Calm and Connected Podcast

When you are stressed, anxious or perhaps angry and need to calm down, what techniques do you use? There are so many out there, from yoga, meditation, exercise and mindfulness but today I will be speaking to my guest Andrea about one which you’ll love if you sit on the creative side of life. It’s a mix of art and mindfulness and it’s called ‘Zentangle’.  The topics we cover in this episode are; What social anxiety actually is How the pandemic affected children with social anxiety differently How Andrea came to find mindful art What is Zentanglement?  How Andrea’s website helps mental health and is backed up by science Mindfulness and how it has grown in popularity over the years What is the Zentangle method? What does it look like? Don’t dismiss a tile by its final design - take it one step at a time The benefits of Zentangle  Andrea’s introductory course on Zentangle How Andrea likes to unwind — About The Guest - Andrea Santogrosso Andrea Santogrosso has been an educator for 12 years, teaching Visual Arts and Special Education. She is also a Certified Zentangle Teacher and founder of the Children’s art blog, Lightly Sketched. Her mission is to provide an innovative outlet for children who may be experiencing mental health issues. She is passionate about helping kids deal with their emotions in creative ways, and drawing Zentangles is an exercise that she recommends they add to their coping toolkit. She has seen the transformative nature of creativity in the lives of so many of her students and witnessed it in her own life through her eldest daughter, who has anxiety. She currently lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband, 2 loving daughters, and their dog, Marshmallow.  Website - https://lightlysketched.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lightlysketched/  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/lightlysketched YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmbb1JC5LX4sEwOkF2dXt3A Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.ca/lightlysketched/_created/ About The Host - Janine Halloran Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children and adolescents for over 15 years. She loves to create products and resources, so she started two businesses to support families and professionals who work with children and teens. ‘Coping Skills for Kids’ provides products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. It’s the home of the popular Coping Cue Cards, decks of cards designed to help kids learn and use coping skills at home or at school. Janine’s second business ‘Encourage Play’ is dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! Encourage Play has free printables, as well as digital products focused on play and social skills. Coping Skills for Kids - https://copingskillsforkids.com Encourage Play - https://www.encourageplay.com Interested in reading my books? The Coping Skills for Kids Workbook - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook/products/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook-digital-version Social Skills for Kids - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/encourage-play/products/social-skills-for-kids-workbook Connect with Janine on Social Media Instagram: @copingskillsforkids Facebook: facebook.com/copingskillsforkids and facebook.com/encourageplay Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JanineHalloranEncouragePlay

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: High sensitivity in children The D.O.E.S acronym The high sensitivity screening Working through the book as a parent with high sensitivity How the book works through different developmental stages If you want to suggest a book to me, then you can do so here - https://www.instagram.com/copingskillsforkids/ Book recommendation: The Highly Sensitive Child: Helping our children thrive when the world overwhelms them by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D. https://hsperson.com/ The Highly Sensitive Child https://www.thehighlysensitivechild.com/ And remember, do not forget about yourself, take a few minutes for you and have a little fun! — About The Host - Janine Halloran Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children, adolescents, and their families for over 20 years. She is the Founder of 'Coping Skills for Kids', where she creates products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. Janine also founded 'Encourage Play’ which dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! If you're interested in learning more about how to teach kids coping skills, download your free Coping Skills Toolkit: https://copingskillsforkids.com/newsletter If you're interested in joining the Coping Skills Community Hub, an ever-expanding resource library and community of families and professionals teaching kids how to cope, learn more at https://copingskillsforkids.com/hub If you'd like to purchase Janine's products, including the Coping Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Skills for Teens Workbook, Social Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Cue Cards, and more, visit https://store.copingskillsforkids.com or https://amazon.com/copingskillsforkids Connect with Janine on Social Media Instagram: @copingskillsforkids Facebook: facebook.com/copingskillsforkids and facebook.com/encourageplay Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JanineHalloranEncouragePlay

