We create more kindness by being kind.
-Katie Hurley
Have you ever considered sharing a journal with your kids? Sometimes your child may come home and isn’t ready to share about your day. Journaling is an opportunity to see how your child views the world while you’re living the same moments. It can open up opportunities to be empathic to situations that you weren’t experiencing in the same way. It can create a safe space for questions to be asked, that you weren’t aware that they were worrying about.
In this episode Katie and Janine discuss:
Where do you begin when you want to teach kids coping skills? Janine has a five step system she uses to help kids learn and use coping strategies, starting with connection, and finishing up with making a personal coping toolkit for kids.
In this episode Janine speaks about:
Sometimes it's some of the simple things in your day to day like a game you like to play that remind you of a few strategies and values in life that are helpful to keep you going.
In this episode, Janine speaks about the game Stardew Valley and the reminders of life lessons that she holds and was reminded of from playing this video game. She speaks about:
When you label your feelings, it can help you regulate your emotions better. How do you explore feelings with your child in a fun way? One of the ways to explore this with your child is via reading a story. So why not head to your local library and check out one of the following feeling focused books:
There are a lot of big emotions happening right now, and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share a coping skill that I wrote about in the Coping Skills for Teens Workbook - Channeling Big Emotions into Positive Energy. Take a listen to the podcast as I read this section of the book. My hope is that you are inspired to use your energy in a positive way.
Staying in touch and talking with others can increase our joy and lessen our sorrow. This time in our lives is challenging, and continuing to give and get support from friends and family is a way to cope with all the stress we feel. In this podcast episode, I discuss some ideas for keeping in touch with one another even when we’re physically apart. There are lots of ways to stay connected even when we can’t share the same space. Take a listen!
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been getting requests for play ideas and coping skills kids can use, so I’ve been thinking about ways that I can get more information and resources available.
I’m going to be making short videos on YouTube with simple play ideas and simple coping skills kids can use. They are kid-appropriate, so they can watch and then try the play idea or do the coping skill.
How are you doing?
This is such a hectic and strange time. I had plans to talk about something completely different during this podcast episode, but things have significantly ramped up in terms of school closures, working from home, and other disruptions due to the spread of COVID-19. In fact, I basically put some other things on hold, and I started writing in an effort to help families.
"Literally, it worked!"
Recently, one of my teen clients said about the coping skill I cover in this podcast. I'm always thrilled when a coping skill works for a client of mine. She struggles with anxiety, and we've talked about a ton of different coping skills, but this was the first time she ever used that phrasing. To hear more about what this coping skill is, take a liste
On today’s podcast, I quickly re-visit one of my favorite ways to help kids see the impact their words can have on others. Then I talk about two more ways to help kids & teens understand the impact their words can have on other people. It's a great way to encourage them to think before they speak (or post). Here’s a sneak peek into what you’ll hear: