Calm and Connected Podcast

How are your child's social skills right now?As our children have transitioned back into school from remote learning, they're interacting in person again, and I'm seeing and hearing about rusty social skills.They’ve been home for a long time and haven’t had many chances of interacting with a lot of people - likewise for us adults!In regards to school, children are facing added difficulties such as having to wear masks and some kids are struggling so in this episode I want to discuss some tips on how we can help our children brush up on their social skills and hopefully have some positive social experiences. Questions I will be discussing:How many kids should be at the playdate? How long should the playdate be? What activities should they be doing?If you need extra help, don’t forget I have a great resource for you - The Ultimate Playdate Guide!Digital format - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook/products/the-ultimate-playdate-guide-e-bookIn print - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook/products/the-ultimate-playdate-guide-printAbout The Host - Janine HalloranJanine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children, adolescents, and their families for over 20 years. She is the Founder of 'Coping Skills for Kids', where she creates products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. Janine also founded 'Encourage Play’ which dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! If you're interested in learning more about how to teach kids coping skills, download your free Coping Skills Toolkit:https://copingskillsforkids.com/newsletterThe Coping Skills Hub has everything you need to teach kids coping skills, learn more at https://copingskillsforkids.com/hubIf you'd like to purchase Janine's products, including the Coping Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Skills for Teens Workbook, Social Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Cue Cards, and more, visit https://store.copingskillsforkids.com or https://amazon.com/copingskillsforkidsConnect with Janine on Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janinehalloranlmhcInstagram @janine_halloran and @copingskillsforkidsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JanineHalloranLMHCPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/encourageplay/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-halloran-43787b7b/

In this episode I speak to my guest, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Jon Cunha about mental health in the sporting world. Due to the Olympics, we’ve seen several high profile athletes such as Simone Biles, Kevin Love and Michael Phelps speak out about their mental health issues and how they’re dealing with them. We also discussed how this is impacting the children of today, how they’re looking up to their sporting heroes speaking out about their mental health and opening up the conversation. Jon speaks about how he works with men differently to get them comfortable with therapy. Make sure to listen and subscribe to Jon’s Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grim-drive/id1546511204And remember, do not forget about yourself, take a few minutes for you and have a little fun!About The GuestJon Cunha is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with over a decade of experience in the field. Jon is the Co-Founder of Riser + Tread, a company dedicated to supporting others through a combination of therapy and coaching. Jon is also working as the Chief Performance Coach (CPC) for Cherish Health, Jon’s main purpose is to enhance employee wellbeing and performance from both an individual and an organizational level. He is enthusiastic to support those working at the top of their field. Jon also recently co-authored “The Coaching Zone; Next Level Leadership in Sports” to help support leaders and coaches in their field maximize performance both for themselves and their team(s). Jon also has a podcast named, The Grim Drive, which focuses on mental health through the lens of professional athletics. Before becoming a therapist, Jon was a three time All-American in Track and Field at Wheaton College, MA until injury ended his aspirations of reaching the Olympics. That experience helped motivate him towards supporting others going through something similar. Jon’s Website - https://www.riserandtread.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/riserandtreadInstagram - @riserandtreadAbout The Host - Janine HalloranJanine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children, adolescents, and their families for over 20 years. She is the Founder of 'Coping Skills for Kids', where she creates products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. Janine also founded 'Encourage Play’ which dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! If you're interested in learning more about how to teach kids coping skills, download your free Coping Skills Toolkit:https://copingskillsforkids.com/newsletterThe Coping Skills Hub has everything you need to teach kids coping skills, learn more at https://copingskillsforkids.com/hubIf you'd like to purchase Janine's products, including the Coping Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Skills for Teens Workbook, Social Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Cue Cards, and more, visit https://store.copingskillsforkids.com or https://amazon.com/copingskillsforkidsConnect with Janine on Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janinehalloranlmhcInstagram @janine_halloran and @copingskillsforkidsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JanineHalloranLMHCPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/encourageplay/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-halloran-43787b7b/

