Podcast Episodes

What’s happens when kids don’t play independently, exploring and problem solving away from direct adult supervision? A new study looks at the the impact of decreasing opportunities for independent play and autonomy and the me...

While some kids seem to be naturally socially adept, most need help with the many nuances of interaction, from empathy to assertiveness to patience. As always, modeling matters but sometimes being direct is the way to go. In ...

Kids ask questions and parents provide information. That’s a normal part of growing and learning. But there’s a common anxiety pattern called reassurance seeking, where worriers ask and ask, seeking certainty and constant gua...

In this Flusterclux In Session episode, Lynn talks with a mom whose six year-old daughter struggles with separation anxiety: going to bed for the night, attending swimming lessons, or even mom being on a separate floor in the...

We're ready to kick off summer! But family worries unfortunately don't always take a vacation. So, today, we reshare our episode on summer camp and separation anxiety. You'll find this episode's advice relevant for a variety ...

So Lynn fell on a staircase and broke her back in two places recently. She will make a full recovery, but how did she manage in a crisis? Did she go catastrophic? Hello, uncertainty! How did our resident anxiety expert manage...

In this consultation with a listener's family, Lynn talks to a mom, dad, and their high school junior who would enjoy staying in his room most of the summer. Lynn helps identify the skill most teens need to strengthen — the s...

When we remember that anxiety demands certainty and is a creator of doubt, it makes sense that decision-making can become a problem. What if I make the wrong choice? How do I decide between two good options? How will I know I...

In Part 2 of our discussion on loneliness, we focus on adults. Making friends in adulthood feels risky. If you are at all anxious or introverted, vulnerability and rejection hardly seem worth it. But connection is possible on...

Loneliness is a deep longing for connection that you can’t find and is more prevalent in young people than old. In this first of a two-part discussion, we address the painful and prevalent disconnection in our children and wh...

School avoidance is not new but parents and schools report more frequent and intense struggles. Did the pandemic make it worse? Are there risk factors that parents need to pay attention to? This week: what can parents do when...

Launch date: 4-7-23

In this episode we answer listener questions from three different families with five year olds about handling big emotions and fears. Rigidity, disappointment, tantrums, new schools…issues that most parents of all kids will e...

Don’t we all want to raise problem-solvers? Today we are recasting one of our most popular episodes in which we break down specific steps that parents can put into practice. We must give our kids the practice of creating solu...

Positive connection is the goal, but is there such a thing as too connected? Yup, and it’s called enmeshment. In this episode, Lynn and Robin talk privacy, autonomy, and boundaries. If your goal is to be “best friends” with y...

We want our teens to be able to talk openly about their struggles, but in this listener question, a mom struggles with her daughter’s ability to manage a peer’s demand for accommodation. When anxiety becomes identity, what’s ...

In this episode Lynn answers listener questions for families dealing with OCD patterns in their kids, including when and if to start medication in addition to therapy, how to handle compulsive apologizing, and the key to appl...

When things don’t go the way we plan or hope, powerful feelings show up. Disappointment is common, and the smaller you are, the bigger it feels. How do we help our children learn to manage this emotion as they mature? In this...

The recent ABC-TV show The Parent Test has sparked much discussion, so Robin and Lynn (skeptically) decided to dive in. In each episode, parents with different “styles” of parenting are given challenges to complete with their...

We asked our podcast listeners to share embarrassing stories and, boy, did they deliver. Humiliating moments happen to everyone, but as you’ll notice with the stories we share, often feel so much more devastating to tweens an...

Does you child freak out when it’s time for a shot? Or a blood draw? A strep test? And what about more extensive treatments? We’ve been getting many questions about how to approach this common and powerful fear. In this episo...

Worries that show up at night seem to hold special power. They are discussed, analyzed, and often treated as a “going to sleep issue” instead of anxiety that happens to show up at bedtime. It’s understandable. Problems at bed...

This is a juicy episode— and a really important one for all concerned about the mental health trends with our teens. After over thirty years in the mental health field, Lynn addresses very directly her concerns about the mess...

Worry is a part of parenting and can help us plan ahead and problem solve. But when it becomes more constant, you may get stuck in a pattern of rehearsing for catastrophic patterns that aren't happening. In this episode, we b...