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; Jeanne’s background Co-working nursery spaces Who is Doctor Montessori? What we used to think of new born babies brains How we see children and education now The differences of a Montessori school and conventional education Mixed age classes and the benefits “Help me to do it by myself” the Montessori Moto Why the Montessori method doesn’t use a crib Getting your child to help with food prep The red flags to look out for when finding a Montessori school And remember, do not forget about yourself, take a few minutes for you and have a little fun! — About The Guest - Jeanne-Marie Paynel Jeanne-Marie Paynel, M.Ed, is a Parenting Mentor, Montessori Home Consultant, and Doula supporting parents to confidently raise the next generation of good-hearted humans. She’s the host of The Art of Parenting podcast and founder of Your Parenting Mentor where she guides expectant parents, caregivers, and parents of young children to better prepare their homes and themselves for their children to thrive during the first six crucial years of life. She believes that a supportive and peaceful home atmosphere will allow every child to flourish as an independent, confident and capable learner. She combines her many passions to serve her community: Montessori, RIE, Conscious Parenting, Positive Discipline, and Mindfulness. Her mission is to help parents appreciate the true importance of their role - not as servants or teachers, but as supporters and guides of their children's natural development. Website - https://voilamontessori.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jeannemariepaynel/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jeannemariepaynel.yourparentingmentor YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1J0xiJZgzhF2z6TQig3tiw Calm and Connected Podcast episodes mentioned: Ned Johnson https://www.janinehalloran.com/podcast/calm-and-connected-episode-124 Nicole Schwarz https://www.janinehalloran.com/podcast/calm-and-connected-episode-97 Sarah Moore https://www.janinehalloran.com/podcast/calm-and-connected-episode-125 About The Host - Janine Halloran Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children and adolescents for over 15 years. She loves to create products and resources, so she started two businesses to support families and professionals who work with children and teens. ‘Coping Skills for Kids’ provides products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. It’s the home of the popular Coping Cue Cards, decks of cards designed to help kids learn and use coping skills at home or at school. Janine’s second business ‘Encourage Play’ is dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! Encourage Play has free printables, as well as digital products focused on play and social skills. Coping Skills for Kids - https://copingskillsforkids.com Encourage Play - https://www.encourageplay.com Interested in reading my books? The Coping Skills for Kids Workbook - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook/products/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook-digital-version Social Skills for Kids - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/encourage-play/products/social-skills-for-kids-workbook Connect with Janine on Social Media Instagram: @copingskillsforkids Facebook: facebook.com/copingskillsforkids and facebook.com/encourageplay Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JanineHalloranEncouragePlay

This episode is the second installment of my book recommendation series. This week I want to focus on books dealing with anger since I have seen a lot of kids showing up to school with big emotions like anger lately. It is an emotion we have all felt many times, but we’re not always sure about how to deal with it so perhaps a bit of light reading can help!  The topics I cover in this episode are: Don’t Rant and Rave on Wednesdays by Adolph Moser  Angry Octopus by Lori Lite and Max Stasuyk  Progressive relaxation techniques Deep breathing techniques When I Feel Angry by Cornelia Maude Spelman  Staying safe while having big emotions  How to Take The Grrrr Out of Anger by Elizabeth Verdick and Marjorie Lisovskis   Chillax!: How Ernie Learns to Chill Out, Relax and Take Charge of His Anger by Marcella Marino Craver   Other podcast episodes that will help with big emotions like anger If you want to suggest a book to me, then you can do so here - https://www.instagram.com/copingskillsforkids/ And remember, do not forget about yourself, take a few minutes for you and have a little fun! — About The Host - Janine Halloran Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children, adolescents, and their families for over 20 years. She is the Founder of 'Coping Skills for Kids', where she creates products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. Janine also founded 'Encourage Play’ which dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! If you're interested in learning more about how to teach kids coping skills, download your free Coping Skills Toolkit: https://copingskillsforkids.com/newsletter If you're interested in joining the Coping Skills Community Hub, an ever-expanding resource library and community of families and professionals teaching kids how to cope, learn more at https://copingskillsforkids.com/hub If you'd like to purchase Janine's products, including the Coping Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Skills for Teens Workbook, Social Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Cue Cards, and more, visit https://store.copingskillsforkids.com or https://amazon.com/copingskillsforkids Connect with Janine on Social Media Instagram: @copingskillsforkids Facebook: facebook.com/copingskillsforkids and facebook.com/encourageplay Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JanineHalloranEncouragePlay

