Helping Your Kids Overcome Shame

Do you or your kids struggle with shame? In this episode, Kristin Maher and I talk about how to help your kids overcome those feelings that they aren’t good enough and no one likes them.

Missed previous episodes of The Crystal Paine show? You can listen to them here.

Kristin Maher, author of the new kids’ book, The Awfulizer: Learning to Overcome the Shame Game, sat down in my office studio last week and had a really honest conversation with me.

We talked about what shame is, how to help our kids understand and recognize their Shame Voice, and what to do when your older child doesn’t feel like they are good enough.

We also had a really frank discussion about shame and body image and how many of us adults still struggle with shame and those feelings of not being enough.

If you’ve ever felt like, “If people knew everything about me, they would leave” or “I don’t measure up to others” or you have a child who struggles with believing lies about themselves, please do not miss this conversation with Kristin.

It might step on your toes a bit (it stepped on mine!), but I think it will also give you hope, encouragement, and practical steps you can take for yourself and your kids to start overcoming the Shame Game.

Let’s break free from the lies we believe and the Shame Voices that are telling us we’re not enough… and let’s walk in the truth! This is how we start breaking the Shame Cycle — for ourselves and the next generation!

Psst! You’ll also get to hear about our current reads and why robot vacuums are lifesavers!

In This Episode: 

[01:19] Kristin gives a brief introduction of herself and her family.

[02:16] Kristin and I share what books we’re reading right now.

[05:50] Hear what’s saving our lives right now — including a robot vacuum.

[09:04] Kristin discusses why she decided to write her book and her inspiration.

[11:56] How did shame manifest itself in Kristin’s life? 

[12:49] What process did Kristin follow to overcome her shame talk and how long did it take? 

[14:39] What can parents do to help their children process, overcome, and prevent shame?

[18:09] How can parents talk to their older children about shame? 

[21:21] We discuss ways to change our self-talk to be an example to our children.

[27:42] Let’s stop believing the lies and begin living in the truth!

Links and Resources:

• Matt Maher
• The Awfulizer: Learning to Overcome the Shame Game by Kristin Maher
• Caraval Series by Stephanie Garber 
• Brene Brown
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Eufy Robot Vacuums
• The Crystal Paine Show Episode 43. The Lies We Believed
• Crystal’s Favorite Things on Amazon
• CrystalPaine.com
• MoneySavingMom.com
• Crystal’s Instagram account (I’d love for you to follow me there! I usually hop on at least a few times per day and share behind-the-scenes photos and videos, my grocery store hauls, funny stories, or just anything I’m pondering or would like your advice or feedback on!)
• Have feedback on the show or suggestions for future episodes or topics? Send me an email: [email protected]

How to Listen to The Crystal Paine Show

The podcast is available on iTunes, Android, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can listen online through the direct player we’ll include in the show notes of each episode. OR, a much easier way to listen is by subscribing to the podcast through a free podcast app on your phone. (Find instructions for how to subscribe to a podcast here.)

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