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A School Psychologist’s Favorite Podcasts for Parents and Children By Tara Motzenbecker, M.S., NCSP

6/20/2019

For parents who do not necessarily have the time or energy to pick up a parenting book in the evenings but would like to learn some new information, podcasts are a great way to learn a few things while driving or exercising. Here are a few of Licensed School Psychologist Tara Motzenbecker’s favorite parenting podcasts:

Parent Footprint
The mission of Parent Footprint is to make the world a better place — one parent and one child at a time. Host Dr. Dan Peters teaches parents, families, and caregivers how to leave their best footprint for the next generation. Listeners will learn how to parent with increased awareness and how to be purposeful about leaving a healthy footprint on our children.

Hand in Hand: A Podcast for Parents
Every week hosts Abigail and Elle decode children’s difficult behaviors and share new and exciting ways to turn things around by covering topics such as setting limits, handling lying, and how to get a child to eat when they refuse.

NPR Life Kit Parenting: Raising Awesome Kids
What do math, kindness, and self-regulation have in common? They're ingredients to raising an awesome kid. In partnership with Sesame Workshop, Life Kit talks to parenting experts for tips and tricks to empower kids to be compassionate, embrace math without fear and cultivate self-control.

NPR Life Kit Parenting: Difficult Conversations
Is Santa Claus real? What happened to the cat? Why is that kid's skin color different? Raising children means facing tough questions. Sesame Workshop's child development experts have 50 years of experience with giving answers. They help us handle three sensitive subjects: magic, race, and death.

AT Parenting Survival Podcast (Anxiety and OCD)
Do you want in-depth advice on how to parent kids with anxiety and OCD? Tune in to this weekly podcast. Check out the back episodes on every imaginable topic on anxiety & OCD.

Hearing stories out loud is a great way to develop children’s reading and literacy skills. In addition to reading out loud to your child, podcasts can add some extra magic while also building skills. Here are a few of a Licensed School Psychologist Tara Motzenbecker’s favorite podcasts for children:

Stories Podcast
One of the first kids' podcasts to grasp podcasts' storytelling capabilities, this podcast is still going strong with kid-friendly renditions of classic stories, fairy tales, and original works. These longer stories with a vivid vocabulary are great for bigger kids past the age for picture books but who still love a good bedtime story. Best for: Big kids

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
The Podcast is a fairy tale podcast about the extraordinary women who inspire us.The show is based on Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, the global best-selling book series inspiring millions of girls and women around the world to dream bigger, aim higher, and fight harder. Best for: Kids

Wow in the World
One of the newest podcasts to hit the scene, NPR's first show for kids is exactly the sort of engaging, well-produced content you would expect from the leaders in radio and audio series. Hosts Guy Roz and Mindy Thomas exude joy and curiosity while discussing the latest news in science and technology in a way that's enjoyable for kids and informative for grown-ups. Best for: Kids

Peace Out
This is a gentle podcast that encourages relaxation as well as mindfulness. Great for bedtime, but also any time of day when kids could use a calming activity, this podcast combines breathing exercises with whimsical visualizations for a truly peaceful experience. Best for: Preschoolers and little kids

But Why? The Podcast for Curious Kids
Kids are always asking seemingly simple questions that have surprisingly complex answers, such as "Why is the sky blue?" and "Who invented words?" This cute biweekly radio show/podcast takes on answering them. Each episode features several kid-submitted questions, usually on a single theme, and with the help of experts, it gives clear, interesting answers. Best for: Kids

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How to get the most out of Your Own therapy By Rachel Funnell, LMFT

6/13/2019

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Taking the first step to setting up a therapy session is very brave. You have decided that you are ready for something to change. But what do you do once you get there? What should you talk about and how honest can you be? How do you know if you’re making progress? Here are a few tips that therapist want you to know.

View therapy as a collaboration.
Your therapist is there to help you learn how to help yourself. Express your needs, ask questions, do the “homework” assignments and don’t be afraid to speak up if something doesn’t make sense. If you have something specific to talk about during the session then let the therapist know. This is your time and your therapist wants you to use it in anyway that will be beneficial to you.

Say anything in therapy.
People often censor themselves for fear of judgement or appearing impolite. However, saying what you really want to say will actually help lead you to making progress. Censoring yourself will only limit you. So speak up, whether it’s about how you don’t want to be in therapy, or you don’t like how the therapist said something or if you don’t understand why you keep having certain feelings about unrelated topics. Whatever comes to mind, say it. The therapist can only help with the information that you have given them. If you aren’t telling them how you’re really feeling, then they won’t be able to provide you with the appropriate advice or recommendations.

Do the work outside of the sessions.
Therapy sessions only last on average 50 mins and typically sessions are only once a week or every other week. If you limited your efforts to improving to just that time, it would take you forever to make any progress. This is why it’s so important to take the recommendations from your therapist and apply them outside of therapy. Do the “homework” assignments that are given to you. You will see progress quicker. If you are having trouble implementing the recommendations, then talk about it with your therapist so that you both can adjust them as needed.

Understand that progress takes time.
Therapy is a process and progress typically doesn’t happen quickly. Depending on how rooted the problem or issue is in your life, it could take months or years to completely be free from it. For some, it’s an ongoing process where they will be in and out of therapy depending on how the issue is affecting them at any particular time. However, if you feel like you have been in therapy awhile and there still isn’t any progress, talk to your therapist about it. Have an honest conversation about what could be stopping that progress from happening.

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Success at Summer Camp by Sara Hofmann, Ph.D.

6/6/2019

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For many families, summer break is a great chance to shake up the family routine by adding a day camp or sleepaway camp experience. For some kids, this change is seamless- but for others, the change in activity requires a little extra support to ensure that your child has the best experience possible! Here are some tips to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Sign up with a friend. It’s likely that your child will make lots of new friends at camp, but including a friend from the start may help your child adjust more quickly to the new environment.
Follow the child’s interests. Parents often have fond memories of their own camp experiences and want to create something similar for their child. If your child also loves tennis or chemistry, this can be a great way to share a passion. If your child is more excited about a different activity though, work with your child to find a camp that will cater to his or her unique area of interest.
Ensure the camp can accommodate your child. Many children have specific needs related to diet, accessibility, medication regimens, or other concerns. Before enrolling your child, speak with staff to ensure that they understand your child’s requirements and can accommodate those needs for the entire duration of the program without diminishing the camp experience.
Review skills for success. Both before and during camp, help your child to review skills they’ll need to be successful at camp. For sport-based camps, work with your child to run through foundational skills before the start of camp and practice new skills with them during camp to cement muscle memory. For sleepaway camp, talk through hygiene routines, organization of belongings, and any other pieces the child is worried about. A solid plan is essential for reducing anxiety and maximizing openness and fun!
Make it fun! Summer can be a great time to help children get caught up (or even get a little ahead) in academic areas- but don’t forget about the other, relaxed side of summer. Non-academic skills such as imaginative play, spontaneous problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership will improve during unstructured fun time at camp. These should also be an integral part of summer!

For more information:
http://www.seacoastkidscalendar.com/
www.tampabayparenting.com

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Sleep Part 2: The Importance of Getting Enough Sleep By Kirsten Ellingsen, Ph.D.

6/1/2019

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Part one of my blog series about sleep identified the recommend number of hours of sleep for optimal health for children and teens. This blog provides more information about the consequences of not getting adequate sleep and benefits when children do.

Why is sleep so important? Getting enough sleep is important for physical health, learning, and mood. Too little sleep at any age can affect cognitive functioning, emotional reactions, and a child’s ability to fight germs and stay well.

“Studies have shown that kids who regularly get an adequate amount of sleep have improved attention, behavior, learning, memory, and overall mental and physical health. Not getting enough sleep can lead to high blood pressure, obesity and even depression.” https://www.hopkinsallchildrens.org/ACH-News/General-News/The-importance-of-sleep-for-kids

When children and teens do not get adequate sleep on a regular basis the following negative effects can occur:

Physical Health:

Compromised immune system (so a child can get sick more often and easier) and growth
Higher rates of obesity and diabetes and risk for hypertension
Increased risk for injuries (more clumsiness and poorer motor coordination)

Mental Health and Cognitive Functioning:

Increased risk for anxiety and depression
Increased inattention and forgetfulness
More difficulty learning new information
More frequent temper tantrums and irritability for young children

Deficits in sleep can have long-term negative effects on brain functioning. https://www.webmd.com/children/features/good-sound-sleep-for-children#1
In addition, a “lack of sleep causes irritability, increased stress, forgetfulness, difficulties with learning and low motivation. Over time, it can contribute to anxiety and depression.”
https://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/Article?contentid=645&language=English.

Behaviors (symptoms) parents may see when children or teens are not getting enough sleep include the following:

Cognitive

Low interest, motivation and reduced attention
Increased forgetfulness
Blurred vision
Difficulty learning

Emotional

Increased moodiness and irritability
Increased impulsivity
Increased stress

Physical

Difficult to wake up in the morning
Falling asleep after being woken up
Yawning frequently
Complaining of feeling tired or wanting to nap
Reduced immune system function

(From:https://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/Article?contentid=645&language=English)

Getting an adequate amount of quality (uninterrupted and well-timed) sleep is restorative and important for the well being of children and teens. When the recommended amount of sleep is attained on regular basis there is “improved attention, behavior, learning, memory, emotional regulation, quality of life, and mental and physical health. https://aasm.org/recharge-with-sleep-pediatric-sleep-recommendations-promoting-optimal-health/. According to Sick Kids (Canada), children who consistently get a good night’s sleep are more creative, have better concentration, show better problem-solving abilities, make more positive decisions, learn and remember things better, have more energy, and make and maintain more positive relationships with others. There are many reasons why a child or teen does not get adequate sleep including medication, use of electronics, and stress. The final blog in this series will provide practical recommendations and resources to help facilitate better (and more) sleep for children and teens.

Please talk with you pediatrician if you have concerns about the amount or quality of sleep for children.

Additional Resources and References:

https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/not-tired.html
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/sleep.html
https://www.parents.com/health/healthy-happy-kids/the-7-reasons-your-kid-needs-sleep/
https://childmind.org/article/happens-teenagers-dont-get-enough-sleep/
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/children-and-sleep
https://aasm.org/recharge-with-sleep-pediatric-sleep-recommendations-promoting-optimal-health/

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Parent and Child Psychological Services PLLC
info@childtherapysrq.com
941.357.4090 (Office)
727.304.3619 (Fax)
4071 Bee Ridge Road, Suite 204
Sarasota, FL 34233

Photos used under Creative Commons from verchmarco, wriggly_toes, verchmarco

A School Psychologist’s Favorite Podcasts for Parents and Children By Tara Motzenbecker, M.S., NCSP

How to get the most out of Your Own therapy By Rachel Funnell, LMFT

Success at Summer Camp by Sara Hofmann, Ph.D.

Sleep Part 2: The Importance of Getting Enough Sleep By Kirsten Ellingsen, Ph.D.

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