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Is your child coming home saying they "have no friends", while your gut tells you the story might be more complicated than that? You're not alone. As parents, nothing spikes our anxiety faster than the fear that our child is being left out socially.  But what's really happening at recess, in the cafeteria, and throughout the school day? And how can we help our kids build friendships without spiraling after one mean comment from their friend? In this conversation, I sit down with Dr. Seth Kennard, principal of Mountain View Elementary (and parent himself), for an inside look at what kids actually do when they're making friends at school, and why there are far fewer lonely kids at recess than parents imagine. This episode is an insightlook at elementary school friendships, and a roadmap for you as a parent in trying to stay out of panic mode while giving your kids the tools they need to thrive socially. If you're worried your child is lonely, this episode on helping kids make friends at school will show you: How quickly kids connect when given repeated, low-pressure opportunities What friendship formation actually looks like inside an elementary school Why so many kids say they have "no friends"… even when they very much do Why friend worries peak at home (and why timing matters) A simple way to dig deeper when your child says they were alone at recess Why parent anxiety can accidentally amplifies kids' anxiety How to help kids build resilience after social bumps How to tell the difference between a one-off bad moment and a real social struggle What practical skills help kids keep friendships over time And when it's time to get extra support, either from the school or a therapist   Next steps 🧠 Are you or your child struggling with mental health? We have a team of psychologists and psychiatrists who can help you out. Check out our different therapy options at www.activeconnected.com.   💬 We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Instagram (@ActiveConnectedFamilyTherapy) and let us know what you thought about today's episode!   🎧 And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes!   👥 Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!   More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://activeconnected.com/worry-y-child-is-lonely/   

Parenting doesn't come with a manual, but if it did, the ADHD chapter would probably be 400 pages long and full of contradictions. So let's simplify: here's how to cut through the noise and figure out your next step if you think your child (or you!) has ADHD. If you've ever thought "I think my child might have ADHD, but what do I actually do now?", I recorded this episode exactly for you. I'll walk you through the real-life steps parents can take to move forward without getting lost in confusion (or spending thousands of dollars you may not need to). You'll get a clear picture of the options available, from quick evaluations to full psychological assessments, and learn how to figure out what makes the most sense for your child. In this episode on what to do if you think your child has ADHD, we'll discuss: Why talking to a trusted professional is the first step when you suspect ADHD; The difference between surveys, psychiatric evaluations, and full ADHD assessments; How ADHD can sometimes be confused with anxiety, learning differences, or substance use; The pros, cons, and costs of a psychological evaluation (and when it's worth it); A more accessible option for getting a reliable diagnosis without breaking the bank; How to build the right support team once you have answers.   Next steps 🧠 Are you or your child struggling with mental health? We have a team of psychologists and psychiatrists who can help you out. Check out our different therapy options at www.activeconnected.com. 💬 We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! 🎧 And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! 👥 Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

We all know there is a mental health crisis out there. We have real numbers that highlight elevated rates of anxiety and depression for kids, teenagers, people of color, men, working mothers. The numbers tell the story. The percentages, increases, and statistical significance are all important. Everywhere we go, we are surrounded by data,  as are our children. Their GPA's, instagram likes, rebounds, SAT Scores, tardies, goals, and more, are all measured and highlighted. "What is measured gets done." The data tells the story. Numbers are concrete, clear, and feel important. Yet we don't keep data on what actually counts in life. There are no decimal points for kindness, helping others, empathy, or quality of relationships. And because there is no data to be analyzed for these qualities in this numbers-crazed world, we have learned not to value the qualities that make us healthy and whole. No wonder there is a mental health crisis. Let's have a closer look at this in today's episode! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/what-really-matters/

The holiday season is in full swing and for many of us, it all just looks and feels different than when we were kids. Over 40 million Americans have stopped going to church in the last 25 years,  meaning that communal Sundays and structured lessons in forgiveness and giving aren't as consistent anymore for us and our children. Although many Americans have found other communal organizations to replace church, a lot also haven't.  The longing for community and organized religion that so many of us feel right now shows us the sense of tradition, love, and belonging that we're looking for which is essential to our mental health. And it's completely related to the huge loneliness pandemic that is going on right now. As I always tell my kids: Loneliness is the new smoking. Let's listen to the absence of communities that we feel most now around the Holidays and do something different this year for our own and our kid's mental health. In this episode on community around the Holidays, we discuss: The ways we connect with people are changing and affecting our mental health; How the Holidays and our traditions around them look very different now from the ones we grew up with and how this affects us; Where's the longing for belonging and community coming from that we feel even more around the Holidays?; Our society promotes individualism over community; Simple ideas on how to teach our kids to give to others this Holiday season; And more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://wwhttps://activeconnected.com/beat-loneliness/w.activeconnected.com/community-holidays/

