Calm and Connected is created by Janine Halloran, an experienced counselor and mom. Janine gives quick tips and helpful information about coping skills and play
All of us have the same values, these are to be seen, heard, understood and to be appreciated and know we belong. What are your needs? How much time do you give to look after you? Do you find you give so much to your kids, that you find yourself overwhelmed when you try to connect? In this episode Janine and Sonali speak about: What does it mean to be a highly sensitive parent How to enjoy your…
Over the past decade, families have been feeling the pressure more than ever. From social media and constant screen time to the shared stress of the global pandemic and rising expectations for both parents and kids — it’s easy to feel disconnected and overwhelmed. In this episode, we explore how families can navigate these challenges, reduce stress, and build stronger, more connected relationships…
Food is magic! Cooking together as a family has lots of benefits. As well as being a time to learn and teach such a key life skill, it presents an opportunity to share family recipes, whether they are cultural recipes or family recipes passed down through the generations. In this episode they discuss: How Amy’s work got started How to learn about your family background through cooking Why to have…
We all know the 5 senses and learned them from the time we started school. But did you know there are actually 8? Unpacking and understanding these can help us to understand yours and your child's needs and how you move around your space well. Joining Janine is Occupational Therapist, Sarah Collins who unpacks the senses and encourages you to find the words and strategies that work for your…
As parents, we are concerned that our kids and teens may engage in high risk behaviors as they grow up. How can we, as parents, encourage our children away from engaging in these high risk behaviors? Or, if they are already doing any of these behaviors, how can we encourage them to stop them? In today’s episode Janine and Dr Collier discuss: Dr. Collier’s work in addiction and adolescence…
This podcast episode is a preview of the Grow Your Coping Skills Podcast. Subscribe to this podcast at: Apple Podcasts OR At the Coping Skills Hub $4.99/month Exploring different coping strategies helps us expand our child’s toolkit of strategies that work. But sometimes, it’s a challenge to get kids to try new skills. In this summer series, Janine tries to make it easier by walking you…
This podcast episode is a preview of the Grow Your Coping Skills Podcast. Subscribe to this podcast at: Apple Podcasts OR At the Coping Skills Hub $4.99/month Exploring different coping strategies helps us expand our child’s toolkit of strategies that work. But sometimes, it’s a challenge to get kids to try new skills. In this summer series, Janine tries to make it easier by walking you…
This podcast episode is a preview of the Grow Your Coping Skills Podcast. Subscribe to this podcast at: Apple Podcasts OR At the Coping Skills Hub $4.99/month Exploring different coping strategies helps us expand our child’s toolkit of strategies that work. But sometimes, it’s a challenge to get kids to try new skills. In this summer series, Janine tries to make it easier by walking you…
This podcast episode is a preview of the Grow Your Coping Skills Podcast. Subscribe to this podcast at: Apple Podcasts OR At the Coping Skills Hub $4.99/month Exploring different coping strategies helps us expand our child’s toolkit of strategies that work. But sometimes, it’s a challenge to get kids to try new skills. In this summer series, Janine tries to make it easier by walking you…
This podcast episode is a preview of the Grow Your Coping Skills Podcast. Subscribe to this podcast at: Apple Podcasts OR At the Coping Skills Hub $4.99/month Exploring different coping strategies helps us expand our child’s toolkit of strategies that work. But sometimes, it’s a challenge to get kids to try new skills. In this summer series, Janine tries to make it easier by walking you…
This podcast episode is a preview of the Grow Your Coping Skills Podcast. Subscribe to this podcast at: Apple Podcasts OR At the Coping Skills Hub $4.99/month Exploring different coping strategies helps us expand our child’s toolkit of strategies that work. But sometimes, it’s a challenge to get kids to try new skills. In this summer series, Janine tries to make it easier by walking you…
We talk so much about the kids but what coping skills do you use as the parent or the professional who works with kids? This episode is specially for the grown ups! In this episode Janine speaks about : Emergency strategies, like positive self talk and the use of grounding techniques Preventative Mental Health strategies; including Quick strategies like, slow breathes at a red light and getting…
