Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Friendship Advice for Kids (K-8)

Ep. 79 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Is your friend a fake friend?Mar wants to know how to recognize a fake friend.FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://eileenkennedymoore.ck.page/e37dcc098fWould YOUR KID like to be featured on the podcast?SUBMIT A QUESTION TO DR. FRIENDTASTIC at https://DrFriendtastic.com/submit (Obviously, this is not psychotherapy, and it’s not for emergency situations.)For an easy-to-read TRANSCRIPT, go to: https://DrFriendtastic.com/podcast/Like the podcast? Check out my books and webinars at https://EileenKennedyMoore.com.Subscribe to my NEWSLETTER, https://DrFriendtastic.substack.com, to get podcast episodes sent to your email plus articles for parents.*** DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:- How would you define “being fake”? Why do you think kids sometimes act in ways that don’t match what they really think or feel?- Why do kids sometimes act differently in different situations or with different people? Why is this NOT the same as being fake?- Dr. Friendtastic says, “Every friendship, if it lasts long enough, is going to hit a rough spot.” What do you think are some good ways to move past a friendship rough spot?- Have you ever had an unreliable friend–someone you felt you couldn’t count on? How did you handle this?- What does it mean to trust a friend? Can you trust a friend who makes a mistake and says or does something unkind? Why or why not?*** You might also like these podcast episodes:Ep. 24 - Olivia, Age 13: Some friendships have limits https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep-24-olivia Ep. 26 - Sam, Age 13: Joining a new group of friends https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep-16-sam Ep. 34 - Chloe, Age 9: Upset by name-calling https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/chloe-age-9-upset-by-name-calling Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe

Ep. 78 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: How to confront a friend.What can you say when a friend does something that upsets you? How do you get your message across without wrecking the friendship?FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://eileenkennedymoore.ck.page/e37dcc098fWould YOUR KID like to be featured on the podcast?SUBMIT A QUESTION TO DR. FRIENDTASTIC at https://DrFriendtastic.com/submit (Obviously, this is not psychotherapy, and it’s not for emergency situations.)For an easy-to-read TRANSCRIPT, go to: https://DrFriendtastic.com/podcast/Like the podcast? Check out my books and webinars at https://EileenKennedyMoore.com.Subscribe to my NEWSLETTER, https://DrFriendtastic.substack.com, to get podcast episodes sent to your email plus articles for parents.*** DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:- What does it mean to confront a friend about a problem? Have you ever had to do that? What happened?- How do you decide when to confront a friend about a problem and when to let it go? - Why do you think kids are sometimes afraid to confront a friend about a problem?- Why are refusing to talk to a friend and telling everyone except your friend what your friend did wrong NOT helpful strategies for solving a problem with a friend? What could you do instead?- Dr. Friendtastic said, “A good confrontation is not about…proving you’re good and they’re bad! It’s about building and repairing a friendship.” What does that mean?*** You might also like these podcast episodes:Ep. 73 - J.J., Age 11: Best friend suddenly stops playing with him https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep73-jj-age-11-best-friend-stops-playing-with-him Ep. 43 - Beatrix, Age 8: Friend cuts her hair! https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/beatrix-age-8-friend-cuts-her-hair Ep. 65 - Bridget, Age 14: Handling a controlling friend https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep65-bridget-age-14 Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe

Ep. 77 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: A friend is not a birthday cake!Maya wonders what to do when she notices her friend being nicer to someone else than to her. Scroll down for discussion questions.FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://eileenkennedymoore.ck.page/e37dcc098fWould YOUR KID like to be featured on the podcast?SUBMIT A QUESTION TO DR. FRIENDTASTIC at https://DrFriendtastic.com/submit (Obviously, this is not psychotherapy, and it’s not for emergency situations.)For an easy-to-read TRANSCRIPT, go to: https://DrFriendtastic.com/podcast/Like the podcast? Check out my books and webinars at https://EileenKennedyMoore.com.Subscribe to my NEWSLETTER, https://DrFriendtastic.substack.com, to get podcast episodes sent to your email plus online workshop announcements.*** DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:- Dr. Friendtastic says, “A friend is not a birthday cake!” What does she mean by that? (Hint: Think about the difference between dividing a cake versus sharing a friend.)- Have you ever felt jealous of a friend’s other friend? How did you handle that?- What are some things you do to strengthen your friendships? - Why does Dr. Friendtastic say, “It’s not smart to have a ‘best friends or nothing’ attitude”? How could that attitude hurt you?*** You might also like these podcast episodes:Ep 71 – Tali, Age 11 Is she a friend or not? https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep71-tali-age-11-is-she-a-friend-or-not Ep. 4 - Thomas, Age 13: One friend feels left out https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-episode-71f Ep. 51 – Saoirse, Age 8: Mean comment said behind her back https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/saoirse-age-8-mean-comment-said-behind Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe

