Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Friendship Advice for Kids (K-8)

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**Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Friendship Advice for Kids (K-8)**

Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is a weekly, 5-min. podcast for children about making and keeping friends. Each episode features an audio recording of a question about friendship from a kid (gr. K-8) plus a practical and thought-provoking answer from Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD, (aka Dr. Friendtastic,) an author and clinical psychologist based in Princeton, NJ. For transcripts and discussion questions: https://DrFriendtastic.com/podcast. To submit a question: https://DrFriendtastic.com/submit. For parent resources: https://EileenKennedyMoore.com

drfriendtastic.substack.com

Latest Episodes:

Best friends are all taken?! (Sadie, Age 10) Sep 27, 2025

Show notes

Ep. 118 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: What to do when everyone else seems paired up | Friendship advice for kids

Parents, check out my online workshops for kids at workshops.eileenkennedymoore.com.

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 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:

- Have you ever had a best friend? What did you do to build your friendship?

- Dr. Friendtastic said, “Friendships aren’t all or nothing.” What does that mean?

- How might increasing your kind actions lead to more friends or closer friends?

- Why is getting together with a friend outside of where you have to see them a good way to deepen friendships? [Hint: What does the invitation communicate to the friend?]

- How is a friend different from a chair (other than appearance)?

*** You might also like these podcast episodes:

Ep. 73 - Best friend suddenly stops playing with him (J.J., Age 11)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep73-jj-age-11-best-friend-stops-playing-with-him

Ep. 48 - New friend claims to be best friend (Lily, Age 6)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/lily-age-6-new-friend-claims-to-be-best-friend

Ep. 46 - Wishing for a best friend (Anna, Age 9)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/anna-age-9-wishing-for-best-friend

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

BONUS Episode: Jealousy and Openness - Part 2 Sep 25, 2025

Show notes

Hi there,

Jealousy & Openness Part 2 is now available, wrapping up the theme I hosted this week in the Big Emotions series.

This episode focuses on practical strategies that kids can use when jealousy shows up in their friendships. Instead of letting these feelings break their friendships, children can learn to approach them with curiosity and use them to understand what matters to them.

Next up:

* Anger & Forgiveness (Sept 30, Oct 2) - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is featured

* Belonging & Independence (Oct 7, 9) - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is featured

* Embarrassment & Pride (Oct 14, 16)

* Love & Sadness (Oct 21, 23)

* Endings & Beginnings (Oct 28, 30)

I've also created downloadable SEL Activity Sheets for each episode to help you continue the conversation at home and deepen what your child learns from the episode: Activity Sheets (PDFs)

Listen to the rest of the episodes wherever you get your podcasts: https://pod.link/1502915722

I hope this is helpful for your family! Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Warm wishes, Dr. Eileen

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

BONUS Episode: Jealousy and Openness - Part 1 Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

Hi there,

I’m hosting this week’s theme in the Big Emotions: Kids Listen Mashups About Feelings series!

Jealousy & Openness Part 1 is available now, and I'm honored to guide the conversation around some of the most complex emotions kids face in friendships.

If you're just learning about this, Big Emotions is a limited podcast series created with my friends from Kids Listen, Tal Kelly and Jenna Clarke. The series explores 7 emotional themes through 14 episodes, released on Tuesdays and Thursdays through October 30th. Each week, it shines a light on different feelings pairs. The series features clips from over 40 podcasts for kids.

What’s coming up

* Jealousy & Openness (Sept 23, 25) - I'm hosting these!

* Anger & Forgiveness (Sept 30, Oct 2) - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is featured

* Belonging & Independence (Oct 7, 9) - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is featured

* Embarrassment & Pride (Oct 14, 16)

* Love & Sadness (Oct 21, 23)

* Endings & Beginnings (Oct 28, 30)

This week we're exploring jealousy and envy, which we know can be tricky feelings - they can sting, make us compare ourselves to others, or worry we'll lose someone important to us. But they can also be helpful, pointing us toward what matters most and motivating us to grow.

In today's episode, you'll learn the difference between jealousy and envy, explore their opposites (like openness, compassion, and contentment), and hear how kids and families deal with these feelings with curiosity and kindness.

