Thriving Kids

Parenting can feel overwhelming when kids struggle with anxiety, behavior, school, or big emotions. Thriving Kids is a podcast for parents and caregivers who want clear, honest answers about child and adolescent mental health.

Hosted by Dr. Dave Anderson, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute, each episode focuses on a common parenting challenge — from tantrums to school struggles — with practical strategies grounded in science.

You’ll hear direct, expert guidance from clinicians who work with kids and families every day.

New episodes every week, with companion newsletters for easy reference.

Latest Episodes:

How Parents Shape Their Child’s Stress — and What Actually Helps Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

In this Thriving Kids Q&A episode, Dr. Dave Anderson answers parent questions about child stress, anxiety, avoidance, burnout, and coping with big emotions.

Building on a recent conversation with Dr. Dylan Gee, a professor of psychology at Yale University, this episode focuses on how kids learn to respond to stress — and how parent behavior can either ease anxiety or reinforce it over time.

Dr. Anderson addresses common situations parents face, including school anxiety, physical symptoms of stress, over-scheduling, achievement pressure, and burnout. He explains why avoidance often makes anxiety worse and how parents can support kids without pushing too hard or being too accommodating to their anxiety.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How kids pick up on parental stress — and how to change your own venting habits
Why avoidance increases anxiety over time
Why anxiety often shows up as stomachaches or headaches
Why reassurance can backfire — and what to do instead
How accommodation can unintentionally reinforce anxiety
How to support over-scheduled teens under college pressure
What teen burnout looks like after prolonged stress
Simple tools to reset a child’s nervous system before tests, games, or performances

This episode draws on evidence-based approaches from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), child development research, and clinical practice. It’s designed for parents of kids navigating anxiety, perfectionism, stress, and emotional overload.

Further reading

(Video) How do I help my child cope with stress? – Child Mind Institute
The Art and Science of Mindfulness – Child Mind Institute

For more expert guidance and free family resources, visit:

https://childmind.org/resources

How To Help Your Child Cope With Stress with Dr. Dylan Gee Jan 29, 2026

Show notes

Is your child struggling with stress — or is it something more?

In this episode of Thriving Kids, Dr. Dave Anderson sits down with Dr. Dylan Gee, a professor of psychology at Yale University, to explore the vital difference between managing stress and simply trying to avoid it. While it’s natural to want to "pave the road" and remove obstacles for our children, learning to tolerate discomfort is one of the most important emotional skills a child can build.

We discuss the "avoidance trap," where stepping in to solve every problem can actually make a child's stress worse over time. Dr. Gee explains how kids can learn to recover from hard moments and why your own emotional state as a caregiver is the most powerful tool for helping a stressed child feel safe and supported.

In this episode, we discuss:

The avoidance trap – Why helping kids avoid stress can undermine their ability to build long-term resilience.
The power of parental regulation – How staying calm and regulated helps your child cope when things feel overwhelming.
Validation and labeling – Why identifying big emotions like "frustrated" or "scared" is the first step toward managing them.
Challenging extreme thinking – How to guide kids away from "all-or-nothing" thoughts and toward more balanced perspectives.
Filling the coping toolbox – Practical strategies like deep breathing, mindfulness, and creative expression to help kids bounce back.

Should You Let Your Kid Fail? A Parent Q&A on Pressure, Resilience, and Emotions Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

In this Q&A edition of Thriving Kids, Dr. Dave Anderson answers listener questions following last week’s conversation with Jennifer Wallace on toxic achievement culture and helping kids feel like they matter.

Parents asked practical, hard questions about failure, pressure, motivation, and emotional regulation. This episode focuses on striking a balance — between support and independence, structure and flexibility, and validation and limits.

Questions cover:

Natural consequences vs. stepping in –Did you rob your child of a lesson by rescuing a forgotten school project? How to decide based on context and stakes.
Kids who cheat because they hate losing – What’s developmentally normal at younger ages, when rule-following matters for peer relationships, and how to address cheating without turning games into power struggles.
Paying kids for good grades – Does it increase pressure? How to use rewards thoughtfully and fade them out over time.
When your child says, “I suck at this” – How to respond to negative self-talk and helping kids move from self-blame to problem-solving.
The brutal car ride home after a loss – Why “I loved watching you play” can backfire and how to ask your teen what support they actually need.
When schools make failure feel high-stakes – What to say when mistakes lead to remedial groups or lost electives and how parents can act as “counter-programming” to achievement culture.

Key takeaways:

There is rarely one “right” parenting move.
Kids need both scaffolding and space to struggle.
Pressure affects children differently.
Validation doesn’t mean fixing feelings.
Effort matters more than perfection.

This episode is especially helpful if you’re parenting a child who is sensitive to failure, a perfectionist, or feeling overwhelmed by expectations at school or in sports.

Helping Kids Feel Like They Matter with Jennifer Wallace Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Thriving Kids, Dr. Dave Anderson speaks with Jennifer Wallace, an award-winning journalist and author, about her books Never Enough and Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose. They discuss the culture of toxic achievement and how fostering a sense of mattering can serve as an antidote. Wallace shares research findings on mattering, practical strategies for parents, and emphasizes the importance of making others feel valued in everyday interactions. They also explore the impact of parental self-care on creating a healthy environment for children.

