Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child Therapist

I frequently hear from parents something along the line of "My kid is so manipulative!" I'd like to challenge the notion that kids are manipulating parents and others around them and give you a new perspective and re-frame for you what exactly kids are doing that parents interpret as being manipulative. In this episode of the podcast, I discuss the following topics:

• The concept of abstract reasoning
• Organic, natural cause of "manipulation"
• Kids don't have alternatives when they are stuck in a pattern of behavior

Follow me on Twitter: @thekidcounselor Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/ My Newsletter Signup: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/newsletter/ My Podcast Partner, Gabb Wireless: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/gabb/

Listener Stephanie emailed me with a follow-up question to my episode titled: "'I Hate My Life!' – What To Do When Your Child Says This, Or Other Shocking Things" and described a few situations where her 7-year-old son reacts with shocking responses, but the reflecting feelings process didn't work as expected. In this episode, I give Stephanie some follow-up advice on using the reflecting feelings skill with some advanced tips to help when it feels like reflecting feelings isn't working.

• The depth of the feeling impacts the recovery. The larger the emotion, the more time it may take for feeling reflection to take effect. It's not an instant fix.
• Enlarge the meaning
• You always reflect on the new feeling that was most recently expressed
• Bonus tip: Provide alternatives (later)

Follow me on Twitter: @thekidcounselor Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/ My Newsletter Signup: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/newsletter/ My Podcast Partner, Gabb Wireless: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/gabb/

A listener to the podcast emailed me a question regarding explaining dating and remarriage to young children. In this episode, I discuss the related topics related to this matter.

• Age appropriate truth
• Neutral discussions without emotion
• Setting expectations

Follow me on Twitter: @thekidcounselor Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/ My Newsletter Signup: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/newsletter/ My Podcast Partner, Gabb Wireless: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/gabb/

Listeners Dan and Clay emailed me similar questions regarding "roadblocks" in the choice-giving process. In this episode, I discuss the following topics:

• The purpose behind why we give choices
• Hindrances to the choice-giving process (congruence, choices given only in negative situations, understanding the "why")
• Kids need opportunities to practice receiving choices

Follow me on Twitter: @thekidcounselor Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/ My Newsletter Signup: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/newsletter/ My Podcast Partner, Gabb Wireless: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/gabb/

"Only acts of war and the events of natural disasters are more harmful to a child's psyche than the divorce process" - American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 1997 In this episode, I'm going to talk about the following topics from a child's perspective:

• Change
• The emotional processing of a divorce vs the rational side
• Trust, safety, and security

Follow me on Twitter: @thekidcounselor Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/ My Newsletter Signup: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/newsletter/ My Podcast Partner, Gabb Wireless: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/gabb/

"When I look back, knowing what I know now, there were signs..." In this special episode of the Play Therapy Parenting Podcast, I had the privilege to interview Jason Reid, founder of Tell My Story (www.tellmystory.org) and Choose Life (www.chooselife.org). May is Mental Health Awareness month, and Jason, who lost his 14-year-old son to suicide, is determined to reach every parent and every family about the conversation they need to have with their kids. Jason's mission has enlarged from informing parents about the signs of suicide in kids, to overall mental health awareness in kids and adults. Visit Jason's organizations: Tell My Story - https://tellmystory.org/ Choose Life - https://www.chooselife.org/ Songs for the Drive Home: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLl9DqLcFH-0J_xyePQGp-CSfKGXJFSyTW Tell My Story documentary trailer: https://wellbeings.org/films/tell-my-story/ Follow me on Twitter: @thekidcounselor Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/ My Newsletter Signup: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/newsletter/ My Podcast Partner, Gabb Wireless: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/gabb/

As parents, we want the best for our children. However, in today's world, we are faced with new challenges when it comes to our children's mental health. The news is flooded with child mental health crises, and a recent survey found that child mental health is the #1 concern among parents right now. In this episode, I dive deep into this important topic and share practical tips that can help. We know how tough it can be to assess our children's mental well-being, primarily when they cannot communicate their feelings. That's why we discuss how to identify signs of stress or anxiety and offer insights into what we can do to support our children through these challenges. We also explore the academic pressure children face and its impact on their mental health. It's understood that you want your child to succeed, but we also know how important it is to prioritize their mental well-being. I offer advice on supporting your child academically while creating a balanced and healthy environment at home. Finally, we discuss the impact of busy schedules on our children's well-being. We know how easy it is to get caught up in a hectic routine, but we also know that a healthy schedule is critical to our children's mental health. We provide practical tips for creating a balanced schedule that supports your child's mental health and overall well-being. The three topics I discuss in this episode are:

• We need to understand how to asses our children's mental well-being
• We need to address the academic pressures
• We need to consider our children's schedules

Follow me on Twitter: @thekidcounselor Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/ My Newsletter Signup: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/newsletter/ My Podcast Partner, Gabb Wireless: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/gabb/

In this episode, I want to bring us back to the most foundational aspect of parenting... the relationship. Using the 4 Pillars of Play Therapy skills is the best way to preserve your relationship with your child when you have to discipline, or when you are trying to encourage self-esteem, self-regulation, and self-reliance. Follow me on Twitter: @thekidcounselor Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/ My Newsletter Signup: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/newsletter/ My Podcast Partner, Gabb Wireless: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/gabb/

In this episode of the podcast I wanted to talk about encouragement and self-fulfilling prophecy. I recently wrote a quote into my quote book that was the inspiration for this episode. It goes like this: The friend said, "Elsa, You have a wrong picture of yourself." Elsa replied, "Even if that is true, what does a person do about it? The things your parents say to you, and the things your husband doesn't say to you, become a mirror, don't they? You see yourself as they see you, and no matter how far you come, you bring that mirror with you." Based on that quote, I want to talk about the following topics:

• The concept of "looking glass self"
• Verbal and non-verbal self-concept, and how we develop our identity based on both
• The empowerment process, and how encouragement plays a part

Follow me on Twitter: @thekidcounselor Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/ My Newsletter Signup: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/newsletter/ My Podcast Partner, Gabb Wireless: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/gabb/

Friluftsliv is a Norwegian word that roughly translates to "open-air living." Norway recently topped a survey of countries that rated its people on happiness, life satisfaction, nutrition, and health. Friluftsliv is often sited as the reason, and I tie this Norweigian philosophy to play therapy principles. In this episode, I discuss the following topics:

• Happiness, life satisfaction, nutrition, and health
• Helicopter parenting vs trial-and-error parenting
• Enjoyment and self-improvement

Follow me on Twitter: @thekidcounselor Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/ My Newsletter Signup: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/newsletter/ My Podcast Partner, Gabb Wireless: https://www.playtherapyparenting.com/gabb/