Carrie Bonnett is a veteran teacher and lifelong list-maker. She is an Executive Function coach based in Bend, Oregon, where she lives with her husband and two children. Carrie works with students and families all over the world. Her no-shame approach and the strategies she teaches: • empower students to thrive in life and in school, • help parents and teachers to better support their children,…
Have you ever wondered when is a good time to practice coping skills with your child? This is a really good question to consider and how this may look in your week. The first step is for the adult and child to be emotionally ready and calm and from this point, new skills can be learned. In this episode Janine speaks about: The window of tolerance The rainbow illustration explained by Lindsay…
Have you ever considered sharing a journal with your kids? Sometimes your child may come home and isn’t ready to share about your day. Journaling is an opportunity to see how your child views the world while you’re living the same moments. It can open up opportunities to be empathetic to situations that you weren’t experiencing in the same way. It can create a safe space for questions to be asked,…
Where do you begin when you want to teach kids coping skills? Janine has a five step system she uses to help kids learn and use coping strategies, starting with connection, and finishing up with making a personal coping toolkit for kids. In this episode Janine speaks about Connecting with your young person where they’re at and what they love Talking about feelings Using movie or book characters to…
On today's podcast I speak with Giselle Shardlow, M.Ed., from Kids Yoga Stories. She is a colleague I connected with recently who has so much experience working with kids through movement, mindfulness and yoga. This is a sneak peek of the Family Resilience Speaker Series starting on March 31st, 2025. Sign up here to attend the FREE Series. https://copingskillsforkids.com/resilience About The Guest…
Sometimes it's some of the simple things in your day to day like a game you like to play that remind you of a few strategies and values in life that are helpful to keep you going. In this episode, Janine speaks about the game Stardew Valley and the reminders of life lessons that she holds and was reminded of from playing this video game. She speaks about: Building up Resilience You have to…
When you label your feelings, it can help you regulate your emotions better. How do you explore feelings with your child in a fun way? One of the ways to explore this with your child is via reading a story. So why not head to your local library and check out one of the following feeling focused books: The Color Monster Big Feelings Lizzy’s Ups and Downs Other strategies which are discussed…
CALM AND CONNECTED - EPISODE 169 Every child needs 3 to 5 people to be part of their orbit to help shape their world and will have a significant influence on them. Whatever role you have, you could be that key person in a teenager’s life to discuss the more stressful moments in their lives. There are signs and symptoms we can look out for in our teenagers. Stress is a normal reaction for anybody…
Today, I’m highlighting one of my favorite coping skills to use: Take a mini mental vacation wherever you are. You’ll hear an example of what a mini mental vacation can look like and how to practice this method. This is a coping skill that is in the Coping Skills for Teens Workbook. I’m excited to share that I’ve recently recorded and launched the audiobook version of the Coping Skills for Teens…
CALM AND CONNECTED - EPISODE 167 What is social anxiety and how big an impact does this have for a child and the difference for an adult? How can you tell the difference between social anxiety and being an introvert? These are just some of the questions Janine speaks about with Natasha Daniels as she also talks about her memoir Out of My Shell. They also speak about: What the definition of Social…
CALM AND CONNECTED - EPISODE 166 How do you encourage your kids to be more independent? When do you as a parent step back to give them the space to step up? Lenore Skenazy joins Janine today to discuss some of these questions. They discuss: The importance of play and how it relieves stress Bodily reaction to fear and avoidance to fear Playing across mixed age groups The skills you learn when you…
CALM AND CONNECTED - EPISODE 165 What does it mean to be a tech intentional family? Now phones, ipads and other forms of technology are in most areas of life. There’s no size that fits all and what works for you and your family will look so different to your next door neighbor and the other parents you meet at the school gate. So where do you begin? In today’s episode Janine speaks to Emily about:…
Play is such a powerful way for kids you learn ANYTHING including coping skills. Games can also be a way to help us learn and identify the feelings we have. Plus being a lot of fun along the way! In this episode Janine discusses 3 specific examples: Playing Jenga® - The use of jenga as a way of discussing feelings or getting to know you or your child better Make your own board game - Using…
