Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD

Ep. 66 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: What’s behind a friend wanting to control you?
Adeline wishes her friends would invite her to play during recess, but she doesn’t have to wait for an invitation.
Scroll down for discussion questions.
Would 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:
- Have you ever had a controlling friend? If so, why do you think your friend was trying to control you? How did you handle it?
- Has anyone ever told you that you were being bossy or controlling? If so, what happened? What are some signs that you might be pushing a friend too hard and need to stop?
- Rigid thinkers tend to believe that there is “one right way” to do things. How could that hurt a friendship? (Hint: How might a friend feel if they want to do things differently?)
- What does it mean to “agree to disagree”? Why is it sometimes good to do this in a friendship?
*** 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-8
Ep. 39 - Maya, Age 8: Replaced by a friend's new friend https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/maya-age-8-replaced-by-a-friends
Ep. 26 - Abigail, Age 10: Friendship doesn't have to be all or nothing https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep-26-abigail


Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe

Ep. 65 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: What’s behind a friend wanting to control you?
Bridget wonders how to deal with a friend who is being controlling.
Scroll down for discussion questions.
Would 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:
- Have you ever had a controlling friend? If so, why do you think your friend was trying to control you? How did you handle it?
- Has anyone ever told you that you were being bossy or controlling? If so, what happened? What are some signs that you might be pushing a friend too hard and need to stop?
- Rigid thinkers tend to believe that there is “one right way” to do things. How could that hurt a friendship? (Hint: How might a friend feel if they want to do things differently?)
- What does it mean to “agree to disagree”? Why is it sometimes good to do this in a friendship?
*** 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. 18 - Kai, Age 9: Building great leadership skills https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep-18-kai
Ep. 41 - Tessa, Age 9: Friends won't listen to stop or no https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/tessa-age-9-boundaries


Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe

Ep. 64 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Building real connections to make friends.
Blake wants to know how to make friends with kids who have different interests than he does.
Scroll down for discussion questions.
Would 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:
- What interest or activity do you enjoy that has helped you (or could help you) make friends?
- Why is pretending to be interested in something when you’re not a bad strategy for trying to make friends? (Hint: How might other kids react when they find out that you’re just pretending to be interested?)
- Have you ever picked up a new interest or activity because a friend likes it? What happened? 
- If you want to pick up a new interest, why is it a good idea to try to learn about it a bit on your own, instead of just asking people about it?
What is the difference between being friendly versus being friends with someone
*** You might also like these podcast episodes:
Ep. 15 - Evie, Age 9: What is a close friend? https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep-15-evie
Ep. 49 - Charlotte, Age 8: Feeling different and rejected https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/charlotte-age-8-feeling-different
Ep. 35 - Ryan, Age 11: Peers put down his interestshttps://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ryan-age-11-peers-put-down-his-interests


Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe

Ep. 63 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Dealing with being excluded.
Rosie wonders why her friend doesn’t want her to play with anyone else, and what she can do about it.
Scroll down for discussion questions.
Would 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:
- Why do you think kids sometimes have trouble sharing a friend with other friends? 
- Have you ever been in a situation like Rosie’s, either as the friend who didn’t want to share a friend or the friend who wanted to play with other kids? What happened? How did you handle it?
- Why is it a good idea to try to imagine why a friend might be doing what they’re doing, especially when we don’t like what they’re doing? (Hint: How are you likely to feel and act toward the friend when you can understand their perspective?)
- Would you respond differently to hearing “I like you, AND I want to play with other friends” versus “I like you, BUT I want to play with other friends”? Why or why not?
*** You might also like these podcast episodes:
Ep. 13 - Mara, Age 9: Friend doesn't want her to have other friends
https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep-13-mara
Ep. 16 - Sam, Age 13: Joining a new group of friends 
https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep-16-sam
Ep. 26 - Abigail, Age 10: Friendship doesn't have to be all or nothing
https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep-26-abigail


Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe

Ep. 62 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: How to forgive friends who have hurt us.
When a friend says or does something that hurts us, it’s easy to get stuck in self-righteous bitterness and resentment. But for our own sake, as much as theirs, we need to find ways to forgive them and move past those unavoidable friendship rough spots.
Scroll down for discussion questions.
Would 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’ve forgiven someone for doing something that hurt or upset you. What happened? Why did you decide to forgive them?
Dr. Friendtastic said, “Holding onto bitterness and resentment hurts us more than anyone else.” What does that mean?
How is forgiving someone different than letting someone be mean to you? (Hint: It has to do with how you think about them and what you say to them.)
One of the forgiveness guidelines Dr. Friendtastic mentioned is: If it happened more than a month ago, definitely let it go! Do you agree with that guideline? Why or why not? 
Why is it sometimes easier to forgive other people than to forgive ourselves?
*** 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. 43 - Beatrix, Age 8: Friend cut her hair! https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/publish/podcasting/drfriendtastic
Ep. 14 - Rowan, Age 12: Feeling guilty, wanting to make up with a friend https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep-14-rowan


Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe

Ep. 61 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Dealing with being excluded.
Brothers and sisters can be a lot of fun, but sometimes they’re hard to live with. Lucy wants to know how to fight less with your brother.
Scroll down for discussion questions.
Would 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:
- Why do you think it’s sometimes harder for kids to get along with a sibling than a friend?
- When a kid does something that annoys us, it’s tempting to do the same thing–or something worse–right back to them. Why is this usually not a good idea? (HINT: Why do both kids lose in a “contest” of who can be meanest?)
- Dr. Friendtastic said “If you’ve asked a sibling [or other kid] to stop two times, and they haven’t listened, they’re probably not going to listen,” so your goal should shift “to taking care of yourself.” How could you do that?
- Do you think it’s easiest to be an only child, an oldest sibling, a youngest sibling, or a middle sibling? Why?
*** You might also like these podcast episodes:
Ep. 30 - Michael, Age 10: Why do some kids push others around?
https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep-30-michael
Ep. 31 - Mila, Age 10: When someone tries to be annoying
https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep-31-mila
Ep. 40 - Vihan, Age 6: Friendly brother also acts wild
https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/vihaan-age-6-friendly-brother-acts-wild


Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe