Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic - Podcast

Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is a weekly, 5-minute podcast for kids about making and keeping friends. Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD, also known as Dr. Friendtastic, is an author and clinical psychologist based in Princeton, NJ, who answers questions from kids about common friendship challenges.

Parents, get the weekly podcast episodes–plus articles for parents–sent directly to your email by joining the Dr. Friendtastic NEWSLETTER for parents. As my gift to you for signing up, you'll get 3 free ebooks for parents:

When Your Child...Says, "Nobody Likes Me!"
When Your Child...Cries Easily
When Your Child...Gets Bullied

Listen below or subscribe on your favorite podcast feed!

How to Submit Your Question About Friendship!

Kids, do you have a question you’d like Dr. Friendtastic to answer? Ask your grown-up to use their smartphone's memo function or an audio app to record your question. Hold the phone close to your mouth to make sure the recording is clear. Say: 1) your first name (or another name) 2) your age 3) a brief question or concern about friendship. (Please don’t mention any friends' names.)

Your grown-up can use this form or email the audio file to DrF@EileenKennedyMoore.com. Dr. Friendtastic will answer as many questions as she can. (If you have a very upsetting or emergency situation, please tell a trusted adult you know.)

Episode 30 – Michael, Age 10: Why do some kids push others around?

Getting positive versus negative attention

Episode 30 – Michael, Age 10: Why do some kids push others around?

Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic

Episode 30 – Michael, Age 10: Why do some kids push others around?

00:00 / 4:51

Think About it Questions

Read Transcript

Have you ever gotten negative attention from other kids? (In other words, were kids talking or yelling at you because they were annoyed about something you were doing?) What’s a good way to handle things when that happens?
Do you know a kid like the one Michael describes? Why do you think that kid does what he does? How does this kid’s actions affect their friendships?
Michael says the pushing happens “every time” this kid goes on the slide. Why do you think asking a grown-up to stand near the slide at the beginning of recess, before anything bad has happened, could be a useful idea? How might this be better than complaining after someone has been pushed?
Why might it be easier for the other kid to listen if Michael says, “Everyone needs to wait their turn” instead of “YOU need to wait your turn!”?

Episode 29 – Abby, Age 9: Dealing with Teasing

How to tell the difference between friendly and unfriendly teasing

Episode 29 – Abby, Age 9: Dealing with Teasing

Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic

Episode 29 – Abby, Age 9: Dealing with Teasing

00:00 / 6:27

Think About it Questions

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Do you have strong feelings about bananas? Why or why not? (OK, that question doesn’t have anything to do with friendship, but it’s fun to think about!)
What are some reasons why kids tease?
Can you think of a time that someone teased you in a friendly way? How could you tell it was friendly rather than mean teasing?
Have you ever been the target of mean teasing? What happened? How did you respond?
Have you ever teased someone in what you thought was a fun and friendly way but the other kid got upset? What happened? Why do you think that kid was bothered by what you said? What did you do to help the other kid feel better?
Why is it important to tell a friend if their teasing bothers you? What could happen to your friendship if you don’t say anything about that?
Dr. Friendtastic gave lots of examples of neutral or boring responses to teasing. Why might those work better than yelling at the teaser? Which of those comments would you feel comfortable saying if you were teased?

Episode 28 – Avni, Age 11: Being unfairly targeted by a friend’s anger

Dealing with spill-over anger

Episode 28 – Avni, Age 11: Being unfairly targeted by a friend’s anger

Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic

Episode 28 - Avni, Age 11: Being unfairly targeted by a friend’s anger

00:00 / 5:14

Think About it Questions

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Spill-over anger is when you’re mad at one person but take it out on someone else. What are some reasons why kids (and adults!) sometimes do that? Have you ever unfairly taken your anger out on someone? Have you ever been the target of someone’s spill-over anger? What happened?
Why is acting aggressively and yelling at people NOT a good way to deal with feeling angry? (Hint: What would that likely do to your friendships?)
What do you think are some good ways to tell a friend that what they’re doing bothers you?
How do you decide when you’re going to forgive a friend’s mistake and when their mistake means the friendship is over?

Episode 27 – Dr. Friendtastic’s Friendship League: Josh Martin

Introducing a special friend. Do you know Dragon Ball Z’s Majin Buu?

Episode 27 – Dr. Friendtastic’s Friendship League: Josh Martin

Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic

Episode 27 – Dr. Friendtastic's Friendship League: Josh Martin

00:00 / 5:30

Think About it Questions

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Being “the new kid” can happen when we move homes or when we join a new group or activity. Have you ever felt like “the new kid”? How did you handle that?
Dr. Friendtastic says that common ground is where friendships grow. What does that mean to you? What are some ways to find or create common ground with other kids?
Which activities have you done that have been most helpful to you for making friends?
Being kind doesn’t guarantee that someone will become our friend. Why is it a good idea to be kind, anyway?

Episode 26 – Abigail, Age 10: Feeling like a second-choice friend

Friendship doesn’t have to be all or nothing

Episode 26 – Abigail, Age 10: Feeling like a second-choice friend

Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic

Episode 26 – Abigail, Age 10: Feeling like a second-choice friend

00:00 / 5:17

Think About it Questions

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Have you ever felt like a second-choice friend? How did you handle it? Do you think it’s possible to be good friends with someone if they like someone else more than they like you? Why or why not?
Has a friend ever told you that they feel left out or jealous of your other friend? How did you respond?
What does “all-or-nothing thinking” mean, when it comes to friendship? Why is it not a good idea?
Saying, “You’re mean!” is not a good way to encourage someone to be kinder to you. Why do you think kids sometimes accuse friends of being mean? What are some better ways to communicate so your friends will want to listen when you tell them about a problem?