Friendships are such a wonderful and special part of life. From memory making to going through the highs and lows with your peers makes life so much richer. As a child, learning social skills and how friendships fit is a huge learning curve as they go through their childhood and find their ‘people’. As a parent, how do you connect and how do you teach your kids basic social skills and about what a…
What do you think of when you hear the word ‘gratitude’? Is gratitude something you display or practice each day? Practicing and looking for what’s gone well in the day is a great routine to get into in order to get past the tougher moments. In this episode we discuss: What emotions we display when we aren’t practicing gratitude Saying the things we’re grateful for out loud The power of Journaling…
During the week what physical exercise do you do? Or which would you like to do? Today Janine looks at movement coping styles, specifically big body movement and how exercise helps your mental health and not just your physical and cognitive functioning. Did you know that those who exercise have fewer days of poor mental health than those who don’t exercise. But what is the best activity for you…
We don’t always have the time to relax and stop during a busy day when we head to work or school. Today Janine encourages us to take mini mindful moments and use our senses to create some pause points. In this episode Janine discusses: Sight - noticing things around you that you wouldn’t usually notice and look for Taste - taking a mindful sip, whether that's your first sip of coffee in the…
Playing is one of the biggest stress relievers in adults just as much as kids. It can help us look at life differently, have a break from life, be creative and lift your mood. In this episode Janine mentions a book called Play by Stuart Brown and Christopher Vaughan and some of the areas of play which are helpful tips and reminders. In this episode Janine discusses: How play removes stress for…
What do you enjoy and makes you happy? Knowing what is really important to you, may be different to other people and how your mind and body works is really key to finding the best relaxation strategies for you. Some strategies will work some days and may work better on different days. Today in the episode we’ll discuss the following strategies: Imagining your favorite place Tracing shapes and…
Have you ever felt like you’re in fight, flight and freeze mode? Does the situation you’re facing feel really intense and you need to take a moment to pause? Whether high stress situations or whether you’re doing a presentation, deep breathing strategies can help you get to the ‘rest and digest’ space. In this episode Janine looks at deep breathing strategies and she discusses: What fight, flight…
What does happy feel like? What about being nervous? Sad or excited? Learning to identify feelings is so important for kids - when kids can label their feelings, it’s easier for them to self-regulate. One of the best ways to learn is through play, and you can work on feelings identification in fun and playful ways. In this episode Janine discusses: The importance of labeling our feelings How…
How do we teach our children social and emotional awareness in a fun and play filled way? Eventually our children will become adults so when they walk out into the world, we want them to step into their lives as aware and in control of their emotions as possible. In this episode we discuss: The resources Yara has put together to support social and emotional learning The importance of playing and…
Building a strong connection with our children is really important and taking the time to invest in our relationships with them at each stage of childhood and into the teenage years. Today Janine considers the opportunities we create for them to share what they like and what you enjoy also in day to day life. How can we connect with our kids well so that when they face challenges or difficulties…
Have you noticed social skills missing in your kids? Caroline Maguire, author of Why Will No One Play With Me?, joins me to discuss how to support your child and build them up through play. Here’s some of the areas we cover: The importance of play How to play with your kids in a role play situation The power of storytelling to explain social situations Debriefing with your kids and working on your…
Has your child hit their teenage years and puberty has started? Have you noticed their emotions are changing? What about their most extreme emotions? Do you find that your teenager can feel really angry at times? In today’s episode, Janine unpacks some strategies to help you as parents support your teenager and how to develop that connection between yourself as the parent and them. Here’s what…