The episode features stories from Girl Tales and Sleep Tight Stories, as well as Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic, all woven together to help kids understand that these big emotions are normal and manageable.

Part 2 comes on Thursday, where we'll go further into how kids can handle jealousy in ways that strengthen rather than damage their relationships.

I've also created downloadable SEL Activity Sheets for each episode to help you continue the conversation at home and deepen what your child learns from the episode: Activity Sheets (PDFs)

Listen to the rest of the episodes wherever you get your podcasts: https://pod.link/1502915722

I can't wait for you to hear what we've created together. Please lest me know what you think!

Warm wishes, Dr. Eileen

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

BONUS Episode: Fear and Bravery - Part 2 Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

Hi there,

Yesterday I shared the exciting launch of Big Emotions: Kids Listen Mashups About Feelings - and this morning brings both Part 2 of the first theme AND the start of the next one!

Fear & Bravery Part 2 is now available - the perfect companion to Tuesday's episode. These two episodes work together to give kids a fuller understanding of how courage and fear can coexist.

And today also marks the beginning of Jealousy & Openness - the theme I'm honored to be hosting! This morning's episode explores some of the trickiest emotions kids (and adults!) face in friendships.

If you missed my earlier message, this groundbreaking series combines voices from over 40 beloved children's podcasts to help kids understand and cope with big emotions through immersive stories, music, reflection questions, and engaging activities.

Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is featured throughout several themes in the series, and I'll be adding those as bonus episodes on our regular podcast feed.

Listen wherever you get podcasts: https://pod.link/1502915722

I hope you and your child are enjoying this new resource!

Warm wishes, Dr. Eileen

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

BONUS Episode: Fear and Bravery - Part 1 Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

Hi there,

I'm thrilled to share something special I've been part of creating, and I think you and your child are going to love it.

Introducing: Big Emotions: Kids Listen Mashups About Feelings! This is a brand-new, limited podcast series that combines voices from more than 40 beloved children's podcasts to help kids understand and cope with big emotions.

Episode 1 is out now: Fear & Bravery!

Helping children learn to understand, cope with, and communicate about emotions in themselves and others is essential for developing strong and caring relationships. This series features feelings-laden clips from over 40 different kid podcasts to make learning about emotions engaging, meaningful, and actionable.

What makes this special:

* 7 emotional themes, explored through 14 episodes

* Each theme gets 2 episodes, released on Tuesdays and Thursdays

* Running from September 16th through October 30th

* Immersive stories, music, reflection questions, and activities

I had the pleasure of hosting the Jealousy & Openness episodes - out this week (September 23 & 25), and Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is featured in several other themes throughout the series. I’ll be adding those as bonus episodes on the Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic feed.

The complete lineup:

* Fear & Bravery (Sept 16, 18) - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is featured in part 2!

* Jealousy & Openness (Sept 23, 25) - I'm hosting these!

* Anger & Forgiveness (Sept 30, Oct 2) - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is featured

* Belonging & Independence (Oct 7, 9) - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is featured

* Embarrassment & Pride (Oct 14, 16)

* Love & Sadness (Oct 21, 23)

* Endings & Beginnings (Oct 28, 30)

Listen wherever you get podcasts: https://pod.link/1502915722 and on Yoto in October!

Warm wishes, Dr. Eileen

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

How to tell if a friend is loyal (Julian, Age 12) Sep 20, 2025

Show notes

Ep. 117 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Building trust between friends | Friendship advice for kids

Parents, check out my online workshops for kids at workshops.eileenkennedymoore.com.

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 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:

- Dr. Friendtastic says believing “My friend has to show they’re on my side by hating everyone I hate” is a terrible definition of loyalty. Why is that?

- How do you (or would you like to) show loyalty to your friends?

- Why does trust between friends usually build gradually? What helps it grow? (Hint: What helps you know you can trust a friend?)

- If a friend chooses to work with someone else on a school project or plays with someone else at recess, does that mean they are not a loyal friend? Why or why not?

- Do you think of yourself as big or little? Why?

