Hi there,

When I was in middle school, I was part of a group of five girls. One day, completely out of the blue, the other four girls decided they didn’t want to be my friend anymore.

No explanation. Just boom. I was out.

I felt hurt. I felt angry. But mostly, I felt confused.

Yesterday, they were my friends. And then, they weren’t.

Luckily, I got very good advice from my mom, who told me to “peel them off from the bottom.” In other words, she suggested that I get together with the girl who was least against me, reconnect with her, then the next, and so on.

Now, some people disagree with this advice, insisting if they could do that to me once they could do it again, and they clearly weren’t loyal friends, so maybe it would have been better to look elsewhere. But I was at a very small school, and fortunately, in this case, my mom’s advice worked. Two weeks later, things were mostly back to normal.

I never did find out why they suddenly cut me out.

I tell you this story, not because I’m deeply wounded by it (I’m not. Middle school was a long time ago!), but because it's an example of just how complicated feelings about friends can be. Our biggest feelings are often about our relationships!

And yet, a lot of the advice out there for kids about coping with feelings doesn’t take into account the complexities of children’s friendships. You know what wouldn’t have been particularly helpful in this situation? Deep breathing or punching pillows.

That’s why I put together something more than generic advice—something that gives your child real tools they can use to understand their feelings and others’ and respond in ways that strengthen their friendships.

This month’s FEATURED WORKSHOP: Dealing with Feelings About Friends – FOR KIDS

This workshop is designed especially for kids, ages 6–12. It’s entertaining and practical, filled with relatable cartoons and do-able strategies that teach how thoughts, feelings, and actions shape their relationships.

It includes:

• Short, kid-friendly lessons your child can watch on their own or with you

• A simple framework that helps kids understand what they’re feeling and what to do next

• Six calming strategies to help kids manage anger, guilt, and hurt feelings

Plus, when you purchase the workshop before the end of the month, you’ll get two limited-time bonuses to help your child build on what they’ve learned:

• How a Feelings Story Works (3-page printable PDF) - An effective tool that helps kids understand what happened in tricky social situations, how they felt, and what to do next. This isn’t just a worksheet – it’s a practical way for kids to reflect and grow.

• Keeping Exploring Feelings with Dr. Friendtastic (3-page PDF with links) featuring six short, carefully chosen episodes from the Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic podcast. It covers topics like anger, embarrassment, guilt, and how to speak up with a friend, so your child can hear relatable and practical advice whenever they need it most.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Paid subscribers receive a COUPON CODE for $20 OFF the regular price of the featured workshop.

The coupon will be sent in a separate email and expires at the end of the month.

Warm wishes,
Eileen

P.S. Not yet a paid subscriber? Upgrade now to support the Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic podcast and get monthly workshop coupons and bonus content, including this month’s $20 off code.

Want to purchase the workshop without subscribing? Buy the workshop here.