The Confidence Chronicles 3 Things I Learned Working With Kids That Every Parent Needs to Hear
I spent an entire school term working as a counsellor at a primary school. 19 kids on my roster. And what I learned sitting with them changed how I think about what parents need to know right now.
In this episode I break down the 3 biggest things I saw coming up over and over again:
screen time and what it is really doing
why so many kids have stopped talking to their parents and
why what your child is doing online is not as safe as you think.
I share what worked in my sessions, what I heard from parents and teachers, and how this experience has shaped what I want to do next.
If you are a parent doing your best and still feeling like something is off with your kid, this episode is for you.
📚 Books referenced in this episode:
→ The Conscious Parent by Dr. Shefali Tsabary
→ Loving What Is by Byron Katie
→ No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz
Chapters
- 00:00:00 Three Things Parents Need to Know: Opening Insights from School Counseling
- 00:01:07 Welcome to the Confidence Chronicles and Episode 500 Celebration
- 00:02:58 Going Back to School: My Journey to a Bachelor's in Psychotherapy
- 00:05:30 Slowing Down to Speed Up: Structure and Systems in Business
- 00:07:15 Choosing the School: From Prison Work to Primary School Counseling
- 00:08:24 19 Kids and a Rotating Door: The Reality of School Counseling
- 00:10:35 Lesson One: Screen Time Is Destroying Our Kids and We Don't Know How to Stop It
- 00:11:55 The Vertical Video Slot Machine: Why Your Kids Need Phone Boundaries Now
- 00:13:58 Lesson Two: Communication Breakdown and Why Your Kid Won't Talk to You
- 00:15:19 The Family Meeting Rock: Creating a Culture of Communication at Home
- 00:16:42 Teaching Kids About Their Bodies and Strange Behavior
- 00:18:19 We're Not Really Strangers: Games That Build Family Connection
- 00:19:30 Lesson Three: Online Safety and the Roblox Problem Parents Don't See
- 00:23:01 Australia's Shocking Child Safety Statistics and Internet Dangers
- 00:23:58 Setting Boundaries: Being the Mom Who Checks the Chat
- 00:24:30 The 16-Year-Old Social Media Ban: Why Laws Won't Protect Your Kids
- 00:25:09 Teaching Life Skills: Mindset, Communication, and Emotional Intelligence
- 00:25:39 The Power of Just Being There: Why One Safe Adult Changes Everything
- 00:26:00 Abandonment Issues and Guilt: Processing My Own Childhood Wounds
- 00:26:38 How Kids Actually Want to Talk: Toys, Games, and Shoulder-to-Shoulder
- 00:27:31 Girls, Confidence, and Body Image: The Struggles No One Talks About
- 00:28:15 The Demand Is Overwhelming: Why Every School Needs a Permanent Counselor
- 00:28:36 High-Need Kids and Triage: Understanding Why Some Children Are Prioritized
- 00:29:06 From Prison Dreams to Kid Calling: Why This Placement Wasn't a Mistake
- 00:29:31 The Last Day Tears: Parents, Teachers, and Kids Saying Thank You
- 00:29:58 Did I Do Enough? Wrestling with the Need to Serve More
- 00:30:32 No One Knew I Was the Queen of Confidence: Being Someone to Those Kids
- 00:31:03 The Juggling Act: Running Kids, Family, Business, and Life
- 00:31:53 Single Parents Are Queens: Taking Off the Crown for You
- 00:32:18 Placement 2028 and What's Brewing: The Future of This Work
- 00:32:38 Keep Talking to Your Kids: Final Advice for Parents
- 00:32:47 Resources: Dr. Shefali, Byron Katie, and Pouring Into Yourself First
- 00:33:20 Join the 500 Episode Virtual Party: Thank You for Listening
🙏🏽 ENJOYED THIS EPISODE?
If this episode helped you, please consider dropping me a review! It takes two seconds and it means the world.
→ Becoming Magnetic: https://shop.thequeenofconfidence.com/collections/book
→ Follow Erika on Instagram: @thequeenofconfidence
→ Website: https://thequeenofconfidence.com