Calm and Connected Podcast

In this episode I talk to JoAnn Crohn, former elementary school teacher and podcast host of No Guilt Mom. She is the author of Me and My Friendships, to help kids learn more about themselves and build friendships with other kids. We cover a lot of topics in the episode, including:What even is ‘too’ emotional?The social differences between middle and elementary schoolFinding ‘your’ peopleFinding yourself and not molding into a different person with different friendsWhat are the key characteristics of a good friend?Using an outside source to help your kids learn, rather than doing it directlyHow making assumptions about your kids can be damagingAbout The Guest - JoAnn CrohnJoAnn Crohn, M. Ed is a parenting educator who helps moms feel confident in everything from raising empowered, self-sufficient kids to dropping the anxiety and guilt out of modern parenthood. She’s an accomplished writer, author, podcast host of the No Guilt Mom podcast, and speaker, appearing in national media and founder of the parenting site, NoGuiltMom.com. Her specialty is talking to both parents and kids - with her self-paced digital courses for kids and parents in handling big emotions, creating a morning routine and conquering the homework drama. JoAnn is a former elementary school teacher with a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction as well as a National Board Certified Teacher in Middle Childhood Education. JoAnn’s free Happy Parent Checklist - https://www.noguiltmom.com/hpcInstagram: @noguiltmomFacebook: facebook.com/noguiltmomWebsite: www.noguiltmom.comAbout 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/

Have you ever thought about your body when feeling a strong emotion? Where do you feel it? Is it in your chest or tingling down the back of your legs? Some people can reach adulthood before even realizing this, even though we feel emotions throughout our lives.This episode of the podcast is about just that - where do we feel emotions and why is it important? All feelings are okay, but it's good to recognize them to intervene sooner by using coping skills so emotions don’t get out of control. Self awareness is key! This episode will explore one of my favorite techniques - using body outlines to mark where kids feel emotions.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/

On today’s podcast, I get a chance to speak with Natasha Daniels, the founder of AT Parenting Community about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Natasha’s expertise is anxiety and OCD, and we discuss what OCD can look like, when you should seek out more support, and different strategies that you should use when dealing with OCD.About The Guest - Natasha Daniels, Child TherapistNatasha Daniels is a child anxiety & OCD therapist, and mom to three kids with anxiety & OCD. She is the author of Anxiety Sucks: A Teen Survival Guide, How to Parent Your Anxious Toddler, Social Skills Activities for Kids and It’s Brave to Be Kind.She is the creator of ATParentingSurvival.com, the Youtube channel, Ask the Child Therapist and the host of The AT Parenting Survival Podcast. She offers parents worldwide resources on how to help kids with anxiety or OCD through her online AT Parenting Survival school.Her work has been featured in various places including Huffington Post, Scary Mommy, PsychCentral, The Child Mind Institute and The Mighty.Follow Natasha on Social MediaFacebookInstagramYouTubeAT Parenting Survival School - Online courseswww.atparentingsurvivalschool.comI love Natasha’s courses so much, I’m an affiliate. This means that I earn a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. Learn more here.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/

Does your child gravitate towards open-ended toys? These are toys which can be used in multiple ways dependent on your child’s imagination - like LEGO® bricks for example. This nurtures their creativity and developing skills. Today I will share five amazing open ended toys. I did cover this subject last year on my podcast but since it’s holiday time, I wanted to share a few more with you. These can be a good addition to your house, therapy room or counseling office. These are all toys that I gravitate towards and the ones I always want by my side during therapy sessions. Take a listen to learn how they can benefit the kids in your life!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/

Anxiety is not a bad emotion, it is one that we need to keep ourselves safe in the world. But sometimes anxiety can become overwhelming to the point that it affects the daily life of the adult or child - this is the type of worry we need to work on. What better way to learn about this than with the fantastic parent coach and psychologist Dr. Dawn Huebner who teaches us how to help kids deal with worry and anxiety. The topics covered in this episode;Uppercase and lowercase worry - What’s the difference?Why reassurance makes anxiety worseTwo common mistakes with anxiety - probability and scaleHow do you know as a parent when to push your child forward into anxiety-provoking situations? Why kids need to be out of their comfort zonesThinking about your thinkingThe difference between being anxious and being in danger“What we resist, persists”Why saying “There’s nothing to be worried about” can be so harmfulAbout The Guest - Dr Dawn HuebnerDr. Dawn Huebner is a Psychologist, Parent Coach, and the author of 10 books for children including perennial bestsellers What to Do When You Worry Too Much and Outsmarting Worry. Another recent work, Something Bad Happened, provides support for children learning about problems around the world while her newest, The Sibling Survival Guide, speaks with warmth and humor to children struggling to get along. Dr. Huebner’s books are practical and relatable, selling well over a million copies in 23 languages. She has been featured on a host of news and information outlets and is frequently interviewed by popular parenting magazines. Dawn’s Website - www.DawnHuebnerPhD.comDawn’s Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/Dawn-Huebner-PhD-Self-Help-for-Parents-and-Kids-339298769474607/?ref=br_rsAbout 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/

Have you ever thought back to how you were taught to recognize different emotions? It’s such an important social skill to not only recognize the feelings within yourself but for the people around you too. This episode is about just that - helping your children to recognize and check-in with their feelings. I’ve learned a lot about this topic from the help of Dr. Dan Siegel and Dr. Tina Payne Bryson with the ‘Name it to Tame it’ method. It helps kids to self-regulate by naming their emotions. I get asked a lot, “Well how can I actually go about helping my child name their emotions? How can we make this our daily routine?” So I’m answering all your questions in this podcast episode! Getting children into the rhythm of understanding all emotions and feelings are allowed and accepted. And teaching them it’s what you do with those feelings that matters. 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/

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/