Laid low, looking back and foward
I’m lucky that I rarely get sick. Working with kids, I get exposed to enough germs that my immune system is generally pretty good. But these past 10 days, I’ve been absolutely flattened by our local plague: Sore throat, which turned into a deep, manly cough, which turned into bronchitis.
Sadly, my voice is in no shape to do the podcast, but I got some good meds yesterday. and I’m looking forward to bringing you something special next week, for what will be ***EPISODE 50***!!!!
The Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic podcast is a bit over a year old. I love being able to answer children’s questions about friendship! I love hearing their sweet voices and often profound concerns, plus I enjoy the challenge of trying to say something practical and thought-provoking in just 5 minutes. (OK, sometimes I cheat and go a bit over. Oh, well.) It also intrigues me that the children’s questions are often ones that adults still wrestle with.
Thank you for tuning in (or reading the transcript here) and for helping your kid(s) send in questions!
Instead of a new podcast episode this week, I thought I’d highlight some of my favorite past episodes. It was very hard to choose, but here are five that stand out for me:
Ep. 1 – Naomi, Age 7: Friendship ends over small thing
The very first episode is a sentimental favorite. It also gave me a chance to talk about the idea that two people can see the same event from very different perspectives.
Ep. 14 – Rowan, Age 12: Feeling guilty, wanting to make up with a friend
We all make mistakes and sometimes do things that hurt or upset a friend. In this question, Rowan recognizes that he messed up and wants to make things right. That’s the very important first step in relationship repair. A sincere apology–and a change in behavior–can be the next steps.
Ep. 44 – Vera, Age 8: Change self to make friends?
Vera’s question–Do we have to change ourselves to make friends?–was simple yet profound. It pointed to the vital topic of authenticity.
Ep. 35 – Ryan, Age 11: Peers put down his interests
Ryan’s question had details that were adorably specific: Someone punched his example owl! It also raised the issue of how do we decide whose opinion matters to us?
Ep. 20 – Anna, Age 9: Lying friend
Anna wanted to know, Why does my friend lie to me? Obviously, lying is not a good thing to do. But rather than just condemning a friend, it’s often useful to look deeper and consider our own possible role in a problem because that’s something we can control. What, if anything, could Anna do to make it easier for her friend to tell her the truth?
Do you have a favorite episode? Please share in the comments!