Episode 25 – Bryson, Age 10: Handling teasing about religion

Moving past us-versus-them thinking

Episode 25 – Bryson, Age 10: Handling teasing about religion

Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic

Episode 25 – Bryson, Age 10: Handling teasing about religion

00:00 / 5:08

Think About it Questions

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How many different religions can you name? What do you know about them?
What examples can you think of in your life of us-versus-them thinking or in-group bias (meaning kids prefer people in their own group compared to another group)? What do you think might help these groups get along better?
Have you ever been picked on or treated unfairly because of your religion? Have you ever heard someone else getting picked on because of their religion? How did you handle it?
Do you think kids or adults are more accepting of differences? Why?
Why is it wonderful that everyone is not exactly like you?

Episode 24 – Olivia, Age 13: Fake friends versus real friends

Some friendships have limits

Episode 24 – Olivia, Age 13: Fake friends versus real friends

Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic

Episode 24 – Olivia, Age 13: Fake friends versus real friends

00:00 / 5:47

Think About it Questions

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Why do you think kids sometimes pretend to like someone when they don’t?
Think of a time when a friend made a mistake that hurt or upset you. How did you handle it? How would you want a friend to respond if you made a mistake?
How is a limited friendship different from a fake friendship? Do you think it’s possible to like someone and enjoy their company if you only have a limited friendship? Why or why not?
Why does Dr. Friendtastic suggest lowering your expectations in a limited friendship? What do you think that means? How might that help the friendship? How might lower expectations help you?
What do you think are the essential ingredients of all friendships, whether they’re very close or more limited? (In other words, what are the basic expectations for a friendship that you should never lower?)
How could mind-reading hurt a friendship? What might happen if you guess wrong about what someone else is thinking or trying to do?

Episode 23 – Gage, Age 9: Getting pushed around at recess

Play fighting versus real fighting

Episode 23 – Gage, Age 9: Getting pushed around at recess

Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic

Episode 23 – Gage, Age 9: Getting pushed around at recess

00:00 / 5:01

Think About it Questions

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Have you ever had someone be physically too rough with you? What happened? How did you respond?
How do you feel about play fighting? Why do you think some kids like it? Why do you think some kids don’t like it?
Why is it important to be able to tell the difference between play fighting and real fighting? What do you think are the main differences?
Why might social control (using the group’s disapproval to rein someone in) be an effective way to deal with someone who is being too rough?
Why is it important to tell a trusted grown-up if someone bigger, stronger, tougher, or more socially powerful than you is picking on you? If you were being bullied, who would you tell?

Episode 22 –Scarlett, Age 13: Changing a bad first impression

Scarlett wants to know what to do to change someone’s first impression of her.

Episode 22 –Scarlett, Age 13: Changing a bad first impression

Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic

Episode 22 –Scarlett, Age 13: Changing a bad first impression

00:00 / 4:55

Think About it Questions

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Have you ever changed your mind about what you think of someone and started to like them, even though you didn’t at first? If so, what led to that change?
What are some reasons why it’s hard to change a first impression?
Dr. Friendtastic said, “We can’t force someone to like us.” What does this statement mean to you?
What impression do you think most people have of you when they first meet you? Is that similar or different from how your close friends see you?

Episode 21 – Eugene, Age 13: Wanting to be more popular

Popularity is not the same as friendship

Episode 21 – Eugene, Age 13: Wanting to be more popular

Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic

Episode 21 – Eugene, Age 13: Wanting to be more popular

00:00 / 4:43

Think About it Questions

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Popular kids are socially powerful. What do you think that means? How is that different from being well-liked?
How can someone be “cool” if they are also unkind? Do you know anyone like that? How do other kids react to that kid?
Why do you think some kids care a lot about being popular? What do you think about popularity?
What are some ways that kids could try to increase how well-liked they are?
Think of the happiest kids you know. Would you say they are very popular, medium popular, or unpopular? Do many, some, or few kids like them? Do they have close friends? What do your observations suggest about how happiness is related to popularity and friendship?

Submit a Question for Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic

This contact form is ONLY FOR ADULTS to submit their child’s recorded question about friendship for the podcast.

Not every question submitted will be featured on the podcast, but I do listen to all of them. I love hearing what’s on kids’ minds! Questions selected for the podcast will be clear recordings and touch on issues that are useful for many kids. Unfortunately, I can’t answer questions privately, for individual people.

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Record and Upload Your Kid's Question

Use your smartphone's memo function or an audio app to record your child's question. Please hold your phone close to your child’s mouth and have your child state 1) their FIRST NAME 2) their AGE, 3) a BRIEF QUESTION about friendship. (Please do not include friends’ names in the question.) Use the Choose File button below to upload the audio recording of your kid’s question.

Accepted file types: mp3, m4a, wav, Max. file size: 500 MB.

By submitting a recording of your child’s question, you are granting permission for it to be used in whole or in part on the Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic podcast and related media.

This podcast and everything on DrFriendtastic.com are for educational purposes only. They do not constitute and cannot replace psychotherapy or other psychological services.