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: Why play matters so much? The benefits of having a dedicated playtime with your kids How to set up a dedicated playtime with your kids Validating your child during playtime The four crucial C’s; Connection, Capable, Count, Courage  Modeling the courage to be imperfect How can we build empathy with sibling relationships? How Kim relaxes and recharges About The Guest - Kim Feeney, LICSW Kim Feeney is a licensed independent social worker and a registered play therapist supervisor in Davenport, IA. She has over ten years of experience helping children and families lead healthier emotional lives so that they can effectively cope with big emotions. Believing all behavior is purpose-driven, she works with parents and children to find alternative ways to meet social and behavioral needs. Website - https://www.butterflybeginningscounseling.com Instagram - www.instagram.com/butterflybegin Facebook - www.facebook.com/butterflybeginningscounseling Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/coachingcaregivers/ 6 Ways Parents Can Help Their Kids Cope With Big Emotions: www.butterflybeginningscounseling.com/coping Parenting class- Being With https://www.butterflybeginningscounseling.com/beingwith/ Book- Emily's Emotional Empathy. https://fanatic4feelings.myshopify.com/products/copy-of-emilys-emotional-empathy-softcover About The Host - Janine Halloran Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children and adolescents for over 15 years. She loves to create products and resources, so she started two businesses to support families and professionals who work with children and teens. ‘Coping Skills for Kids’ provides products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. It’s the home of the popular Coping Cue Cards, decks of cards designed to help kids learn and use coping skills at home or at school. Janine’s second business ‘Encourage Play’ is dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! Encourage Play has free printables, as well as digital products focused on play and social skills. Coping Skills for Kids - https://copingskillsforkids.com Encourage Play - https://www.encourageplay.com Interested in reading my books? The Coping Skills for Kids Workbook - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook/products/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook-digital-version Social Skills for Kids - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/encourage-play/products/social-skills-for-kids-workbook Connect with Janine on Social Media Instagram: @copingskillsforkids Facebook: facebook.com/copingskillsforkids and facebook.com/encourageplay Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JanineHalloranEncouragePlay

I have always been a reader ever since I was a child but sometimes life gets in the way and I have found I don’t make much time for it so I used a recent vacation to spark my love for pleasurable reading again. After posting about this on Instagram, I was really inspired by one of my comments; to make a list of books to read over the summer and start a podcast series about it! The topics I cover in this episode are: I start with 2 book recommendations, one for fun and one for work Book 1 - The Book of Awesome by Neil Pascricha A gratitude practice and seeing the beauty in the small stuff Book 2 - Your Turn, How to be an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims My favorite parts of this book, especially lessons learned when things don’t go to plan If you want to suggest a book to me, then you can do so here - https://www.instagram.com/copingskillsforkids/ And remember, do not forget about yourself, take a few minutes for you and have a little fun! — About The Host - Janine Halloran Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children, adolescents, and their families for over 20 years. She is the Founder of 'Coping Skills for Kids', where she creates products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. Janine also founded 'Encourage Play’ which dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! If you're interested in learning more about how to teach kids coping skills, download your free Coping Skills Toolkit: https://copingskillsforkids.com/newsletter If you're interested in joining the Coping Skills Community Hub, an ever-expanding resource library and community of families and professionals teaching kids how to cope, learn more at https://copingskillsforkids.com/hub If you'd like to purchase Janine's products, including the Coping Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Skills for Teens Workbook, Social Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Cue Cards, and more, visit https://store.copingskillsforkids.com or https://amazon.com/copingskillsforkids Connect with Janine on Social Media Instagram: @copingskillsforkids Facebook: facebook.com/copingskillsforkids and facebook.com/encourageplay Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JanineHalloranEncouragePlay