*** You might also like these podcast episodes:

Ep. 79: Is your friend a fake friend? (Mar, age 11) https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep79-mar-age-11-is-your-friend-a-fake-friend

Ep. 59: Get rid of toxic friends (Jessie, Age 13) https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep59-jessie-age-13

Ep. 62: All About Forgiveness https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep62-all-about-forgiveness

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

Sister barges in on her friends (Mia, Age 11) Sep 13, 2025

Show notes

Ep. 116 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Finding a balance between family and friends | Friendship advice for kids

Parents, check out my online workshops for kids at workshops.eileenkennedymoore.com.

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 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 do you think kids are sometimes kinder to their friends than they are to their siblings?

- When is it okay to exclude a sibling? When is it not?

- A compromise means doing partly what you want and partly what someone else wants. Why is compromise important in relationships? Please describe one time when you compromised.

- Dr. Friendtastic said, “Learning to balance what you want and what others want is an important relationship skill.” Why is this important? (Hint: What happens if you only think about what you want or only think about what others want?)

*** You might also like these podcast episodes:

Ep. 40: Friendly brother also acts wild (Vihaan, age 6)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/vihaan-age-6-friendly-brother-acts-wild

Ep. 61: How to fight less with brother (Lucy, age 8)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep-61-lucy

Ep. 2 – Friendship with brother (Brayden, Age 12)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-episode

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

Her lies hurt her friendships (Sofia, Age 8) Sep 06, 2025

Show notes

Ep. 115 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: Building a habit of honesty | Friendship advice for kids

Parents, check out my online workshops for kids at workshops.eileenkennedymoore.com.

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 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 do you think it’s sometimes hard for kids to tell the truth?

- How can lying hurt your relationships?

- What are some reasons for telling the truth even when it’s hard?

- What is the difference between white lies and other lies? Do you think white lies are okay? Why or why not?

*** You might also like these podcast episodes:

Ep. 20 Lying friend (Anna, Age 9)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep-20-anna

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

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

Ep. 107 Secrets to self-control in friendship and life (Alex, Age 10)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep107-secrets-to-self-control-in-friendship-and-life-alex

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

Choosing friends who are a good influence (Paul, Age 12) Aug 30, 2025

Show notes

Re-release of Ep. 67: Peer pressure vs. peer influence | Friendship advice for kids

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:

- What are some ways that you’ve been influenced by your friends? Do you think that influence has been positive (good for you) or negative (bad for you)? Why?

- Have you ever been in a situation where a friend tried to pressure you to do something you didn’t want to do? What happened?

- What three words would you use to describe the five (or so) friends you spend the most time with? Do you think those three words also describe you? Why or why not?

- Dr. Friendtastic said, “However your friends might influence or even pressure you, you’re in charge of deciding what’s the right thing for you to do.” What does that mean?

*** You might also like these podcast episodes:

Ep. 16 - Joining a new group of friends (Sam, Age 13)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep-16-sam

Ep. 36 - Dealing with peer pressure (Ann, Age 9_

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ann-age-9-dealing-with-peer-pressure

Ep. 43 - Friend cut her hair! (Beatrix, Age 8)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/beatrix-age-8-friend-cuts-her-hair

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

Friend is ignoring her! (Emma, Age 13) Aug 23, 2025

Show notes

Ep. 114: Positive versus Negative Attention

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 positive attention better than negative attention? (Hint: how do others react?) What are some things you do or could do to get positive attention from friends?

- Have you ever been in a situation where you felt like a friend was ignoring you? What happened? Did you ever learn why your friend was ignoring you? How did you handle it?

- What would it look like if you were trying to be enjoyable company for a friend? (Hint: What would you do or say?)

- When a friend has been distant lately, why is “I miss you!” a better message to communicate than “You’re mean! Stop ignoring me!”?

- Why is not speaking to someone a bad way to handle conflicts?

- How is ignoring someone different from taking a short break to calm yourself down?

*** You might also like these podcast episodes:

Ep 111 - Friend won’t forgive her (Thea, Age 11)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep111-friend-wont-forgive-her-thea-age11

Ep. 102 - How to express your feelings with friends (Aida, Age 5)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep102-how-to-express-your-feelings-with-friends

Ep. 73 - Best friend suddenly stops playing with him (J.J., Age 11)

https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/ep73-jj-age-11-best-friend-stops-playing-with-him

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