Category: Uncategorized

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Episode 31 is a conversation about what happens when a child grows up with a sibling with a mental health condition. Nikki and Chad dig into this experience from the parents’ perspective, noting specific challenges and sharing ideas for how to navigate this aspect of parenting a child with mental illness. The discussion ventures into related topics such as sibling rivalry and bullying within the family unit and special emphasis is placed on the need for parents to be compassionate with themselves as they try new strategies

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In their 30th episode, Nikki and Chad are joined by Dr. Rebecca Rolland, speech pathologist, Harvard lecturer, and author of The Art of Talking with Children for a conversation about getting kids to talk. They identify the ways that parents unintentionally prevent their kids from sharing, highlight strategies for getting kids to really talk with special emphasis on overcoming the unique communication obstacles that anxiety and other childhood mental health disorders present. To find out more about Dr. Rolland, check out her website. Find her book The Art of Talking with Children on Amazon and at other major book sellers.

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For the final episode of their Back to School series, Chad and Nikki are joined by Chrissy Cox, a local school principal, who explores the classroom practicality of the tips and strategies shared in episode 28, Unexpected Coping Skill, Part 1. Chrissy also discusses how schools address the social/emotional needs of their students today.

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Managing anxiety doesn’t have to be a complicated affair. In the third installment of their Back to School series, Nikki and Chad share simple, effective, and sometimes surprising strategies for coping with anxiety symptoms and discuss how these work and factors to consider when deciding which might be right for your child.

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In part two of their Back to School series, Nikki and Chad unpack strategies to help kids deal with the difficult people they may encounter at school or in other areas of their lives. Difficult people may be bullies, other kids who are lacking social skills, or tough teachers. Parents are also reminded to think about what their children might see when mom or dad face their own challenging individuals. 

Nikki mentions two videos in this episode:

How to Make a Bully from Scratch is a powerful video about the development of both bullies and their victim created by Conscious Discipline.

Brooks Gibbs is a Social Psychologist and Resilience Educator who teaches kids to regulate emotions and handle social problems. Find out more about Brooks on his website. The video that Nikki referenced is on YouTube.

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The new school year will be here before you know it and to help you prepare, Nikki and Chad will be doing a short Back to School series highlighting some of the most common challenges faced by anxious kids and their families each fall. In part 1, New Places, New Faces, your Scrambled co-hosts discuss how to help kids of all ages face anxieties about going to a new school or a new building. They walk through strategies to help kids get more comfortable and as always provide suggestions to help parents navigate their own emotions during the process. 

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Summer vacation season is in full swing so for this episode, Nikki and Chad share tips for navigating childhood anxiety while traveling. Knowing what to expect is important to worried kids but it’s also helpful for adults to stay in tune with their own emotions along the way. For more information about social stories, one idea that Nikki shares, check out www.carolgraysocialstories.com.

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Dr. Jessica Snowden-Patel, Clinical Child Psychologist, joins Chad and Nikki for episode 24 –  ‘Psychological Evaluation 101,’ for a deep dive into the process of a psychological evaluation. Dr. Patel answers questions about when and how to access a psychologist in your family’s mental health journey as well as what to expect along the way. 

Dr. Patel’s Favorite Resources:

GoZen

Understood.org

The What to Do Series of workbooks by Dawn Huebner (available on amazon.com)

The Explosive Child, by Ross Green, find it here

Triple P- Positive Parenting Program

Uniquely Human, by  Dr. Barry M. Prizant Ph.D and Tom Fields-Meyer, find it here

Parent Lab App – available for download on Android and Apple devices

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Learning that your child has a mental health condition can be extremely difficult but for many parents and caregivers, a diagnosis means ANSWERS, a direction or plan, and validation of all the struggle. In episode 23, Chad and Nikki explore the process of receiving and making sense of a mental health diagnosis along with tips for navigating the difficult emotions that often accompany this experience.

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You might think that mental health symptoms aren’t something to celebrate but in episode 22, Symptom or Superpower, Nikki and Chad describe how mental health disorders sometimes come with or lead to the development of “superpowers” for children and their families. Every challenge your child faces is an opportunity to build skills and resilience and this episode contains tips to help parents and caregivers find the bright side of their child’s emotional and behavioral struggles.