Have you noticed social skills missing in your kids? Caroline Maguire, author of Why Will No One Play With Me?, joins me to discuss how to support your child and build them up through play.
Here’s some of the areas we cover:
A Conversation about School Readiness with Caroline Allen
The transition to preschool to elementary school can be such an anxious time for both parents and for the children. There’s a lot of unknowns to get them ready for and sometimes we think there’s lots we have to do to prepare them for starting. Today we discuss what you can do to help reduce anxiety for your little one with nursery practitioner, Caroline Allen.
In this episode they discuss:
Bullying in Middle School Through the Lens of a Middle School Diary and Memoir
Sexual assault and harassment, sadly happens in schools on a too regular basis, whether that’s happening peer to peer or even between teacher to student. We hope our children never have to experience this. Knowing how to parent our children to take ownership of their bodies, so they know how to say no is key. We discuss how to navigate through abuse, bullying, harassment so they can get help is just as vital.
In this episode, I speak with Meghan Joyce Tozer, author of the critically acclaimed novel Night, Forgotten and her annotated middle school diary, UnSlut: A Diary and a Memoir, which she wrote under the pen name Emily Lindin.
The topics we cover in this episode are:
Introduction to Montessori Philosophy with Jeanne-Marie Paynel
Have you ever considered a different educational style for your children besides the conventional method? If so, perhaps you have heard of the Montessori method. It is based on self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play. In Montessori classrooms children make creative choices in their learning, while the classroom and the highly trained teacher offer age-appropriate activities to guide the process. In this episode, I spoke to Montessori Home Consultant, Jeanne-Marie Paynel about the benefits of this education style.
The topics we cover in this episode are:
Building Connections with Kids Through Play with Kim Feeney
When was the last time you had a dedicated playtime with your child? Life gets so busy so we can’t blame parents for not being able to squeeze this in-between school, dinnertime, sports or dance at the weekend but it is vital to a child’s development. Kim Feeney is the guest on this episode, she is a licensed independent social worker and a registered play therapist supervisor. I wanted to discuss playtime with her and how to build a connection with your child.
The topics we cover in this episode are:
Two Hands-On Activities to Help Kids Practice Problem Solving
Throughout your life growing up, have you ever come up against a problem you just couldn’t solve? We learn very valuable skills at school but we don’t learn every single skill needed for everyday life so in this episode, I teach you some hands-on ways to practice problem solving with your child.
The topics I cover in this episode are:
Communication and Social Skills with Heidi Miller
On today’s show I speak to Speech Language Pathologist Heidi Miller about all things speech related. SLP’s help children with speech i.e. the way they articulate sounds, they help with language, so the way they put words together which also encompasses social skills so what a person says, how they say it, when they say it and picking up on others peoples cue’s which for some children can be a real challenge. It’s a big subject so we start by talking about how children’s social skills have changed since the pandemic…
The topics we cover in this episode are:
Executive Function for Kids and Teens
I’m so excited to welcome Dr Lynne Kenney on to the Calm & Connected Podcast this week. We chat about all things executive functioning and how sessions differ with children in comparison to teenagers. We kept the conversation on the lighter treatment side rather than all the science-lingo heavy side. I hope you enjoy it!!
The topics we cover in this episode are:
Practicing Problem Solving Using Creative Prompts
In this episode, I discuss some ways you can practice problem solving using creative prompts. As we all know, social skills are key to interacting well with others - skills such as listening, working together, being kind, watching your own personal space versus others personal space and taking turns. They all need to be learned in childhood to have a successful and fulfilling adult life.
Supporting Kids Around Friendships with JoAnn Crohn
Five More Amazing Open-Ended Toys
Does your child gravitate towards open-ended toys? These are toys which can be used in multiple ways dependent on your child’s imagination - like LEGO® bricks for example. This nurtures their creativity and developing skills. Today I will share five amazing open ended toys. I did cover this subject before on my podcast but I wanted to share a few more with you. These can be a good addition to your house, therapy room or counseling office. These are all toys that I gravitate towards and the ones I always want by my side during therapy sessions. Take a listen to learn how they can benefit the kids in your life!
The Highly Sensitive Child
Today’s installment of my book series covers the book ‘The Highly Sensitive Child’ by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D. I read this book over COVID and it totally changed the way I look at kids, how to spot what’s going on with them in order to help them. In this episode, I go over the 4 areas in which high sensitivity presents itself so you can better see if your child is highly sensitive.
The topics I cover in this episode are:
Using Playdates to Brush Up on Social Skills
The Importance of Play and Relaxation with Karen Lock-Kolp
Five Amazing Gifts to Promote Social and Emotional Learning
It’s that time of year where people are looking for gifts for the kids in their lives. I wanted to share five fantastic holiday presents that build social-emotional skills in children. Take a listen to hear my top 5 ideas for games, activities, and toys that help kids with social and emotional learning.