OCD can manifest itself in different ways with different obsessions and focus that are going on in your life. Children’s author, Marin Canaday describes OCD feeling like a monster devouring your emotions and feelings, where you could get to the point where you feel out of control and you begin to believe the lies the OCD obsessions tell you about yourself. Marin joins me today in this episode and…
A child at Elementary School will be learning and figuring out what emotions are and what’s going on in their bodies when their ‘big feelings’ appear. They’ll be learning to put names to their emotions and trying figuring out why they’re feeling what they are. In the moments when they feel upset, overwhelmed and unable to put words to their emotions, there are some straightforward strategies we…
The transition to preschool to elementary school can be such an anxious time for both parents and for the children.There’s a lot of unknowns to get them ready for and sometimes we think there’s lots we have to do to prepare them for starting. Today we discuss what you can do to help reduce anxiety for your little one with nursery practitioner, Caroline Allen. In this episode they discuss: Getting…
It’s wonderful having a home set up where you have a reset or safe space where your kids can use strategies and process their emotions. But what happens when we go out? Having coping strategies ready is just as important. Whether that’s at school, traveling, out with friends, before a medical appointment or at parties knowing what you can do outside of the comfort of your own home is really…
When you’re expecting a baby or experiencing the first year of their life, there are books which tell you all the key development growth points to be looking out for and what comes next. We don’t talk about these as well as we could as our children go through childhood and adolescents. What emotions should they be feeling at what point? Is this behavior or outburst normal? As they grow and…
Today’s question is, what can you do in 5 minutes or less that will make you feel happier, healthier or stronger? There are many moments in life when the day to day can feel stressful. Anyone can feel this. Whether you’re a working professional or a parent at home with kids in any stage of life. You may hit those moments and ask how can I take a moment for myself in the midst of the situation you…
Have you ever considered the neuroscience behind how we self-regulate our emotions? How do these two work together? Some children may respond in fight or flight mode in some situations. But how does your child’s body and emotions respond and why in these specific moments? What pathways are connecting in your child’s brain to cause certain reactions? Knowing your child and techniques to keep them…
Have you noticed your child doesn’t enjoy being at birthday parties? Do they struggle hearing loud noises? Does your child appear to not like the seams in their socks? Or have they felt overwhelmed by crowds and are very observant? Some people may read this list and think you’re describing the symptoms of Autism. They could be right but did you know it could also be the symptoms of high…
We all know those kids who can’t quite get settled in the classroom. They may have a hard time sitting down to get their homework done. They may be zoning off in the middle of a lesson in school. Or they may look like they are paying attention, but their mind is constantly wandering off. These kids might benefit from a fidget! Today's solo episode of the Calm and Connected podcast is all about…
Every school should have a school counselor and there are so many reasons why a school counselor may work with any student at any stage of their educational career. But what do they do? From individual 1-1 support to whole class workshops, a school counselor is there to see students thrive and support them with strategies so they can love and enjoy learning. They give the tools the student needs…
Firstly I want to pre-warn you that my guest Meghan Joyce Tozer and I discuss some tough topics during this episode. Today’s podcast talks about sexual abuse and suicide. We encourage you to keep this in mind when listening to this podcast. Please be aware, especially if younger ears are listening, and please click play with care. CALM AND CONNECTED - EPISODE 141 Sexual assault and harassment,…
Firstly I want to pre-warn you that we discuss some tough topics during this episode, like sex and consent, talking with your kids about death, and bullying. Please be aware, especially if younger ears are listening. Please click play with care. All parents will face that moment when they have to have some of life’s hard conversations and speaking with your child to prepare them for what comes in…
Do you ever sit and think about how you actually became an adult? Think of all the skills you have from tying your shoelaces to presenting a report at work. How did we learn these skills? … with lots and lots of practice! And for us to practice, our parents or caregivers have to ease the control a little to allow us to make mistakes. Imagine if your parents still followed you around all day…