This week, Janine speaks to Suzanne Tucker a Parent Educator about the do’s, don’t’s, the should’s and shame that comes with parenting. Suzanne started Generation Mindful as she saw societal problems within herself and her own family, as well as in friends and family and she knew something needed to change. Listen into this episode to make yourself feel a whole lot better about living life as a parent! The topics we cover in this episode are; Suzanne’s background Shame free parenting The difficulties of using the word “should” Name it, feel it, heal it Doctor Stuart Brown and his research on play Parent guilt and shame of not being perfect Getting children to understand every emotion is okay You can be complete and growing at the same time What coping skills Suzanne uses for herself And remember, do not forget about yourself, take a few minutes for you and have a little fun! — About The Guest - Suzanne Tucker Suzanne Tucker has been a physical therapist, Parent Educator, and Certified Educator of Infant Massage for more than 25 years. She's a mom of four and the founder of Generation Mindful, an international community bringing early emotional education and positive child rearing practices into the mainstream for young families and early childhood classrooms. Suzanne believes the most impactful thing we can do as a society to bring about a more peaceful and compassionate world is to evolve the way we discipline our children, replacing fear and shame with practices that nurture safety and connection. Website - www.genmindful.com Instagram - Instagram.com/GenerationMindful Facebook - Facebook.com/GenMindful Twitter - Twitter.com/Gen_Mindful About The Host - Janine Halloran Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children and adolescents for over 15 years. She loves to create products and resources, so she started two businesses to support families and professionals who work with children and teens. ‘Coping Skills for Kids’ provides products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. It’s the home of the popular Coping Cue Cards, decks of cards designed to help kids learn and use coping skills at home or at school. Janine’s second business ‘Encourage Play’ is dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! Encourage Play has free printables, as well as digital products focused on play and social skills. Coping Skills for Kids - https://copingskillsforkids.com Encourage Play - https://www.encourageplay.com Interested in reading my books? The Coping Skills for Kids Workbook - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook/products/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook-digital-version Social Skills for Kids - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/encourage-play/products/social-skills-for-kids-workbook Connect with Janine on Social Media Instagram: @copingskillsforkids Facebook: facebook.com/copingskillsforkids and facebook.com/encourageplay Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JanineHalloranEncouragePlay

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: The 5 steps to problem solving The benefits of learning and playing simultaneously A newspaper and tape challenge - what is it? The interesting side to different children groups doing the same exercise My second strategy with play dough and toothpicks Practicing smaller problems help with bigger problems in real life Problem Solving Steps from Encourage Play https://www.encourageplay.com/blog/a-simple-5-step-process-for-problem-solving Creative Problem Solving Prompts - Calm and Connected Podcast 102 https://www.janinehalloran.com/podcast/calm-and-connected-episode-102 And remember, do not forget about yourself, take a few minutes for you and have a little fun! — About The Host - Janine Halloran Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children and adolescents for over 15 years. She loves to create products and resources, so she started two businesses to support families and professionals who work with children and teens. ‘Coping Skills for Kids’ provides products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. It’s the home of the popular Coping Cue Cards, decks of cards designed to help kids learn and use coping skills at home or at school. Janine’s second business ‘Encourage Play’ is dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! Encourage Play has free printables, as well as digital products focused on play and social skills. Coping Skills for Kids - https://copingskillsforkids.com Encourage Play - https://www.encourageplay.com Interested in reading my books? The Coping Skills for Kids Workbook - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook/products/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook-digital-version Social Skills for Kids - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/encourage-play/products/social-skills-for-kids-workbook Connect with Janine on Social Media Instagram: @copingskillsforkids Facebook: facebook.com/copingskillsforkids and facebook.com/encourageplay Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JanineHalloranEncouragePlay

