Secrets to self-control in friendship and life (Alex, Age 10)

Secrets to self-control in friendship and life (Alex, Age 10)

Author: Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD, author, psychologist, focusing on children's feelings, children's friendships, parenting, mental health. June 28, 2025 Duration: 6:50

Ep. 107: Strategies for making wise choices

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

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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/

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*** DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

- Think of a time when you were able to do what was right even though you were tempted to do something else. How did you do that? What helped you have self-control?

- Why do you think it’s sometimes hard to have self-control?

- Dr. Friendtastic mentioned three strategies for self-control: 1) change the situation, 2) replace the behavior (do something else), and 3) use self-talk. Which do you think is the easiest strategy to use? Which have you found to be the most helpful?

- Think of an area in your life where you’d like to have more self-control. (Hint: It could be related to a bad habit you have or something you’ve done in the past that has caused problems in your relationships.) If you were going to use self-talk to give yourself a pep talk about doing the right thing in this area from now on, what would you say to yourself

*** You might also like these podcast episodes:

Ep. 53 - How to stay calm when someone is bragging (Lillian, Age 11)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/lillian-age-11-how-to-stay-calm-when

Ep. 52 - Friend's parents don't like him (Tyler, Age 12)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/tyler-age-12-friends-parents-dont

Ep. 70 - Knowing when and how to stop (Owen, Age 8)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep70-owen-age-8-stop-signals



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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
Friend’s secret could harm them (Nicoletta, Age 14) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:51
Ep. 81 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Knowing when to tell an adult Nicoletta is worried about what to do when a friend begs her to keep a secret that could harm the friend.FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://e…
Dealing with a manipulative friend (Laina, Age 11) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:51
Ep. 80 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Dealing with a manipulative friendLaina wonders how to deal with a manipulative friend. But what does that even mean?FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://eileenkennedymoore.…
Is your friend a fake friend? (Mar, Age 11) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:59
Ep. 79 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Is your friend a fake friend?Mar wants to know how to recognize a fake friend.FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://eileenkennedymoore.ck.page/e37dcc098fWould YOUR KID like t…
How to Confront a Friend [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:49
Ep. 78 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: How to confront a friend.What can you say when a friend does something that upsets you? How do you get your message across without wrecking the friendship?FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Go…
Friend is nicer to someone else (Maya, Age 8) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:25
Ep. 77 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: A friend is not a birthday cake!Maya wonders what to do when she notices her friend being nicer to someone else than to her. Scroll down for discussion questions.FREE quiz: Is Your Chi…
Welcome to the Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic podcast! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:40
Ep. 0 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: TrailerWelcome! Each episode of the Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic podcast features an audio recording of a question about friendship from a kid (in grades K-8), plus a practical and thought…
Friends ditch her (Anaya, Age 10) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:14
Ep. 76 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Not signing up for more of the sameAnaya wonders what to do when friends leave her behind. Scroll down for discussion questions.FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://eileenke…
Upset when he loses a game (Alex, Age 10) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:57
Ep. 75 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Learning to be a good sportLike a lot of kids, Alex has trouble coping with losing a game.Scroll down for discussion questions.FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://eileenken…
Friend hits her (Aubrey, Age 6) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:36
Ep. 74 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: End a friendship or work it out?Aubrey wants to know what to do about a friend who hits her.Scroll down for discussion questions.FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://eileenk…
Best friend suddenly stops playing with him (J.J., Age 11) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:42
Ep. 73 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: A fast (but not easy) way to repair a friendship riftJ.J. feels hurt, angry, and confused because the kid he considered his best friend suddenly refuses to play with him.Scroll down fo…