Gaining clarity on who we want to be as a person and as a parent feels hard in the confusing world we live in. Do we want to be the parent who's on their phone all the time or the parent who takes time for connection and does things that make us feel good? The answer is probably a no-brainer but how do we actually live up to this?  Today's guest on the podcast is Damon Eddy, a transformation coach specializing in helping people move from confusion to clarity and he's here to share his insights with us! In this episode on gaining clarity in a confusing world, we discuss: How our current world is set up to constantly grab our attention; The effect Social Media has on our well-being; How to start looking for clarity in our busy lives; Becoming aware of the person you want to be; In order to grow you have to learn; The difference between growing and being productive; Communicating our needs with our spouse; And much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/gaining-clarity/

We're about a month into being back to school and here's the issue that's been coming up for me: homework. I was a bit hesitant on releasing an episode on this topic because to be fair, it sounds boring. But I know I'm not the only one struggling with this right now! And luckily, my incredible guest, Lara Dawn, certified teacher and founder of The ADHD Village, knows just how to turn this topic into an interesting conversation! In this episode on homework issues, we cover: The brain chemicals that play a role in making homework (especially for ADHD kids); How do we figure out what's going to work for our kids with all the busy schedules of the family?; Strategies for when this feels hard to get done as a parent; Breaking the task of homework into smaller pieces; And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/homework-issues/ 

As high-achieving moms, we're living hectic lives, reachting to every trigger, thought, text message and notification. How can we be more intentional about our lives as parents going into the new school year? If your first thought is, "I don't have time for that", I completely get it! There's so much pressure on us high-achieving women. But here are the facts: We see a mental health crisis among our children and a burnout crisis among women. If we continue to go with the norms, this is what we're choosing. It's a path we don't want to take. So what can we do differently? Dr. Leah Katz, clinical psychologist, is here to tell us all about it!  In this episode on how to start the school year with presence, we discuss: How do we separate from certain groups and norms that are impacting our lives?; The pressure on high-achieving women; How check-ins can help you to live a life that feels true to you; How to do a check-in with yourself; Taking space for yourself in a world that's telling you you can't; Where does the resistance come from we can feel around mindfulness? How values inform the decisions you make; And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/start-school-with-presence/ 

If your kid might apply for college in the next ten years, you want to listen to this one! Margaret is an expert when it comes to supporting kids through the college application process. She has a particularly valuable perspective on how teenagers experience this crazy time and how parents can support them and today she's sharing her knowledge with us! In today's episode on supporting your teen through college, we discuss: Why not to rewrite your kid's college application essay; The three parts of finding a good-fit college; Trusting your kid to go through this process themselves; The top three ways parents can support their kid through college applications; How to foster a safe environment for your kid to talk to you about college; Some golden tips on scholarships; And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at:

Do you ever wonder why your kids are fighting more than usual? Or do you worry about spending way more time with one kid over another?  With all the families I work with, and similarly in my own family, I notice patterns that can lead to difficulties. That's why today I'm sharing with you some easy family therapy hacks that are going to help with some of the most typical problems families are encountering and that can improve your kid's mental health! In this episode on improving your kid's mental health, we discuss: Examples of healthy family hierarchies; Two examples of common dysfunctional family hierarchies; Questions to ask yourself about your family's hierarchy; How to improve your family's hierarchies; The power of family therapy; And more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes Learn more about Active & Connected Family Therapy on our website www.activeconnected.com

Allowing our kids to choose their own path in life and pursue their dreams is a big topic in today's episode. How would you react if your child tells you they want to become a professional gamer?! That's exactly what one of Waki's kids chose as his own plan A, and with Waki's support, that's exactly what he has achieved.  I'm so excited to share the rest of my conversation with Waki Wynn with you about all things parenting. He's back with some golden nuggets from his own experiences raising his own kids and coaching many more. In this episode on allowing our kids to pursue their dreams, we discuss: Letting our kids choose their own path in life and supporting them in it; What if our kids don't want to work on school?; How to handle push-back from the people around you; Growing as a parent; And much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/allowing-our-kids-to-pursue-their-dreams/   