Firstly I want to pre-warn you that my guest Elliot Kallen and I discuss the topic of suicide. This might be an uncomfortable topic for you or perhaps younger ears are listening so please click play with care.  Sometimes life throws us the most difficult of situations which stop us in our tracks and make us believe it’s too difficult to carry on. This was the unfortunate case for Elliot Kallen’s son and in turn for Elliot himself. But the impressive resilience of human beings allowed Elliot to carry on past his heart ache in order to help other families in similar situations so they wouldn’t have to feel the pain he went through. The strength he possesses is nothing short of amazing so I encourage you to listen to Elliot’s story and how he can help you and your child through depression.  The topics we cover in this episode are: Elliot tells the story of how his company ’A Brighter Day’ got started How his business evolved to support more people Elliot explains how his company has partnered with BetterHelp to offer free therapy to teenagers How his company are looking at other organizations like AA to replicate the help but for depression  What signs should we be looking out for with depression in teenagers? Parents can have great intentions but sometimes make bad decisions Social media and how it affects your teenager How a conversation over dinner can help Opening up to your kids and being vulnerable Tools and strategies that teenagers can use for stress and depression  Elliot’s own coping skills About The Guest - Elliot Kallen Elliot brings 25 years of leadership and management experience from the business sector to his role at A Brighter Day. He co-founded A Brighter Day in 2016 with his wife Tammy after the loss of their son Jake, to support young adults in their transition to adulthood and to help prevent teen suicide. Elliot formerly served as Board President of The Boys and Girls Club of the Diablo Valley, and remains actively involved today. He has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for this organization, which is on the front lines in providing athletic, social and cultural programming to the children of Diablo Valley. Elliot is also active with The Fallen Heroes Charity. Website - http://www.abrighterday.info/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/abrighterdaycharity/  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/uniteforabrighterday/ Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCix1ywbqDiVW2VvKhMFMlw LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliotkallen/ Email - Elliot@abrighterday.info Phone - If you need to call him (as a parent) - 510 206 1103 About The Host - Janine Halloran Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children and adolescents for over 15 years. She loves to create products and resources, so she started two businesses to support families and professionals who work with children and teens. ‘Coping Skills for Kids’ provides products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. It’s the home of the popular Coping Cue Cards, decks of cards designed to help kids learn and use coping skills at home or at school. Janine’s second business ‘Encourage Play’ is dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! Encourage Play has free printables, as well as digital products focused on play and social skills. Coping Skills for Kids - https://copingskillsforkids.com Encourage Play - https://www.encourageplay.com Interested in reading my books? The Coping Skills for Kids Workbook - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook/products/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook-digital-version Social Skills for Kids - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/encourage-play/products/social-skills-for-kids-workbook Connect with Janine on Social Media Instagram: @copingskillsforkids Facebook: facebook.com/copingskillsforkids and facebook.com/encourageplay Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JanineHalloranEncouragePlay

In this episode, I am talking about coping skills tool kits that you can make at the Dollar Tree. I have previous similar episodes based on different stores such as Five Below, Target, Michael’s and Oriental Trading and one more general episode right back when I started this podcast. I talk about different styles of coping skills like relaxation, distraction, movement, sensory and processing. The topics I cover in this episode are; How coloring books can be relaxing OR a distraction Building bricks as a calm down kit Playing Word finds Playing Uno Go! The different games and activities you can play with large dice Fidgets and how they can help on a sensory level Why journaling is one of my favorite tools for kids Coping Skills Toolkit at Five Below https://www.janinehalloran.com/podcast/calm-and-connected-episode-55 Coping Skills Toolkit at Target https://www.janinehalloran.com/podcast/calm-and-connected-episode-41 Coping Skills Toolkit at Michael’s https://www.janinehalloran.com/podcast/calm-and-connected-episode-44 Coping Skills Toolkit at Oriental Trading https://www.janinehalloran.com/podcast/calm-and-connected-episode-49 How to Make a Coping Skills Toolkit https://www.janinehalloran.com/podcast/calm-and-connected-episode-23 And remember, do not forget about yourself, take a few minutes for you and have a little fun! — About The Host - Janine Halloran Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children and adolescents for over 15 years. She loves to create products and resources, so she started two businesses to support families and professionals who work with children and teens. ‘Coping Skills for Kids’ provides products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. It’s the home of the popular Coping Cue Cards, decks of cards designed to help kids learn and use coping skills at home or at school. Janine’s second business ‘Encourage Play’ is dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! Encourage Play has free printables, as well as digital products focused on play and social skills. Coping Skills for Kids - https://copingskillsforkids.com Encourage Play - https://www.encourageplay.com Interested in reading my books? The Coping Skills for Kids Workbook - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook/products/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook-digital-version Social Skills for Kids - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/encourage-play/products/social-skills-for-kids-workbook Connect with Janine on Social Media Instagram: @copingskillsforkids Facebook: facebook.com/copingskillsforkids and facebook.com/encourageplay Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JanineHalloranEncouragePlay

