Building Resilience & Coping Skills in Kids

Awkward Conversations

In this episode, Jodie Sweetin and Amy McCarthy are joined by Mayim Bialik, actress, neuroscientist, and mom, along with child psychologist Dr. Peter Gray, to explore how parents can help children build resilience and develop essential coping skills. Mayim offers her unique perspective as both a neuroscientist and mom, while Dr. Gray shares his expertise in child development and the power of play. Together, they provide practical strategies for fostering confidence, emotional well-being, and independence in kids.

Topics Covered:

• Practical tips for fostering resilience and coping skills in children

• The importance of play in cognitive and emotional development

• How unstructured play helps prevent substance misuse

• Strategies for parents to encourage independent play

• Insights on creating supportive, play-friendly environments

Guest Bios:

Peter Gray is a research professor of psychology and neuroscience at Boston College, known for his work on the role of play in child development and human evolution. He is the author of the widely acclaimed textbook Psychology and the influential book Free to Learn, which explores how play fosters self-reliance and lifelong learning in children. Peter regularly writes for Psychology Today and authors the Play Makes Us Human series on Substack. He is also a co-founder of Let Grow, a nonprofit dedicated to renewing children’s freedom to play and explore independently. https://www.petergray.org/

Mayim Bialik is an acclaimed actress, neuroscientist, and advocate best known for her roles as Blossom on Blossom and Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory, where she earned two Critics’ Choice Awards, four Emmy nominations, and a SAG nomination. She also hosted Jeopardy! for two seasons, receiving a fifth Emmy nomination during her tenure. Mayim holds a PhD in Neuroscience from UCLA and is the host of Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown, a popular mental health podcast with over 26 million downloads. She is the author of four books, including the best-sellers Girling Up and Boying Up. https://www.instagram.com/missmayim/

Jodie Sweetin is an actress, author, and advocate, widely recognized for her role as Stephanie Tanner on Full House and Fuller House. Her memoir, unSweetined, shares her journey through addiction and into recovery, and she now uses her platform to reduce the stigma around addiction.

Supporting Organizations:

The Elks: With nearly one million members across 2,000 lodges, the Elks have a long-standing commitment to youth drug prevention through their Drug and Alcohol Prevention (DAP) program. They have donated over $3.6 billion to causes, including building the first VA hospital for veterans. https://bit.ly/44SunO6

The DEA: Founded in 1973, the DEA enforces U.S. controlled substance laws nationally and globally, with offices in 241 locations domestically and 93 international divisions in 69 countries. https://bit.ly/44ed9K9

Resources/Links

SAMHSA Help and Treatment: https://bit.ly/3DJcvJCGet Smart About Drugs: https://bit.ly/45dm8vYGrowing Up Drug Free: A Parent’s Guide to Substance Use Prevention: https://bit.ly/48nxwYwOne Pill Could Kill: https://bit.ly/3ELxfBaElks Kid Zone Website: https://bit.ly/3s79ZdtElks Drug Awareness Program Website: https://bit.ly/44SunO6Elks DAP on Twitter: https://bit.ly/45CfpvRElks DAP on Facebook: https://bit.ly/3Qw8RKLElks DAP on YouTube: https://bit.ly/444vMQq

Peter Gray's Links Website: https://www.petergray.org/Substack: https://petergray.substack.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peter.gray.3572

Mayim Bialik's Links Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTOocPnDh2YQZZwh86K2OxA/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6TgOe2poCdpZtQwKetmU1 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mayim-bialiks-breakdown/id1546456269 Website: https://www.bialikbreakdown.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mayimbialik?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missmayim/?hl=en YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTOocPnDh2YQZZwh86K2OxA

Jodie Sweetin’s Links Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jodiesweetin/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jodiesweetin?lang=en

Amy McCarthy’s Links Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amymccarthylicsw/ Boston Children’s Hospital Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bostonchildrens/?hl=en Boston Children’s Hospital Addiction Medicine: https://www.childrenshospital.org/departments/addiction-medicine

#AwkwardConversations #ChildDevelopment #ParentingTips #Resilience #MentalHealth #SubstanceUsePrevention #PlayAndLearning