Children with dyslexia often have strong emotions and do not handle stress well. As a parent, you may feel lost and not know how to respond. You are not alone. How to identify and talk about our emotions is not something we learned at school or at home (for many of us) let alone how to talk to our children about their emotions and stress. Today’s guest, Dr. Abi, is going to help us with stress and emotions.
Dr. Abigail Gewirtz is a mom and child psychologist, who has spent most of her career working to help families under stress. She is a professor at the University of Minnesota and Director of the Institute for Translational Research in Children’s Mental Health. Her career has been devoted to developing and testing award-winning, skills-based parenting programs that promote children’s resilience. As we go back to school during a pandemic, I can’t think of anyone better to have on the show. I am honored to have had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Abi and bring her expertise to you!
Dr. Abigail Gewirtz offers a clear and truly practical guide to having the kind of tough conversations with your kids that really help.
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Grab a copy of Dr. Abi’s book, When the World Feels Like a Scary Place – Essential Conversations for Anxious Parents & Worried Kids, to learn about stress, emotions, and having conversations with your children. One of my favorite parts of the book is about coaching emotions with our children. When raising children identified with dyslexia, that entire section is a must-read! The book is a series of conversation scripts, with actual dialogue, talking points, prompts, and insightful asides, each tailored for different ages and centered around different issues. She shows how to let the child lead. How to not make the problem worse by saying more than a child needs to know. How to check-in with yourself to make sure your own anxiety doesn’t color the conversation.
Links to resources (examples of essential conversations) mentioned on the show:

Want to learn more from Dr. Abi? You can connect with Dr. Abi on her website at https://abigailgewirtz.com.
Back to School Miniseries: Thriving this School Year
Did you miss any of the episodes in the Back to School Miniseries? If so, see the links below to the other amazing guests this month.

- Episode 9: Dear Teacher Letter
- Episode 10: Anxiety and Dyslexia
- Episode 11: Learning from Home
- Thursday Thrive Tip #1: Routines
- Episode 12: Finding Your Calm in the Chaos (Part 1)
- Episode 13: Finding Your Calm in the Chaos (Part 2)
- Bonus: 5 Minute Meditation with Jamie
- Episode 14: 5 Ways Tutoring is Helpful
Grab your free Back to School Guide for Moms here! 9 Tips for Success This School Year

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We have created Back to School Bundles for sale in our Haddie and Company Etsy Shop. Enjoy!