Today, we released one of those episodes that is full of knowledge gems and truth bombs for ALL parents out there. My conversation with Waki Wynn, in which he shares his invaluable insights into parenting, is truly one of my favorite conversations ever. We talk about finding your community as a parent, helping our high school boys develop lifelong friendships that will serve them for the rest of their lives, allowing our kids to eventually have their own family that's healthy and can move through sadness, grief and trauma together, and so much more! This episode with Waki is so fully packed with invaluable insights that we decided to release it in two parts. You can have a listen to part one today and we'll be back with the second part next week! In this episode filled with darn good parenting advice, we discuss: How Waki was able to create such strong, life-long friendships; How we're influenced by the people we spend time with; How your group of people defines your norms; Helping our kids develop healthy norms; Who's influencing your child beyond the doors of your house? Who else has their ear? And more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/darn-good-parenting-advice-1/  

We all know that animals can have a profound impact on people's lives. But did you know pets can even promote social and emotional growth in our kids? Children use being with their pets as a very consistent coping skill and as a way to manage their emotions. As a parent, I started to wonder how and why this happens and how I can maximize the opportunities our pets bring into our homes. Today, we have Christine Bowers on the show who is an expert when it comes to animal-assisted therapy. We'll be talking about how to promote social and emotional development through our pets. Have a listen to learn how to be proactive with the pets in our families in order to help our kids grow and get the most out of the animals in our lives.  In this episode on how our pets promote social and emotional growth, we discuss: The health benefits of being in the company of animals; What the research shows on the effects pets and animals have on us; How our kids use their pets to regulate their emotions; Developing identity and building confidence with the help of our pets; Why it's important to involve our kids in the caretaking of our pets; How our kids can reap the benefits of their pet even when it's not always around; And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/pets-promote-social-emotional-growth/ 

In just five days, Summer League Swimming season is starting across Virginia! I'm so excited - and not just for myself. The swim team is the most fruitful experience of social and emotional growth for my children I could wish for. Whether you're a pool rat or not at all, in this episode I will share with you what parts of the summer magic at the pool can be useful for you to integrate into parts of your kid's life, what parts you want to lean into and what parts might just not be a priority for your family right now.  In this episode on Summer League Swimming, we cover: Why Summer League Swimming is ripe with developmental opportunities for our kids; How the pool helps our kids develop their identity; The 'third place'; The opportunities for building community at the pool for both our kids and ourselves; Strategies to help you and your kids capitalize on this magical part of your lives; And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/summer-league-swimming/ 

The skill of listening to our kids' feelings is such an important one for parents. When we listen well to our kids, we reinforce them to talk about their feelings. Besides, when our kids talk about their feelings with us, they are letting us closer to them. They are giving us a gift by allowing us to understand them and to see them. And isn't that what we all want as parents? Despite how important listening is, y'all, it's also a hard thing to do. So how can we learn this skill? How can we listen to our kids when they are talking about their feelings? Over the years, I've created a simple, step-by-step formula for how to listen to our kids when they are talking to us. I'm going to share all about it with you in today's episode! In this episode on how to listen to our kids' feelings, we cover: Why listening is such an important skill; How listening to our kids will help them; The guiding principles to keep in mind when listening to your kids; My easy-to-follow, step-by-step formula to listen to our kids; Why we don't always have to problem-solve for our kids; And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/listen-to-our-kids-feelings/

It's May and that means it's almost swim-team season! With that, I notice the conversation around swimsuits, bodies, and body image coming up in my sessions more and more too. That's why we're-releasing an old episode on the toxic culture we live in around body image. In this episode, Caroline Megargel and I talk with Sarah Lewis from The Lewis Practice about the power we ourselves and our kids have when we start noticing the toxic messages we get around food and bodies.  If you want to be more empowered about your own food and body image journey and if you want to give your sons and daughters the opportunity to empower themselves as they walk around this world, I'm sure you're going to enjoy this episode! [And if you want to dive deeper into the topic, scroll back to our episodes from January 2022. This is just the first episode of a 6-episode series on disordered eating!] In this episode on the toxic culture around body image, we cover: How we see the culture negatively impacting adults and teens; The image (social) media paints about how we should look, act, and feel; The role of Social Media's algorithm in the images we see; How the way we talk about our bodies impacts our kids' body image; What we as parents can do and say about this; And more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode!  Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/toxic-culture-body-image-2/