Keep it Friendly

Raising Good Friends

Friendship is a skill — and it starts early. In this back-to-school special, we’re pausing the regular lineup to talk about how to help the kids, tweens, and teens in your life navigate friendship with more awareness, care, and courage. Whether you’re a parent, guardian, big sibling, mentor, uncle, or favorite auntie, you have a role in shaping how the young people around you connect and belong. I’m sharing conversation starters that go beyond “Did you make any friends today?”, practical ways to model healthy friendships, and tips for recognizing red flags without causing alarm. There's a callback to last episode’s “lifesavers” theme, and my favorite recommended reads for building stronger connections. Recommended Reads: • The Whole-Brain Child — Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson • Raising Good Humans — Hunter Clarke-Fields • Middle School: The Inside Story — Cynthia Tobias & Sue Acuña • The Confidence Code for Girls — Katty Kay & Claire Shipman • Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond — Lydia Denworth • Chill Out and Cheer Up: A Ten-Step Guide — Grace Grossmann Because school isn’t just about grades — it’s also where kids learn how to show up for each other, for themselves, and for their future friendships. ⸻ Episode Highlights: • Why friendships in childhood and adolescence matter more than ever • How to ask better questions that open the door to real conversations • Recognizing unhealthy friendship patterns without panic • Skills kids can practice to become better friends • How to balance parenting and friendship while keeping respect intact • Recommended resources for parents, tweens, and teens ⸻ References & Citations: • National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2021). Social Isolation and Loneliness in Youth. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26217 • Allen, J. P., et al. (2018). The protective role of adolescent friendships in the face of peer victimization. Child Development, 89(2), 560–576. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12761

It's Not You, It's Me

Sometimes the hardest truth to face is that the distance in a friendship started with you. In this episode of Keep It Friendly, we’re talking about ghosting, guilt, and the gray areas in between — and why I wanted to have this conversation early in the season. Before we focus on repairing friendships or making new ones, it’s worth pausing to take an honest look at how we show up for others… and when we’ve dropped the ball. We’ll explore: • How friendships can fade without a blow-up — and why that’s often more confusing. • The role of attachment styles in the way we connect (and disconnect). • Why self-reflection is a necessary step before reconnection. • How to reach back out — and the risks you need to be ready for. I’ll share my own experience as someone with a disorganized/fearful-avoidant attachment style, what that means for my relationships, and why knowing your own patterns is one of the most powerful tools for building better connections. I’m not a mental health professional — just someone deeply fascinated by the way we function, passionate about becoming better for myself, the people I love, and the world around me. Whether you identify with secure, anxious, avoidant, or somewhere in the middle, I hope this episode helps you approach your friendships with more grace, honesty, and intention. ⸻ References & Resources: • Bowlby, J. (1988). A Secure Base: Parent-Child Attachment and Healthy Human Development. Basic Books. • Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. R. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(3), 511–524. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.52.3.511 • Levine, A., & Heller, R. (2010). Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love. TarcherPerigee. • Franco, M. G. (2022). Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make—and Keep—Friends. G.P. Putnam’s Sons. • Amir Levine, M.D. – Overview of adult attachment styles: https://www.attachedthebook.com/ • Psychology Today – “The Four Adult Attachment Styles” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/attachment

This Relationship May Save Your Life

Not all Life-saving relationships require a ring; this episode is a research-supported love letter to those friendships that keep us grounded, seen, and alive. We explore why friendship isn't just emotional support - it's a biological necessity.

Ep 1 - Friendship is Vital

In this first episode of Keep It Friendly, we're launching on International Friendship Day and touching on why friendship isn't just nice to have - it's essential! You'll also get a glimpse into what to expect from this space moving forward - a vision for building real, lasting connections!