Flusterclux With Lynn Lyons: For Parents Who Worry

Anxiety messes with sleep and lack of sleep messes with most everything. So, it's not surprising that it’s one of the most frequent and urgent problems parents want to address. In this episode, Lynn lays out the steps she teaches families to help them escape that bedtime hostage situation.  Here is the past episode that we reference in today's show: https://www.flusterclux.com/when-your-childs-bed...

What happens when you try to get your family members or friends to join you in shifting away from anxious parenting patterns? One listener tried, and got the cold shoulder from other moms. In this episode, Ed, Lynn and Robin address how to expand your team to manage anxiety and deal with the defensiveness and pushback you might encounter. defensiveness and pushback you might encounter. Here's the...

In this In Session episode, Lynn talks to Kaitlin, mom to a 7 year old boy with social anxiety and selective mutism. While her son has made impressive gains over the last year, Kaitlin feels stuck when it comes to her son’s rigidity and his inability to join in with children on the playground. How does this family build upon a great foundation in dealing with anxiety and change it up in ways that...

In this episode, Lynn & Ed are joined by Noah Cummings who was featured with Lynn in the documentary Anxious Nation. Noah and Lynn have known each other for (gulp!) 13 years. Noah is open and articulate about doing what works to manage his anxiety. He shares the experience of being an anxious little kid, how his parents tried to help—and what they learned in the process—and how his anxiety still h...

Lynn was lucky to learn about the skill of differentiation from Michael Yapko (be sure to listen to our Season 6 conversation with Michael!) and in this episode she walks us through the use of HOW questions to help anxious families. How do I get my child to school? How do I know if I should push my child forward? And Lynn’s favorite: How did your anxiety promote this to an emergency?  Here's the l...

Our words matter as they often convey to our children how to approach the setbacks and challenges of life. In this episode Lynn and Ed dive into three language patterns, one to minimize and two to enhance: permanence, positive expectancy and placebo. (Lynn Lyons likes alliteration.)  Here's the link to Lynn's new parenting webinar: A Two Part Webinar: The DO's and DON'Ts of Parenting Your Anxious...

Listeners have been asking for more discussion on the skills needed to help social anxiety, so we review this to start; then Lynn answers a listener question about a worrier, the bottomless well of questions, and how a school counselor might be unintentionally bolstering the quest for certainty.  WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first:...

Getting an anxious child into school is sometimes an (exhausting) victory. But when they then want to be picked up, parents are often hit with doubt, guilt, and confusion about when and HOW to respond to pleas and demands. In this episode, tips for handling the dreaded “come get me!” text.  WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Paren...

In this episode, a listener is struggling with her children’s homework meltdowns. She’s exhausted by the nightly distress and has tried to be patient, reassuring, firm…nothing is working and she’s at a loss. What to do?  WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of Anxious Kids, Start Here For those brand new to the podcast, we s...

Ryan Wexelblatt, ADHD expert and founder of ADHD Dude, is back to talk about his social anxiety groups for boys with ADHD, the social skills these guys need, and how pervasive misinformation about ADHD is hurting families.  WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of Anxious Kids, Start Here For those brand new to the podcast, w...

In this episode we are joined by Ryan Wexelblatt, an ADHD expert known for his concrete and skill-based approach to helping parents via his ADHD Dude content on YouTube. Individual therapy for kids with ADHD is not recommended, he tells us. What is? Teaching parents what they probably don’t know about ADHD, and how to support their family with skills.  WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP...

On this re-cast of a popular Season 5 "In Session" episode, Lynn talks to a mom who is beginning to recognize patterns of rigidity and anxiety in her 9yo daughter and, more importantly, the ways both she and her husband react to uncertainty and judgement in themselves and others. When the goals of being right and being perfect are modeled, children often react with shut downs or freak outs when th...

Anxiously ruminating or worrying requires an internal focus: “But I’m worrying about my kids, or people I care about,” the worrier tries to argue. “I’m not focusing on myself!” Well, you are. You focus on your version of events, your particular construct, your perceptions. In this episode, we talk about how a genuine external focus leads to a disconnection from one’s own compelling (and often stre...

This is a juicy episode— and a really important one for all concerned about the mental health trends with our teens. After thirty-five years in the mental health field, Lynn addresses very directly her concerns about the messages teens are receiving, and articulating, about their mental health. It's time to be candid about toxic trends, misinformation, and where our teens are heading. Can we shift...

Two (really) stressed gals show up for this episode to talk about injecting fun and playfulness into holiday events. Robin and Lynn share lots of ideas wrapped up in a little encouragement, and by the end, they both feel better. We think you will, too! WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of Anxious Kids, Start Here For thos...

Human beings are judgy creatures. It’s part of being social animals. But want to guarantee conflict during the holidays? Start judging other family member’s parenting. Too much sugar for your cousin’s toddler? The horror! Not enough emotional expression allowed by your brother-in-law? Disappointing! Whether you are the judge or the judged (and we’re often both), shifting your approach during holid...

On this episode we answer two listener questions: our first mom is trying to sort through her toddler's discomfort with anything “messy” and his demands to clean things up. Her family is concerned, and she wants to know what’s normal. Another mom is noticing how her own anxious thoughts are anticipating a health problem with her daughter, even when all is well. It’s a habit of worrying, and she wa...

Although the holidays can be special, the patterns that show up in people are predictable, even if it is Thanksgiving or Christmas. Critical parent? Passive aggressive sibling? Catastrophic you? In this episode, we talk about the most common and stressful holiday traps and how you and your family can disrupt them. WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS....

Cindy Pierce returns, sharing her immense knowledge on pornography and its impact on young people. Get ready because we go there! Cindy talks directly about the disconnection, misinformation, and other serious consequences of porn use. Cindy tells us that parents are the most influential sources of healthy sexual information. More awkward conversations? You bet. But she’ll help us through.  WE'VE...

In the first of a two-part conversation, Cindy Pierce, social sexuality expert, speaker and author, is here to help parents talk to their kids about sex. Do we want to have these conversations? Probably not. Do they make us anxious? Of course! But Cindy gives us language and encouragement and pulls no punches about why it’s so important to step into the awkwardness.  WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EP...

We answer a listener question in this episode from a mom who wonders if her young son’s rigidity is sensory-driven, an anxiety issue, or both. When do we accommodate and how do we promote more flexibility? When needing things “just right” gets in the way of normal and fun activities, what’s a mom to do?  WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is ou...

If you’re anxious as a parent, are your kids doomed? Not necessarily, but there are risk factors you have to pay attention to and patterns to interrupt.  WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of Anxious Kids, Start Here For those brand new to the podcast, we suggest starting with this playlist featuring Lynn Lyons and the 7-p...

Lynn had too little sleep and too much coffee, so she’s telling it like it is with Robin’s complete endorsement. What are the three things Lynn keeps hearing from parents and therapists that we need to stop doing? Buckle up for some straight talk.  WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of Anxious Kids, Start Here For those br...

Our guest this episode is Jessica Lahey, author of The Gift of Failure and The Addiction Inoculation. Her goal is to provide straightforward facts to parents about kids and substance use. You know how much we love talking prevention and myth busting, and Jessica is happy to oblige.  WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of An...

Whether you are a new or veteran listener of the podcast, Lynn Lyons and Robin Hutson talk about how to use the podcast best to help learn anxiety management skills for adults and children. Listen up and hear how to address the situations in your own family with these strategies. WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of Anxio...