As we all know, the pandemic has been incredibly draining on all of us therefore many of us have experienced major burn-out. This episode is all about recharging, refilling our cups and doing activities for ourselves so we can continue to raise our kids and be helpers to others who are also going through this. As they say on planes, you need to put on your own oxygen mask before your child’s i.e we need to make sure we’re looking after ourselves before we can help others. How do you recharge? For some it’s reading a book, for others it’s playing some really loud music to sing and dance around the kitchen to. Be sure to leave a review telling me how you recharge. In this episode I discuss 3 tips you can use to refill your cup:‘No is a full sentence’, which includes my new mantra - “You can do anything but not everything”.Put yourself on your to-do listFind your own coping skills - and how modelling for kids can be so educational.And remember, do not forget about yourself, take a few minutes for you and have a little fun!About The Host - Janine HalloranJanine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children, adolescents, and their families for over 20 years. She is the Founder of 'Coping Skills for Kids', where she creates products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. Janine also founded 'Encourage Play’ which dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! If you're interested in learning more about how to teach kids coping skills, download your free Coping Skills Toolkit:https://copingskillsforkids.com/newsletterThe Coping Skills Hub has everything you need to teach kids coping skills, learn more at https://copingskillsforkids.com/hubIf you'd like to purchase Janine's products, including the Coping Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Skills for Teens Workbook, Social Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Cue Cards, and more, visit https://store.copingskillsforkids.com or https://amazon.com/copingskillsforkidsConnect with Janine on Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janinehalloranlmhcInstagram @janine_halloran and @copingskillsforkidsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JanineHalloranLMHCPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/encourageplay/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-halloran-43787b7b/

In this episode I talk to leadership and play coach Karen Lock Kolp about some of my favorite topics; relaxation and play and how they’re heavily intertwined.We cover...Karen’s backgroundExercises to help you find your energyRole-modelling as parentsHow children can not only follow what you model, they can be good teachers tooThe power of intuition - how it lives in the body, not the brainAn exercise on listening to your heartKaren’s playbookHow Karen rests and playsAbout The Guest - Karen Lock KolpKaren is an executive, leadership and play coach. Her podcast is called ‘We Turned Out Okay’ and her forthcoming book is called ‘The WTOO Playbook of days’. Her mission in life is to restore play to its extremely important place in the pantheon of human ingenuity. She believes in magic and she believes in the power of play to solve any problem, even the really big ones! Her website - https://weturnedoutokay.comHer weekly newsletter - https://weturnedoutokay.com/weekly/Her podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-we-turned-out-okay-podcast/id990826225And remember, do not forget about yourself, take a few minutes for you and have a little fun!About The Host - Janine HalloranJanine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children, adolescents, and their families for over 20 years. She is the Founder of 'Coping Skills for Kids', where she creates products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. Janine also founded 'Encourage Play’ which dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! If you're interested in learning more about how to teach kids coping skills, download your free Coping Skills Toolkit:https://copingskillsforkids.com/newsletterThe Coping Skills Hub has everything you need to teach kids coping skills, learn more at https://copingskillsforkids.com/hubIf you'd like to purchase Janine's products, including the Coping Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Skills for Teens Workbook, Social Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Cue Cards, and more, visit https://store.copingskillsforkids.com or https://amazon.com/copingskillsforkidsConnect with Janine on Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janinehalloranlmhcInstagram @janine_halloran and @copingskillsforkidsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JanineHalloranLMHCPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/encourageplay/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-halloran-43787b7b/

This week’s episode is all about using a reset space to support social and emotional development in the classroom. We’re approaching a new school year in this shifting, changing landscape of dealing with the pandemic and I've been thinking about the best way to support our kids through that. Now there are many variations on the name ‘reset space’ such as…Peace cornerCalm spotCalming cornerRelaxation stationI gravitate more to the name ‘reset space’ as I like the idea that kids go into this area to reset then come back to the class. It’s not a punishment, it’s more about when kids are feeling different emotions, they go to the space to identify how they’re feeling. After all, children are just the same as adults in the sense that when they are overwhelmed by emotion, whether that be anxiety, anger or sadness, their brains are not ready to receive new information, which is the opposite state we want them to be in the classroom.Learn more about Our Reset Space for your classroom or counseling office - https://copingskillsforkids.com/resetAnd remember, do not forget about yourself, take a few minutes for you and have a little fun!About The Host - Janine HalloranJanine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children, adolescents, and their families for over 20 years. She is the Founder of 'Coping Skills for Kids', where she creates products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. Janine also founded 'Encourage Play’ which dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! If you're interested in learning more about how to teach kids coping skills, download your free Coping Skills Toolkit:https://copingskillsforkids.com/newsletterThe Coping Skills Hub has everything you need to teach kids coping skills, learn more at https://copingskillsforkids.com/hubIf you'd like to purchase Janine's products, including the Coping Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Skills for Teens Workbook, Social Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Cue Cards, and more, visit https://store.copingskillsforkids.com or https://amazon.com/copingskillsforkidsConnect with Janine on Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janinehalloranlmhcInstagram @janine_halloran and @copingskillsforkidsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JanineHalloranLMHCPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/encourageplay/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-halloran-43787b7b/

