Season 5

When some children make mistakes or get overwhelmed, they jump quickly to self criticism and even self hate: “I’m terrible! I suck! You don’t love me!” What does this mean? Is it a red flag? And how should parents react? …

Helping an anxious student requires a strong collaboration between families and schools, but so often meetings to create a plan become adversarial. In this re-cast of a previous episode, Lynn (who routinely attends such meeti...

Is your child heading off to college this fall? If it’s their first year, then the roommate uncertainty may be dominating your household. Sparked by a compelling listener question, we tackle the perks and the problems of room...

In this recast of a popular earlier episode, Lynn breaks down one of her favorite instructions to parents: talk 85% less. When parents are worried, they tend to talk a lot. When they want something done and their child isn't …

When children are hesitant or afraid of something, they often avoid, refuse, or even explode. The good news? You can work with your child on your own using the principles of exposure therapy, role playing and front loading. H...

Lynn will tell you that there’s no harder adult to work with in her practice than someone who reflexively blames. The ability to own your part, take responsibility for your “stuff” is key to relationships. In this episode we ...

How do you feel about birthday parties? Is this just another place for parents to compete? Are they actually fun? One dad told us the whole industry needs an overhaul. We weigh in! REGISTER FOR THE ANXIETY AUDIT BOOK CLUB …

Being a “people pleaser” is often reinforced in our culture. Who doesn’t want to be seen as kind, unselfish, and giving? But this pattern has a dark side, resulting in resentment, avoidance, and exhaustion. In this episode, w...

Today, we are re-sharing a Season 3 episode we consider one of our most important: Dads, Depression and Anxiety. So often, moms assume the role of supporting both a family’s health and mental health, but dads have a critical ...

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 …

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 — …

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 …

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...