Starting a conversation with a child about their own struggles and coping skills can be difficult. The best way around that in my opinion is to show through examples in books and TV. We all know how hard direct feedback and critique can be, yet if it is explained in a lighter way using someone else as an example, it can be much easier to digest and a perfect way to teach children.  The topics I cover in this episode are; I give multiple examples of books you can use for really little children Using characters in tv shows to work out what they can do when they have big emotions What works for older children?  I will explain my new resource library called ‘The Coping Skills Hub’. Make sure you check out my new resource library here - copingskillsforkids.com/hub And remember, do not forget about yourself, take a few minutes for you and have a little fun! — About The Host - Janine Halloran Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children and adolescents for over 15 years. She loves to create products and resources, so she started two businesses to support families and professionals who work with children and teens. ‘Coping Skills for Kids’ provides products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. It’s the home of the popular Coping Cue Cards, decks of cards designed to help kids learn and use coping skills at home or at school. Janine’s second business ‘Encourage Play’ is dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! Encourage Play has free printables, as well as digital products focused on play and social skills. Coping Skills for Kids - https://copingskillsforkids.com Encourage Play - https://www.encourageplay.com Interested in reading my books? The Coping Skills for Kids Workbook - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook/products/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook-digital-version Social Skills for Kids - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/encourage-play/products/social-skills-for-kids-workbook Connect with Janine on Social Media Instagram: @copingskillsforkids Facebook: facebook.com/copingskillsforkids and facebook.com/encourageplay Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JanineHalloranEncouragePlay

After an unbelievable routine check at the pediatrician’s office, Sarah’s life changed forever. The experience she talks about in this episode made her get serious about parenting and educating other parents about peaceful discipline. Yes, it is helpful to look at evidence based research on parenting but ultimately, you need to find out what works for you specifically. Listen to this episode to find out how… The topics we cover in this episode are; Sarah’s life-changing pediatrician story Sarah’s book ‘Peaceful Discipline: Story Teaching, Brain Science, and Better Behavior.’ Evidence based research vs what works for you Fear based practices and how it affects a child’s brain Talk to kids when they’re little and have little problems… but why is that helpful?  How games can challenge in a playful way Using stories to teach How healing the world can start at home How Sarah relaxes About The Guest - Sarah Moore A decade ago, an uninformed doctor advised Sarah R. Moore to "never pick up her baby when she cried" and to let him know when she was ready to "get serious about parenting." Sarah's gotten serious about parenting, alright, as evidenced by her new book, "Peaceful Discipline: Story Teaching, Brain Science, and Better Behavior." Now a certified Master Trainer of conscious parenting, she's as serious about parenting as it gets. In addition to being a parent, Sarah has coached hundreds of families around the world, using her training in child development, trauma recovery, interpersonal neurobiology, executive negotiation, classroom experience, and improv comedy. Her book is endorsed by the amazing Drs. Tina Payne Bryson (Whole-Brain Child and No-Drama Discipline), Mona Delahooke (Beyond Behaviors and Brain-Body Parenting), Michele Borba (Thrivers), Jessica Joelle Alexander (Danish Way of Parenting), Elizabeth Pantley (No-Cry Sleep Solution), Raffi (children’s troubadour and founder of The Raffi Foundation for Child Honouring), Andrew Newman (Conscious Stories), and others. Get your copy today. Website - https://www.dandelion-seeds.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dandelionseedspositiveliving/?hl=en Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DandelionSeedsPositiveParenting/ Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/DandelionSeedsPositiveParenting/featured TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sarah_r_moore?lang=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/DandelionSeeds5 Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/dandelionseeds5/ Resources Book: https://a.co/d/1yNmvx8 Mini-Courses: https://dandelion-seeds.com/courses/ About The Host - Janine Halloran Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children and adolescents for over 15 years. She loves to create products and resources, so she started two businesses to support families and professionals who work with children and teens. ‘Coping Skills for Kids’ provides products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. It’s the home of the popular Coping Cue Cards, decks of cards designed to help kids learn and use coping skills at home or at school. Janine’s second business ‘Encourage Play’ is dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! Encourage Play has free printables, as well as digital products focused on play and social skills. Coping Skills for Kids - https://copingskillsforkids.com Encourage Play - https://www.encourageplay.com Interested in reading my books? The Coping Skills for Kids Workbook - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook/products/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook-digital-version Social Skills for Kids - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/encourage-play/products/social-skills-for-kids-workbook Connect with Janine on Social Media Instagram: @copingskillsforkids Facebook: facebook.com/copingskillsforkids and facebook.com/encourageplay Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JanineHalloranEncouragePlay

