How to express your feelings with friends (Aida, Age 5)

How to express your feelings with friends (Aida, Age 5)

Author: Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD, author, psychologist, focusing on children's feelings, children's friendships, parenting, mental health. May 17, 2025 Duration: 7:05

Ep. 102 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Why both negative and positive feelings help us build strong friendships

Aida wants to know how to express her feelings with friends. Learn tips for what is most likely to get a good response...or not!

FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://eileenkennedymoore.ck.page/e37dcc098f

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 articles for parents.

*** DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

- Why is expressing both positive and negative feelings important for building a strong friendship?

- What are some unhelpful ways to express negative feelings? What should you do instead?

- Use the “I feel…when you… because… Please…” formula to create an example of how you might express negative feelings to a friend. Why is this a useful formula? (Hint: What information does it give your friend?)

- What are some reasons why kids sometimes have trouble expressing positive feelings to a friend? Why do they sometimes have trouble expressing negative feelings to a friend? (Hint: What are they be afraid might happen?)

*** You might also like these podcast episodes:

Ep. 67 - Choosing good friends (Paul, Age 12)https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/paul-age-12-choosing-friends-who

Ep. 45 - Gets angry at classmates (Reid, Age 5)https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/reid-age-5-gets-angry-at-classmates

Ep. 86 - How to know if you can trust a friend (Sally, Age 14) https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep86-sally-age-14-how-to-know-if-you-can-trust-a-friend



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

In Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Friendship Advice for Kids (K-8), real children from kindergarten through eighth grade send in their questions about the tricky, wonderful, and sometimes confusing world of friendships. Each week, Dr. Eileen Kennedy-Moore-a clinical psychologist and author known as Dr. Friendtastic-responds with a thoughtful, practical answer designed just for young listeners. The conversations in this podcast get straight to the heart of what kids experience: navigating arguments, feeling left out, trying to make a new friend, or figuring out how to be a good one themselves. Eileen Kennedy-Moore draws on her deep expertise in children's feelings and social development to offer actionable advice that respects a child's perspective. The format is brief and engaging, with each episode lasting about five minutes, making it an easy listen for a car ride or quiet moment. This isn't about lectures; it's about giving kids the tools and confidence to handle social situations with kindness and resilience. Parents and educators often find the discussions helpful, too, as the podcast naturally opens doors for deeper conversations about emotions and relationships. By focusing on real questions from real kids, the podcast creates a genuine connection, assuring young listeners that their friendship worries are normal and solvable. Tune in weekly to hear compassionate guidance that turns everyday social puzzles into opportunities for growth and connection.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Friendship Advice for Kids (K-8)
Podcast Episodes
Friends aren’t listening to her! (Bella, Age 10) | Ep. 149 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:13
Ep. 149 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: How to make yourself heard | Friendship advice for kidsFREE guide for parents: 12 ways to help your child make friendshttps://drfriendtastic.com/gift/Parents, check out my online work…
Understanding a friend’s feelings (Anna, Age 7) | Ep. 148 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:42
Ep. 148 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: 7 clues to figure out how a friend feels | Friendship advice for kidsFREE guide for parents: 12 ways to help your child make friendshttps://drfriendtastic.com/gift/Parents, check out…
Avoiding conflict with friends (Zen, Age 6) | re-release Ep. 57 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:04
Re-release Ep. 57 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: The upside of disagreements | Friendship advice for kidsFREE guide for parents: 12 ways to help your child make friendshttps://drfriendtastic.com/gift/Parents, check out my…
Teased because of his looks! (Milo, Age 9) | 147 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:01
Ep. 147 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Friendly versus unfriendly teasing | Friendship advice for kidsFREE guide for parents: 12 ways to help your child make friendshttps://drfriendtastic.com/gift/Parents, check out my onl…
She took something that didn’t belong to her (River, Age 9) | 146 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:38
Ep. 146 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Moving past guilt | Friendship advice for kidsFREE guide for parents: 12 ways to help your child make friendshttps://drfriendtastic.com/gift/Parents, check out my online workshops for…
He doesn’t like one kid in the group (Joe, Age 9) | 145 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:46
Ep. 145 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: He doesn’t like one kid in the group (Joe, Age 9) | Friendship advice for kidsFREE guide for parents: 12 ways to help your child make friendshttps://drfriendtastic.com/gift/Parents, c…
How to join a group (Addison, Age 9 1/2) | 144 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:45
Ep. 144 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: You don't have to stay on the outside looking in | Friendship advice for kidsFREE guide for parents: 12 ways to help your child make friendshttps://drfriendtastic.com/gift/Parents, ch…
Friends won't play the game he likes (Akiva, Age 5 3/4) | 143 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:37
Ep. 143 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Being flexible with friends | Friendship advice for kidsParents, check out my online workshops for kids at workshops.eileenkennedymoore.com.FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? htt…
Best friend replaces her! (Alice, Age 6) | 142 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:40
Ep. 142 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Being friendly vs. being friends | Friendship advice for kidsParents, check out my online workshops for kids at workshops.eileenkennedymoore.com.FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend…
How to Have a Conversation - for Kids [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:27
REPLAY of Ep. 126 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Talking and Listening with Friends | Friendship advice for kidsNo one is born knowing how to have a good conversation! In this episode, I share five practical tips to help k…