In this episode I talk to pediatric occupational therapist and CEO of Zensational Kids, Allison Morgan. We discuss the big challenges kids and schools will be facing when they return, what can families do at home to help navigate the next phase of the pandemic as well as her new curriculum for educators. About The Guest - Allison Morgan Allison Morgan MA, OTR, E-RYT is a pediatric occupational therapist and the CEO of ‘Zensational Kids’, an educational company bringing the evidence-based practices of breath, movement and mindfulness to schools nationwide. Teaching the inner resources of focused attention, self-compassion and stress reduction, Allison supports school communities in harnessing well-being and resilience so that all members can thrive. Allison integrates the science and practices of mindfulness, social-emotional learning, mental health prevention and trauma-informed care into her dynamic and engaging programs, workshops, keynotes and national trainings. She is passionate about breaking the rising incidence of mental health challenges and trauma our youth are facing. Allison is a sought after international speaker who brings knowledge, wit and joy, inspiring her audience to tap into their own inner resilience so they may share it with their community. Her curriculum, ‘Educate 2B’ was recently launched on Amazon and hit #1 Best Seller. Her website - https://zensationalkids.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/Zensationalkids/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-morgan‘Educate 2B’: Mindfulness and social-emotional learning for educators and students in the k-5th grade classroom - available le on the sensational kids website for 25% off when you use the code ’Special25’ or on Amazon for regular pricing of $39.99.And remember, do not forget about yourself, take a few minutes for you and have a little fun!About The Host - Janine HalloranJanine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children, adolescents, and their families for over 20 years. She is the Founder of 'Coping Skills for Kids', where she creates products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. Janine also founded 'Encourage Play’ which dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! If you're interested in learning more about how to teach kids coping skills, download your free Coping Skills Toolkit:https://copingskillsforkids.com/newsletterThe Coping Skills Hub has everything you need to teach kids coping skills, learn more at https://copingskillsforkids.com/hubIf you'd like to purchase Janine's products, including the Coping Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Skills for Teens Workbook, Social Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Cue Cards, and more, visit https://store.copingskillsforkids.com or https://amazon.com/copingskillsforkidsConnect with Janine on Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janinehalloranlmhcInstagram @janine_halloran and @copingskillsforkidsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JanineHalloranLMHCPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/encourageplay/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-halloran-43787b7b/

We all know the 5 senses of the human body, being sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing but have you heard of proprioception or vestibular? Proprioception at its basic level is the information you receive from your muscles and your joints. It helps your body to understand when you are stretching, compressing or contracting a muscle. You may see difficulties with this in your child particularly in their handwriting, do they press so hard on the pencil that it breaks? Or perhaps they aren’t putting enough pressure on the pen that you can’t even see their handwriting? Proprioception works very closely with the vestibular system which is more about your brain intaking information for your balance and spatial awareness. In this episode I run you through 7 sensory based strategies to help your child relax and manage their feelings which includes;TouchSmellAuditoryVisuallyTaste Movement BalanceIf you have a child with a sensory processing disorder, please make sure you check in with your occupational therapist (if you have one) especially if in a school environment, they will know what is calming or overstimulating for your child. If you don’t have access to an occupational therapist, please make sure to check in with a child before and after an exercise / strategy. Use your senses and brilliance to see how they’re reacting to analyze if the exercises are beneficial or not. Resources Mentioned in the PodcastRaising a Sensory Smart Child by Lindsey Biel and Nancy Peske - https://www.sensorysmarts.comThe Inspired Treehouse - playful sensory based ideas - https://theinspiredtreehouse.com/Sensory Resources from Coping Skills for Kidshttps://store.copingskillsforkids.comSensory Coping Cue CardsSensational Sensory Activity Book - Digital & PrintSensory Coloring SheetsAnd remember, do not forget about yourself, take a few minutes for you and have a little fun!About The Host - Janine HalloranJanine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children, adolescents, and their families for over 20 years. She is the Founder of 'Coping Skills for Kids', where she creates products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. Janine also founded 'Encourage Play’ which dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! If you're interested in learning more about how to teach kids coping skills, download your free Coping Skills Toolkit:https://copingskillsforkids.com/newsletterThe Coping Skills Hub has everything you need to teach kids coping skills, learn more at https://copingskillsforkids.com/hubIf you'd like to purchase Janine's products, including the Coping Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Skills for Teens Workbook, Social Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Cue Cards, and more, visit https://store.copingskillsforkids.com or https://amazon.com/copingskillsforkidsConnect with Janine on Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janinehalloranlmhcInstagram @janine_halloran and @copingskillsforkidsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JanineHalloranLMHCPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/encourageplay/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-halloran-43787b7b/