In this episode, Ned and I discuss the “parent as consultant” way of approaching raising children. It’s important to not solve all your kids' problems, they need to build those skills themselves to face issues in a constructive and thoughtful way.  We also discuss stress and how we all need to learn how to deal with it. As a parent, guardian or teacher, we all need to model self-care to manage our stress levels so our children can watch, learn and mimic that behavior. The topics we cover in this episode are: Why it’s important for kids to feel a sense of control Being the parent and a consultant How important play is Why you should let young people solve their own problems How to be that non-anxious presence in a Child's life Remaining calm in stressful situations Understanding that your kids want their lives to be great too About The Guest - Ned Johnson Ned Johnson is an author, speaker, and founder of PrepMatters, an educational company providing academic tutoring, educational planning, and standardized test preparation. A professional “tutor-geek” since 1993 and battle-tested veteran of test prep, stress regulation and student performance, Ned has spent nearly 50,000 one-on-one hours helping students conquer an alphabet of standardized tests, learn to manage their anxiety, and develop their own motivation to succeed. With Dr. William Stixrud, Ned co-authored The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives and What Do You Say? How To Talk With Kids To Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home. Ned is the host of the PrepTalks podcast: conversations with parenting and education experts. A sought-after speaker and teen coach on study skills, sleep deprivation, parent-teen dynamics, and test anxiety, and his work is featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, BBC, and many others.  Website - theselfdrivenchild.com Instagram - @theothernedjohnson Ned’s Resource - Top 10 Tips from The Self-Driven Child: https://prepmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SDC_Talk_Handout-1.pdf About The Host - Janine Halloran Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children and adolescents for over 15 years. She loves to create products and resources, so she started two businesses to support families and professionals who work with children and teens. ‘Coping Skills for Kids’ provides products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. It’s the home of the popular Coping Cue Cards, decks of cards designed to help kids learn and use coping skills at home or at school. Janine’s second business ‘Encourage Play’ is dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! Encourage Play has free printables, as well as digital products focused on play and social skills. Coping Skills for Kids - https://copingskillsforkids.com Encourage Play - https://www.encourageplay.com Interested in reading my books? The Coping Skills for Kids Workbook - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook/products/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook-digital-version Social Skills for Kids - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/encourage-play/products/social-skills-for-kids-workbook Connect with Janine on Social Media Instagram: @copingskillsforkids Facebook: facebook.com/copingskillsforkids and facebook.com/encourageplay Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JanineHalloranEncouragePlay

