The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast

She's not trying to win the games. She's just trying to survive them.🏹🪶

She's getting straight A's. She's smiling. She's saying all the right things. But behind that perfect performance, she might be falling apart.
Welcome to The Masking Games, where autistic masking in girls turns fitting in into a survival strategy—and the price of belonging can be exhausting!

This week on Middle School Mary Poppins, we're exposing the invisible world of autistic masking.

Why are so many neurodivergent girls overlooked? Why does appearing “normal” feel like a full-time job? And what happens when the girl everyone thinks is thriving is actually fizzling out?

Parents, teachers, and middle schoolers—this is one conversation you don't want to miss.
Because sometimes your girl on fire isn't shining. She's burning out.

💜 Fitting in should never mean disappearing.

🎉 THANK YOU, CLEVER FOXES!
Thanks to our incredible listeners, Middle School Mary Poppins reached #1 last week, and our new companion podcast, Bedtime Stories for Middle School Hearts, reached #2 in Kids & Family! Every listen, share, and review helps our clever little community grow, and we couldn't be more grateful.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-middle-school-mary-poppins-podcast--7467210/support.

☂️ CONNECT WITH THE MIDDLE SCHOOL MARY POPPINS PODCAST™
Website • Episodes • Resources • More
https://msmarypoppins.com

🎧 Listen and follow The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast™ wherever you get your podcasts.

📺 YouTube
https://youtube.com/@middleschoolmarypoppinspodcast

💌 CONTACT
Media • Speaking • Sponsorships • Advertising • Brand Partnerships
suzanneswain@gmail.com

Listener correspondence & messages for Lieutenant Steve 🐾
dearstevemsmp@gmail.com

The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast™ is independently produced. Partnerships are considered based on mission alignment, relevance, and appropriateness for young people, families, educators, and schools.

Stop. Regulate. Listen. ☂️

Helping adults understand the kids in the middle.
© The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast™

What does consent actually mean for a middle schooler — and how do we teach boundaries without making the conversation scary?

In this episode of Middle School Mary Poppins, Suzanne M. Swain EDS LMSW explores consent, personal space, healthy boundaries, peer pressure, and the idea of a “wholehearted yes” — a simple way to help tweens recognize when something truly feels okay to them while learning to respect the boundaries of others.

Using the metaphor of a strong front door, Suzanne explains that healthy boundaries are not about shutting people out. They are about knowing when to open the door, when to keep it closed, and how to recognize the people who make you feel safe enough to be yourself.

We talk about the everyday situations middle schoolers already encounter: hugs, borrowing belongings, personal space, privacy, taking and posting photos, entering someone’s room, difficult conversations, changing your mind, and what it means to genuinely listen when someone says no.
There’s also a little middle school brain science about decision-making, belonging, peer pressure, and why a “wholehearted yes” can act like a small emotional speed bump — giving kids a moment to check in with themselves before simply going along with everyone else.

And, naturally, Lt. Steve provides his own highly dramatic demonstration of personal boundaries involving an itchy ear, unwanted medicine, the possibility of a bath, and one very suspicious formerly-white dog.

This is a gentle, family-centered conversation designed to give tweens and teens practical language for consent and boundaries while building confidence, empathy, critical thinking, self-awareness, and trust.

Your space matters. Their space matters. Your yes matters. Their yes matters.

And when something kind, safe, and good comes knocking?
Fling that front door wide open and let the joy come barging in.

🎧 More from Middle School Mary Poppins:

Our new storytelling series, Bedtime Stories for Middle School Hearts, is now available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify — original stories created especially for older kids who may have outgrown traditional bedtime stories but definitely haven’t outgrown the comfort of being told one.

🏆 Middle School Mary Poppins is currently #1 in Apple Podcasts Parenting.Thank you!!

Visit msmarypoppins.com for more episodes, resources, downloads, and ways to connect.

Episode: Let the Joy Come Barging In: Consent, Boundaries & the Wholehearted Yes

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-middle-school-mary-poppins-podcast--7467210/support.

☂️ CONNECT WITH THE MIDDLE SCHOOL MARY POPPINS PODCAST™
Website • Episodes • Resources • More
https://msmarypoppins.com

🎧 Listen and follow The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast™ wherever you get your podcasts.

📺 YouTube
https://youtube.com/@middleschoolmarypoppinspodcast

💌 CONTACT
Media • Speaking • Sponsorships • Advertising • Brand Partnerships
suzanneswain@gmail.com

Listener correspondence & messages for Lieutenant Steve 🐾
dearstevemsmp@gmail.com

The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast™ is independently produced. Partnerships are considered based on mission alignment, relevance, and appropriateness for young people, families, educators, and schools.

Stop. Regulate. Listen. ☂️

Helping adults understand the kids in the middle.
© The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast™

Why can a middle schooler be wide awake late at night and nearly impossible to wake up in the morning?

Why does sleep matter so much for learning, memory, growth, mood, and emotional regulation? And what in the world is your brain doing when you dream?

In this episode of The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast, Suzanne explores what really happens in the adolescent brain and body during sleep.

We talk about circadian rhythms, why puberty can shift sleep timing later, how deep sleep supports growth and physical restoration, what REM sleep does, and why cutting sleep short can affect attention, memory, decision-making, and school performance.

