Respectful Parenting: Janet Lansbury Unruffled

Parenting in Anxious Times (with Susan Stiffelman, MFT)

Mar 20, 2020

Susan Stiffelman, an author and therapist, shares valuable insights on parenting during turbulent times. She emphasizes age-appropriate communication strategies to help children, especially anxious ones, understand complex topics like current events. The discussion explores how parents' anxieties can affect their kids and offers practical techniques for reassurance. Stiffelman also highlights the importance of creating safe spaces for children to express their fears, fostering autonomy and resilience in the face of uncertainty.

23:09

Episode guests

Susan Stiffelman

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Parenting during anxious times requires parents to manage their own fears to avoid transmitting anxiety to their children.

Effective communication with young children about uncertainties involves using relatable language and engaging activities to promote understanding and security.

Deep dives

Managing Parental Anxiety

Addressing a child's anxiety, particularly during uncertain times, begins with managing the parent's own fears. Children are highly perceptive and often look to their parents for cues on how to react to situations. It is crucial for parents to express their concerns in a safe space with trusted adults, thereby preventing their anxieties from being transmitted to their children. Maintaining a calm and confident demeanor while discussing sensitive topics can help reassure young children that everything will be okay.

Intro

4min

Supporting Children Amid Uncertainty

5min

Understanding and Explaining Change to Children

3min

Empowering Children Through Uncertain Times

10min

Finding Resilience and Connection in Parenting

2min

In these rapidly changing, unsettling times, as families are hunkering down and lives are put on hold, Janet is joined by author and therapist Susan Stiffelman to answer a parent’s concerns about discussing current events with her 4-year old. She describes her daughter as inquisitive, sensitive, and a child who tends to ask a lot of questions, and she wants to be as honest as possible without alarming her. “I want to use language that is appropriate and that she can understand, but also have it in the back of my mind she tends to be anxious and worry about things.”

For more advice on common parenting issues, please check out Janet's best-selling books on Audible, FREE with a 30-day trial membership if you use this link: adbl.co/2OBVztZ.

Paperbacks and e-books are also available at Amazon, Google Play, Barnes & Noble and Apple Books.

Janet's exclusive audio series "Sessions" is available for download. This is a collection of recorded one-on-one consultations with parents discussing their most immediate and pressing concerns (www.SessionsAudio.com).

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