Ep. 0 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: TrailerWelcome! Each episode of the Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic podcast features an audio recording of a question about friendship from a kid (in grades K-8), plus a practical and thought-provoking answer.FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://eileenkennedymoore.ck.page/e37dcc098fWould YOUR KID like to be featured on the podcast?SUBMIT A QUESTION TO DR. FRIENDTASTIC at https://DrFriendtastic.com/submit (Obviously, this is not psychotherapy, and it’s not for emergency situations.)For easy-to-read TRANSCRIPTS, go to: https://DrFriendtastic.com/podcast/Like the podcast? Check out my books and webinars at https://EileenKennedyMoore.com.Subscribe to my NEWSLETTER, https://DrFriendtastic.substack.com, to get podcast episodes sent to your email!SAMPLE EPISODES:Ep. 44 – Vera, Age 8: Change self to make friends?https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/vera-age-8-change-self-to-make-friendsEp. 57 – Zen, Age 6: Avoiding Conflicthttps://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep57-zen-age-6-avoiding-conflictEp. 55 – Blaire, Age 12: Say no without feeling badhttps://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/blaire-age-12-say-no-without-feeling Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe

Ep. 76 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Not signing up for more of the sameAnaya wonders what to do when friends leave her behind. Scroll down for discussion questions.FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://eileenkennedymoore.ck.page/e37dcc098fWould YOUR KID like to be featured on the podcast?SUBMIT A QUESTION TO DR. FRIENDTASTIC at https://DrFriendtastic.com/submit (Obviously, this is not psychotherapy, and it’s not for emergency situations.)For an easy-to-read TRANSCRIPT, go to: https://DrFriendtastic.com/podcast/Like the podcast? Check out my books and webinars at https://EileenKennedyMoore.com.Subscribe to my NEWSLETTER, https://DrFriendtastic.substack.com, to get podcast episodes sent to your email plus online workshop announcements.*** DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:- How do you think Ayana felt when the other kids ditched her? Has anything like that ever happened to you? How did you handle it?- Dr. Friendtastic says telling on the kids who ditched her probably won’t be helpful for Ayana. Do you agree? Why or why not? How do you decide when it’s a good idea to tell on someone?- Mistakes and misunderstandings happen in every friendship. How do you decide whether to try to work things out with old friends or look for different friends?- Dr. Friendtastic says, “We can’t control what other people do; we can only control what we do.” What does this mean in Ayana’s case? (Hint: Can she make the other kids want to play with her?)*** You might also like these podcast episodes:Ep. 60 – Henry, Age 8: Friends invited but not him https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-drfriendtastic-ep60-henry-age-8Ep. 74 – Aubrey, Age 6: Friend hits her https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep74-aubrey-age-6-friend-hits-herEp. 69 – Phoebe, Age 6: Friends exclude her https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/phoebe-age-6-friends-get-together Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe

Ep. 75 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Learning to be a good sportLike a lot of kids, Alex has trouble coping with losing a game.Scroll down for discussion questions.FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://eileenkennedymoore.ck.page/e37dcc098fWould YOUR KID like to be featured on the podcast?SUBMIT A QUESTION TO DR. FRIENDTASTIC at https://DrFriendtastic.com/submit (Obviously, this is not psychotherapy, and it’s not for emergency situations.)For an easy-to-read TRANSCRIPT, go to: https://DrFriendtastic.com/podcast/Like the podcast? Check out my books and webinars at https://EileenKennedyMoore.com.Subscribe to my NEWSLETTER, https://DrFriendtastic.substack.com, to get podcast episodes sent to your email plus online workshop announcements.*** DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:- Why do you think some kids have trouble handling losing a game? (Hint: How does losing make them think or feel?)- What would you say to comfort a friend who was upset about losing a game- Adults often tell kids, “It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how you play the game.” What do you think that means?- What are some things kids need to do or not do to be a good sport?- What is your favorite game to play? What do you like about that game?*** You might also like these podcast episodes:Ep. 7 – Emma, Age 11: Friend is a poor sport https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep7-poor-sport-friend Ep. 53 – Lillian, Age 11: How to stay calm when someone is bragging https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/lillian-age-11-how-to-stay-calm-when Ep. 66 – Adeline, Age 8: Friends don't invite her https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/adeline-age-8-friends-dont-invite Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe

Ep. 74 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: End a friendship or work it out?Aubrey wants to know what to do about a friend who hits her.Scroll down for discussion questions.FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://eileenkennedymoore.ck.page/e37dcc098fWould YOUR KID like to be featured on the podcast?SUBMIT A QUESTION TO DR. FRIENDTASTIC at https://DrFriendtastic.com/submit (Obviously, this is not psychotherapy, and it’s not for emergency situations.)For an easy-to-read TRANSCRIPT, go to: https://DrFriendtastic.com/podcast/Like the podcast? Check out my books and webinars at https://EileenKennedyMoore.com.Subscribe to my NEWSLETTER, https://DrFriendtastic.substack.com, to get podcast episodes sent to your email plus online workshop announcements.*** DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:- School-age kids know they shouldn’t hit people, so why do you think they sometimes do?- If someone hits you, why is hitting them back likely to make the situation worse? What could you do instead?- If a friend did something you didn’t like, how would you decide whether to try to talk about it and work things out or end the friendship?- Dr. Friendtastic said, “The best time to talk about a problem is when people are NOT extremely upset.” Why is that true? (Hint: What’s likely to happen if you try to talk to someon about a problem when you or they are extremely upset?)*** You might also like these podcast episodes:Ep. 59 – Jessie, Age 13: Get rid of toxic friends https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep59-jessie-age-13 Ep. 6 – Jayden, Age 9: Why do kids bully? https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep6-why-kids-bully Ep. 62 – All About Forgiveness https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep62-all-about-forgiveness Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe

Ep. 73 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: A fast (but not easy) way to repair a friendship riftJ.J. feels hurt, angry, and confused because the kid he considered his best friend suddenly refuses to play with him.Scroll down for discussion questions.FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://eileenkennedymoore.ck.page/e37dcc098fWould YOUR KID like to be featured on the podcast?SUBMIT A QUESTION TO DR. FRIENDTASTIC at https://DrFriendtastic.com/submit (Obviously, this is not psychotherapy, and it’s not for emergency situations.)For an easy-to-read TRANSCRIPT, go to: https://DrFriendtastic.com/podcast/Like the podcast? Check out my books and webinars at https://EileenKennedyMoore.com.Subscribe to my NEWSLETTER, https://DrFriendtastic.substack.com, to get podcast episodes sent to your email plus online workshop announcements.*** DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:- Why is suddenly cutting someone off and refusing to speak with them NOT a good way to deal with conflicts?- Why does Dr. Friendtastic focus on what J.J. can do to move forward rather than what J.J.’s best friend did wrong? (Hint: Whose actions is J.J. in charge of?)- Have you ever apologized to a friend? If so, why? How did the friend respond?- Why is it sometimes hard for kids to apologize?- What are some ways to apologize well? What are some examples of a not-so-good apology?*** You might also like these podcast episodes:Ep. 68 – Maya, Age 6: Friend runs away from her https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/maya-age-6-friend-runs-away-from Ep. 60 – Henry, Age 8: Friends invited but not him https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-drfriendtastic-ep60-henry-age-8 Ep. 71 – Tali, Age 11: Is she a friend or not? https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep71-tali-age-11-is-she-a-friend-or-not Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe

Ep. 72 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Making Friends at a New SchoolNora wants to know what she can do to make friends when she's starting at a new school.Scroll down for discussion questions.FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://eileenkennedymoore.ck.page/e37dcc098fWould YOUR KID like to be featured on the podcast?SUBMIT A QUESTION TO DR. FRIENDTASTIC at https://DrFriendtastic.com/submit (Obviously, this is not psychotherapy, and it’s not for emergency situations.)For an easy-to-read TRANSCRIPT, go to: https://DrFriendtastic.com/podcast/Like the podcast? Check out my books and webinars at https://EileenKennedyMoore.com.Subscribe to my NEWSLETTER, https://DrFriendtastic.substack.com, to get podcast episodes sent to your email plus posts for parents.*** DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:- Think of a time when you started a friendship. What happened? Who reached out first, you or the other kid? How did you and your friend show each other that you were open to friendship?- Dr. Friendtastic says, “Friendships take time to grow.” What does that mean? (Hint: Why do you NOT have to worry if you’re not instantly close friends with someone?)- What’s one example of something kind you’ve done for another kid? How did that kid react?- Why is it usually not a good idea to read a book at lunch or recess? (Hint: What message does that send other kids?)- Why is it important to try to learn other kids’ names?*** You might also like these podcast episodes:Ep. 63 - Rosie, age 5 3/4: Friend wants all her attention https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep63-rosie-age-5 Ep. 16 - Sam, age 13: Joining a new group of friends https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep-16-sam Ep. 44 - Vera, age 8: Change self to make friends? https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/vera-age-8-change-self-to-make-friends Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe

Tali, an insightful 11-year-old, shares her journey through the tricky landscape of friendship. She discusses the confusion of dealing with a friend who is sometimes kind and other times unkind. Tali emphasizes the importance of stable friendships and how good communication can help resolve conflicts. She also explores why kids might cling to friendships that aren’t healthy and how to determine if a friendship is worth saving. Her reflections offer a glimpse into the complexities of youthful connections.