Further Reading:

How to Help Kids Learn to Fail– Child Mind Institute
Raising Resilient Kids Who Are Prepared for the Future– Child Mind Institute
How to Model Healthy Coping Skills– Child Mind Institute

Q&A: How to Stay Connected Without Power Struggles Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

Parenting teens can feel confusing and exhausting — especially when connection starts to slip.

In this Thriving Kids Q&A episode, Dr. Dave Anderson from the Child Mind Institute answers real questions from parents about staying connected to teenagers during adolescence.

We cover:

Why teens can be warm and talkative with other adults but distant at home
How memes, TikToks, and inside jokes still count as real connection
How to prepare teens for college and independence without constant conflict
What to do when defiance and power struggles escalate
How to respond when teens self-diagnose ADHD or other mental health conditions online

This episode focuses on relationship-first parenting, clear boundaries, and helping teens feel understood — so they’re more likely to come to you when it really matters.

Further reading

Help! My Teen Stopped Talking to Me– Child Mind Institute
Tips for Communicating With Your Teen– Child Mind Institute
Parenting a Defiant Teen: Expert Tips– Child Mind Institute

How to Build a Better Relationship With Your Teen with Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart Jan 01, 2026

Show notes

Parenting a teen can feel like walking on eggshells. Conversations can turn into conflict. Teens may pull away, and parents may wonder how to navigate boundaries and stay connected.

In this episode of the Thriving Kids, Dr. Dave Anderson is joined by pediatric psychologist Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart to talk about what actually helps build a stronger, healthier relationship with your teen — even during tough moments.

They discuss:

• Why teens push back and pull away during adolescence
• What real connection with teens looks like (and what it doesn’t)
• How to set limits without damaging trust
• Common parenting mistakes that increase power struggles
• How to stay grounded when emotions run high
• Practical ways to rebuild connection after conflict

This conversation focuses on realistic, evidence-based strategies parents can use to improve communication, reduce tension, and strengthen trust — without trying to control or fix their teen.

Further reading

Tips for Communicating With Your Teen – Child Mind Institute
Help! My Teen Stopped Talking to Me – Child Mind Institute

How to Talk to Kids About Scary Topics: A Parenting Q&A Dec 26, 2025

Show notes

How do you talk to kids about the hard stuff — without making their worries worse?

In this Thriving Kids Q&A episode, Dr. Dave Anderson answers real questions from parents about how to talk with kids and teens about difficult, emotionally loaded topics in calm, developmentally appropriate ways.

Drawing on clinical experience from his work at the Child Mind Institute, Dr. Anderson walks through what helps — and what often backfires — when kids ask about scary news, big life fears, or sensitive issues at home.

Topics covered in this episode include:

Talking to kids about anxiety, disasters, and frightening news
Helping children cope with worries about climate change
Supporting kids dealing with unkind friends or social rejection
How to respond when kids fear losing a parent
Discussing financial stress without passing on adult worry
How to talk about suicide safely and openly
Explaining substance use and addiction in age-appropriate ways

Throughout the episode, Dr. Anderson emphasizes validation, honesty, emotional regulation, and keeping conversations open — even when a parent feels they didn’t handle a moment perfectly the first time.

Further reading

Helping Children Cope With Frightening News– Child Mind Institute
Kids and Climate Anxiety– Child Mind Institute
Big Talks: How to Have Important Conversations With Kids – Child Mind Institute

Raising Kids Who Can Handle the Real World Dec 18, 2025

Show notes

Dr. Dave Anderson sits down with science journalist and author Melinda Wenner Moyer to talk about what kids actually need to cope, connect, and grow up healthy today.

They cover:

Why letting kids experience big feelings builds resilience
How listening (not lecturing) strengthens connection
What parents get wrong about screens and tech
Why avoiding hard topics doesn’t protect kids
How everyday conversations shape empathy and judgment

This episode is about practical, research-backed parenting — not perfection.

Further reading

How Can We Help Kids With Self-Regulation? - Child Mind Institute
How to Raise Kids Who Aren’t A**holes - Melinda Wenner Moyer
Hello, Cruel World - Melinda Wenner Moyer

Big Emotions, Meltdowns, and “I Can’t Do It”: Thriving Kids Q&A Dec 11, 2025

Show notes

Join Dr. Dave Anderson for this special Q&A edition of Thriving Kids, where he addresses parenting questions ranging from managing a 6-year-old's meltdowns to navigating screen time battles to keeping the peace between siblings. Dr. Anderson offers advice on emotion regulation, developing coping skills, setting effective boundaries, and more.

Mastering Emotional Intelligence for Kids With Dr. Marc Brackett Dec 04, 2025

Show notes

Dr. Dave Anderson and special guest Dr. Marc Brackett, the founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, discuss the importance of understanding and managing emotions. Dr. Brackett shares insights from his books, Permission to Feel and Dealing with Feeling, and highlights practical strategies. Whether you're a parent, educator, or caregiver, this conversation offers valuable guidance on raising emotionally healthy children and the vital role emotion regulation plays in a child's well-being.

Further reading from the Child Mind Institute

And more from Dr. Marc Brackett