Building Friendships and Social Skills with Caroline Maguire, PCC, M.Ed.

riendships are such a wonderful and special part of life. From memory making to going through the highs and lows with your peers makes life so much richer. As a child, learning social skills and how friendships fit is a huge learning curve as they go through their childhood and find their ‘people’. As a parent, how do you connect and how do you teach your kids basic social skills and about what a great friendship can be? 

Today Janine is joined by Caroline Maguire and in this episode they discuss:

Replay: Movement Strategies for Adults

During the week what physical exercise do you do? Or which would you like to do? Today Janine looks at movement coping styles, specifically big body movement and how exercise helps your mental health and not just your physical and cognitive functioning. Did you know that those who exercise have fewer days of poor mental health than those who don’t exercise. But what is the best activity for you and your lifestyle?

In this episode Janine discusses…

Replay: Distraction Strategies for Adults

Playing is one of the biggest stress relievers in adults just as much as kids. It can help us look at life differently, have a break from life, be creative and lift your mood. In this episode Janine mentions a book called Play by Stuart Brown and Christopher Vaughan and some of the areas of play which are helpful tips and reminders. 

In this episode Janine discusses:

Replay: Relaxation Strategies for Adults

What do you enjoy and makes you happy? Knowing what is really important to you, may be different to other people and how your mind and body works is really key to finding the best relaxation strategies for you. Some strategies will work some days and may work better on different days.

Today in the episode we’ll discuss the following strategies…

Replay: Deep Breathing Strategies for Adults

Have you ever felt like you’re in fight, flight and freeze mode? Does the situation you’re facing feel really intense and you need to take a moment to pause? Whether high stress situations or whether you’re doing a presentation, deep breathing strategies can help you get to the ‘rest and digest’ space. 

In this episode Janine discusses:

Three Playful Ways to Explore Feelings with Kids

What does happy feel like? What about being nervous? Sad or excited? Learning to identify feelings is so important for kids - when kids can label their feelings, it’s easier for them to self-regulate. One of the best ways to learn is through play, and you can work on feelings identification in fun and playful ways. 

In this episode Janine discusses:

Practicing SEL through Play: An Interview with Yara Habanbou from Sea of Knowledge

How do we teach our children social and emotional awareness in a fun and play filled way? Eventually our children will become adults so when they walk out into the world, we want them to step into their lives as aware and in control of their emotions as possible. 

In this episode we discuss:

Ways to Connect with Kids and Teens

Building a strong connection with our children is really important and taking the time to invest in our relationships with them at each stage of childhood and into the teenage years. Today Janine considers the opportunities we create for them to share what they like and what you enjoy also in day to day life. How can we connect with our kids well so that when they face challenges or difficulties they feel like they can come speak with you, the parent? 

In this episode we discuss strategies for connecting well, including:

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