Hello! Guess what? I’m back! If you’re an avid listener, you’ll know I took a break from the podcast to focus on supporting on my own children while they were remote learning during the pandemic. One thing I really missed doing last year was meeting face-to-face with my clients. I got myself vaccinated as soon as possible and in our first sessions back, we worked on processing which involves a simple exercise of 4 questions…Not only can you work on this with your kids, but you can think about these questions for yourself. I have certainly done so, and it has inspired me to create new resources for Coping Skills for Kids. I have a new course for professionals working with teens who have anxiety (link below). I have also created a ‘Reset Space’ which helps kids manage their emotions while at school as well as a sensory activity book which will both be available soon. My course for professionals working with teens who have anxiety - https://courses.copingskillsforkids.com/p/coping-skills-for-teens-with-anxietyAs mentioned in the episode, you can listen to my episode on ‘Silver Linings’ here - https://www.janinehalloran.com/podcast/calm-and-connected-episode-64And remember, do not forget about yourself, take a few minutes for you and have a little fun!About The Host - Janine HalloranJanine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children, adolescents, and their families for over 20 years. She is the Founder of 'Coping Skills for Kids', where she creates products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. Janine also founded 'Encourage Play’ which dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! If you're interested in learning more about how to teach kids coping skills, download your free Coping Skills Toolkit:https://copingskillsforkids.com/newsletterThe Coping Skills Hub has everything you need to teach kids coping skills, learn more at https://copingskillsforkids.com/hubIf you'd like to purchase Janine's products, including the Coping Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Skills for Teens Workbook, Social Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Cue Cards, and more, visit https://store.copingskillsforkids.com or https://amazon.com/copingskillsforkidsConnect with Janine on Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janinehalloranlmhcInstagram @janine_halloran and @copingskillsforkidsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JanineHalloranLMHCPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/encourageplay/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-halloran-43787b7b/

In today’s episode, I wanted to try a coping skill together! It’s been such a stressful year, and I thought it would make sense to practice a coping skill together to help us relax. In this podcast, I share what got me interested in body scans in the first place and how they are related to progressive muscle relaxation. Then we’ll go through the body scan I wrote for the Coping Skills for Teens Workbook. Take a listen!Resources:Calm & Connected Episode 10 - Progressive Muscle Relaxation 101YouTube Body Scan VideoCoping Skills for TeensSign up for the Newsletter: copingskillsforkids.com/newsletterSubscribe to the podcast to be notified when new episodes are launched.If you are enjoying this podcast, please review the podcast and share with others.About the Host:Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children, adolescents, and their families for over 20 years. She is the Founder of 'Coping Skills for Kids', where she creates products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. Janine also founded 'Encourage Play’ which dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! If you're interested in learning more about how to teach kids coping skills, download your free Coping Skills Toolkit:https://copingskillsforkids.com/newsletterThe Coping Skills Hub has everything you need to teach kids coping skills, learn more at https://copingskillsforkids.com/hubIf you'd like to purchase Janine's products, including the Coping Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Skills for Teens Workbook, Social Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Cue Cards, and more, visit https://store.copingskillsforkids.com or https://amazon.com/copingskillsforkidsConnect with Janine on Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janinehalloranlmhcInstagram @janine_halloran and @copingskillsforkidsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JanineHalloranLMHCPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/encourageplay/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-halloran-43787b7b/

It’s that time of year where people are looking for gifts for the kids in their lives. I wanted to share five fantastic holiday presents that build social-emotional skills in children. Take a listen to hear my top 5 ideas for games, activities, and toys that help kids with social and emotional learning.Resources:Calm & Connected Episode 51 - Open Ended ToysBig Life JournalSee some amazon suggestions at janinehalloran.com/podcastSign up for the Newsletter: copingskillsforkids.com/newsletterSubscribe to the podcast to be notified when new episodes are launched.If you are enjoying this podcast, please review the podcast and share with others.About the Host:Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children, adolescents, and their families for over 20 years. She is the Founder of 'Coping Skills for Kids', where she creates products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. Janine also founded 'Encourage Play’ which dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! If you're interested in learning more about how to teach kids coping skills, download your free Coping Skills Toolkit:https://copingskillsforkids.com/newsletterThe Coping Skills Hub has everything you need to teach kids coping skills, learn more at https://copingskillsforkids.com/hubIf you'd like to purchase Janine's products, including the Coping Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Skills for Teens Workbook, Social Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Cue Cards, and more, visit https://store.copingskillsforkids.com or https://amazon.com/copingskillsforkidsConnect with Janine on Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janinehalloranlmhcInstagram @janine_halloran and @copingskillsforkidsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JanineHalloranLMHCPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/encourageplay/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-halloran-43787b7b/