I spent an entire school term working as a counsellor at a primary school. 19 kids on my roster. And what I learned sitting with them changed how I think about what parents need to know right now.

In this episode I break down the 3 biggest things I saw coming up over and over again: 

• screen time and what it is really doing 

• why so many kids have stopped talking to their parents and 

• why what your child is doing online is not as safe as you think. 

I share what worked in my sessions, what I heard from parents and teachers, and how this experience has shaped what I want to do next.

If you are a parent doing your best and still feeling like something is off with your kid, this episode is for you.

📚 Books referenced in this episode:

→ The Conscious Parent by Dr. Shefali Tsabary

→ Loving What Is by Byron Katie

→ No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Three Things Parents Need to Know: Opening Insights from School Counseling
• 00:01:07 Welcome to the Confidence Chronicles and Episode 500 Celebration
• 00:02:58 Going Back to School: My Journey to a Bachelor's in Psychotherapy
• 00:05:30 Slowing Down to Speed Up: Structure and Systems in Business
• 00:07:15 Choosing the School: From Prison Work to Primary School Counseling
• 00:08:24 19 Kids and a Rotating Door: The Reality of School Counseling
• 00:10:35 Lesson One: Screen Time Is Destroying Our Kids and We Don't Know How to Stop It
• 00:11:55 The Vertical Video Slot Machine: Why Your Kids Need Phone Boundaries Now
• 00:13:58 Lesson Two: Communication Breakdown and Why Your Kid Won't Talk to You
• 00:15:19 The Family Meeting Rock: Creating a Culture of Communication at Home
• 00:16:42 Teaching Kids About Their Bodies and Strange Behavior
• 00:18:19 We're Not Really Strangers: Games That Build Family Connection
• 00:19:30 Lesson Three: Online Safety and the Roblox Problem Parents Don't See
• 00:23:01 Australia's Shocking Child Safety Statistics and Internet Dangers
• 00:23:58 Setting Boundaries: Being the Mom Who Checks the Chat
• 00:24:30 The 16-Year-Old Social Media Ban: Why Laws Won't Protect Your Kids
• 00:25:09 Teaching Life Skills: Mindset, Communication, and Emotional Intelligence
• 00:25:39 The Power of Just Being There: Why One Safe Adult Changes Everything
• 00:26:00 Abandonment Issues and Guilt: Processing My Own Childhood Wounds
• 00:26:38 How Kids Actually Want to Talk: Toys, Games, and Shoulder-to-Shoulder
• 00:27:31 Girls, Confidence, and Body Image: The Struggles No One Talks About
• 00:28:15 The Demand Is Overwhelming: Why Every School Needs a Permanent Counselor
• 00:28:36 High-Need Kids and Triage: Understanding Why Some Children Are Prioritized
• 00:29:06 From Prison Dreams to Kid Calling: Why This Placement Wasn't a Mistake
• 00:29:31 The Last Day Tears: Parents, Teachers, and Kids Saying Thank You
• 00:29:58 Did I Do Enough? Wrestling with the Need to Serve More
• 00:30:32 No One Knew I Was the Queen of Confidence: Being Someone to Those Kids
• 00:31:03 The Juggling Act: Running Kids, Family, Business, and Life
• 00:31:53 Single Parents Are Queens: Taking Off the Crown for You
• 00:32:18 Placement 2028 and What's Brewing: The Future of This Work
• 00:32:38 Keep Talking to Your Kids: Final Advice for Parents
• 00:32:47 Resources: Dr. Shefali, Byron Katie, and Pouring Into Yourself First
• 00:33:20 Join the 500 Episode Virtual Party: Thank You for Listening

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→ Website: https://thequeenofconfidence.com