Did you know that mindfulness practice can shrink the amygdala which is the part of the brain that is responsible for fight, flight or freeze? While I know the benefits of mindfulness, I sometimes struggle to actually practice it. But several years ago, I was able to finally start on my mindfulness journey - by using food! This can be done with any type of food but I particularly love using berries or chocolate. Take a listen to learn how to use this technique… The topics I cover in this episode are: How mindfulness with food can help I run through an exercise with you from ‘The Coping Skills for Kids Workbook’ on mindful eating How I used this strategy during lockdown to help my clients Please keep in mind that clients may have food allergies or sensitivities so I encourage you to check with families before you do this activity. And remember, do not forget about yourself, take a few minutes for you and have a little fun! — Resource mentioned in the podcast: Taren, A. A., Gianaros, P. J., Greco, C. M., Lindsay, E. K., Fairgrieve, A., Brown, K. W., … Creswell, J. D. (2015). Mindfulness meditation training alters stress-related amygdala resting state functional connectivity: a randomized controlled trial. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 10(12), 1758–1768. http://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsv066 About The Host - Janine Halloran Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children and adolescents for over 15 years. She loves to create products and resources, so she started two businesses to support families and professionals who work with children and teens. ‘Coping Skills for Kids’ provides products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. It’s the home of the popular Coping Cue Cards, decks of cards designed to help kids learn and use coping skills at home or at school. Janine’s second business ‘Encourage Play’ is dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! Encourage Play has free printables, as well as digital products focused on play and social skills. Coping Skills for Kids - https://copingskillsforkids.com Encourage Play - https://www.encourageplay.com Interested in reading my books? The Coping Skills for Kids Workbook - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook/products/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook-digital-version Social Skills for Kids - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/encourage-play/products/social-skills-for-kids-workbook Connect with Janine on Social Media Instagram: @copingskillsforkids Facebook: facebook.com/copingskillsforkids and facebook.com/encourageplay Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JanineHalloranEncouragePlay

In this episode I am joined by Speech Language Pathologist Elizabeth A. Sautter to talk about ‘Whole body Listening Larry’. For our communities to evolve and grow, we have to constantly look at ourselves, the way we speak and how and what we teach children in schools about diversity. Not every brain is created biologically the same, so why do we think we could learn, listen, work or play the same way? I hope this episode opens your mind up to the positivity and brilliance that comes from people with neurodiverse brains. The topics we cover in this episode are; What is ‘Whole body Listening Larry’? How has ‘Whole body Listening Larry’ changed over the years? What is on the new poster? How Elizabeth was trained to be a Speech Language Pathologist What masking can look like How can a teacher deal with so many children with so many different needs? What is neurodiversity? What is neurodivergent? Thoughts on the name ‘ADHD’? Elizabeth's coping skills And remember, do not forget about yourself, take a few minutes for you and have a little fun! — About The Guest - Elizabeth Sautter Elizabeth A. Sautter, M.A., CCC-Speech Language Pathologist, is an international speaker, author, and trainer with expertise in social-emotional learning and executive functioning. She is a co-author of the original Whole Body Listening Larry series and poster. She collaborates on the Zones of Regulation curriculum as a presenter and co-author of Zones products, including children’s books, card decks, and games. She has authored the parent activity book, Make Social and Emotional Learning Stick along with two card decks for social-emotional support for parents. She has co-created an online course for parents and is passionate about supporting families (just like hers) with additional needs. Free Whole Body Listening Larry Poster at everydayregulation.com Elizabeth’s Website - Elizabethsautter.com Instagram - instagram.com/elizabeth.sautter Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethSautterMACCCSLP About The Host - Janine Halloran Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children and adolescents for over 15 years. She loves to create products and resources, so she started two businesses to support families and professionals who work with children and teens. ‘Coping Skills for Kids’ provides products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. It’s the home of the popular Coping Cue Cards, decks of cards designed to help kids learn and use coping skills at home or at school. Janine’s second business ‘Encourage Play’ is dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play! Encourage Play has free printables, as well as digital products focused on play and social skills. Coping Skills for Kids - https://copingskillsforkids.com Encourage Play - https://www.encourageplay.com Interested in reading my books? The Coping Skills for Kids Workbook - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook/products/coping-skills-for-kids-workbook-digital-version Social Skills for Kids - https://store.copingskillsforkids.com/collections/encourage-play/products/social-skills-for-kids-workbook Connect with Janine on Social Media Instagram: @copingskillsforkids Facebook: facebook.com/copingskillsforkids and facebook.com/encourageplay Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JanineHalloranEncouragePlay