 46 - Wishing for a best friend (Anna, Age 9)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/anna-age-9-wishing-for-best-friend

Hi there,

Jealousy & Openness Part 2 is now available, wrapping up the theme I hosted this week in the Big Emotions series.

This episode focuses on practical strategies that kids can use when jealousy shows up in their friendships. Instead of letting these feelings break their friendships, children can learn to approach them with curiosity and use them to understand what matters to them.

Next up:

* Anger & Forgiveness (Sept 30, Oct 2) - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is featured

* Belonging & Independence (Oct 7, 9) - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is featured

* Embarrassment & Pride (Oct 14, 16)

* Love & Sadness (Oct 21, 23)

* Endings & Beginnings (Oct 28, 30)

I've also created downloadable SEL Activity Sheets for each episode to help you continue the conversation at home and deepen what your child learns from the episode: Activity Sheets (PDFs)

Listen to the rest of the episodes wherever you get your podcasts: https://pod.link/1502915722

I hope this is helpful for your family! Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Warm wishes, Dr. Eileen

Hi there,

I’m hosting this week’s theme in the Big Emotions: Kids Listen Mashups About Feelings series!

Jealousy & Openness Part 1 is available now, and I'm honored to guide the conversation around some of the most complex emotions kids face in friendships.

If you're just learning about this, Big Emotions is a limited podcast series created with my friends from Kids Listen, Tal Kelly and Jenna Clarke. The series explores 7 emotional themes through 14 episodes, released on Tuesdays and Thursdays through October 30th. Each week, it shines a light on different feelings pairs. The series features clips from over 40 podcasts for kids.

What’s coming up

* Jealousy & Openness (Sept 23, 25) - I'm hosting these!

* Anger & Forgiveness (Sept 30, Oct 2) - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is featured

* Belonging & Independence (Oct 7, 9) - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is featured

* Embarrassment & Pride (Oct 14, 16)

* Love & Sadness (Oct 21, 23)

* Endings & Beginnings (Oct 28, 30)

This week we're exploring jealousy and envy, which we know can be tricky feelings - they can sting, make us compare ourselves to others, or worry we'll lose someone important to us. But they can also be helpful, pointing us toward what matters most and motivating us to grow.

In today's episode, you'll learn the difference between jealousy and envy, explore their opposites (like openness, compassion, and contentment), and hear how kids and families deal with these feelings with curiosity and kindness.

The episode features stories from Girl Tales and Sleep Tight Stories, as well as Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic, all woven together to help kids understand that these big emotions are normal and manageable.

Part 2 comes on Thursday, where we'll go further into how kids can handle jealousy in ways that strengthen rather than damage their relationships.

I've also created downloadable SEL Activity Sheets for each episode to help you continue the conversation at home and deepen what your child learns from the episode: Activity Sheets (PDFs)

Listen to the rest of the episodes wherever you get your podcasts: https://pod.link/1502915722

I can't wait for you to hear what we've created together. Please lest me know what you think!

Warm wishes, Dr. Eileen