We also get into dreams: why they can feel so real, why they can be completely bizarre, and why there is no scientifically proven dream dictionary where one symbol means the same thing for everyone. Instead, we look at the emotions inside dreams and what they may tell us about how the brain is processing experiences.

There are also practical ideas for families, including a simple “landing strip” before bed, the problem with social jet lag on weekends, and a seven-day Sleep Detective Challenge to help kids notice how sleep affects their own mood, focus, and energy.

And yes, Lieutenant Steve makes an appearance, along with his new best friend and preferred chin rest, Jimothy the raccoon.

Suzanne also introduces a brand-new companion podcast, Bedtime Stories for Middle School Hearts, featuring gentle, imaginative animal stories created especially for middle schoolers who still want comfort, humor, and a softer place to land at the end of the day.

Visit MsMaryPoppins.com for more episodes, resources, and updates.

Short description / summary:
What happens to the middle school brain during sleep? Suzanne explores circadian rhythms, deep sleep, REM, dreams, learning, memory, emotional regulation, and why quality sleep is one of the most underrated middle school superpowers.

Tags:
middle school, tween, teens, parenting, parenting tweens, parenting teens, adolescent development, sleep, sleep deprivation, teen sleep, tween sleep, circadian rhythm, melatonin, REM sleep, deep sleep, dreams, dream science, adolescent brain, brain development, learning, memory, emotional regulation

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-middle-school-mary-poppins-podcast--7467210/support.

☂️ CONNECT WITH THE MIDDLE SCHOOL MARY POPPINS PODCAST™
Website • Episodes • Resources • More
https://msmarypoppins.com
🎧 Listen and follow The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast™ wherever you get your podcasts.

📺 YouTube
https://youtube.com/@middleschoolmarypoppinspodcast

💌 CONTACT
Media • Speaking • Sponsorships • Advertising • Brand Partnerships
suzanneswain@gmail.com

Listener correspondence & messages for Lieutenant Steve 🐾
dearstevemsmp@gmail.com

The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast™ is independently produced. Partnerships are considered based on mission alignment, relevance, and appropriateness for young people, families, educators, and schools.

Stop. Regulate. Listen. ☂️

Helping adults understand the kids in the middle.
© The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast™

A quiet bedtime prayer and audio hug for the children, families, educator, and community of Bend, Oregon. Tonight, we simply hold them close in our hearts and send love, comfort, and kindness.

2 Life Truths and a Lie: Busting Cognitive Distortions - Critical Thinking Brain Training Pt. 2

What if your brain is telling you a story that feels completely true… but isn’t?

In Season 4, Episode 4 of The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast, we continue our Critical Thinking Brain Training series with a game of Two Life Truths and a Lie.

This week, we’re exploring some of the most common thinking traps middle schoolers face, including catastrophizing, mind reading, personalization, all-or-nothing thinking, emotional reasoning, and the spotlight effect.

We’ll also talk about why adolescence can make emotions and social situations feel so intense, how the developing brain processes those experiences, and how to slow down long enough to ask:

What do I actually know? What am I assuming? What evidence do I have? Could there be another explanation?

And of course, Lt. Steve is serving as our official lie detector doggie friend.

This episode is designed for tweens, teens, parents, educators, and caregivers who want practical ways to strengthen critical thinking, emotional regulation, and self-awareness.

Next week: consent, boundaries, body autonomy, and respect.

Download This Week’s FREE MSMP Family Pack with a Leveled-Up Group Challenge:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16a_SMceMwZH5OL6pdbcvnz56Gtc1wQaf/view?usp=drivesdk

Visit http://msmarypoppins.com/ for more episodes & resources. Email: suzanneswain@gmail.com

#MiddleSchoolMaryPoppins #CriticalThinking #CognitiveDistortions #MiddleSchool #Tweens #Teens #ParentingTweens #ParentingTeens #EmotionalRegulation #MentalHealthForKids #BrainTraining #GrowthMindset #SocialEmotionalLearning #SEL #MiddleSchoolParents #Teachers #Educators #TeenMentalHealth #TweenMentalHealth #PodcastForParents

MSMP Family Game Week begins with seven verbal brain games designed for middle schoolers, parents, teachers, and anyone else who wants to play along.

Inspired by our field trip to Creature Features in Athens, Tennessee, these puzzles feature Drift the Arctic fox, Coco the capybara, Willow the wallaby, Maisie the Highland cow, a possibly innocent kangaroo, and Lieutenant Steve—who has somehow gained access to the prize vault.

Along the way, we explore what is happening inside the developing middle-school brain and practice critical-thinking strategies such as examining evidence, questioning assumptions, eliminating possibilities, building mental models, and changing approaches when the first strategy doesn’t work.

Josh from Canada also asks which games can help middle schoolers become stronger thinkers. We discuss mysteries, riddles, chess, logic puzzles, strategy games, escape rooms, brain-supporting foods—and whether blueberries can actually make algebra easier.

Play in the car, around the dinner table, in a classroom, or anywhere your family could use a brain workout. No worksheets required.

Critical thinking isn’t something you either have or don’t have. It is a collection of skills that grows through practice.

Find episode updates and practical resources at MSMaryPoppins.com.

Stop. Regulate. Listen. And stay clever, little foxes.

What happens when someone seems to value your talent, creativity, or helpfulness more than they value you?

In “Living in a Material World: Spotlight People, Scapegoats, and Staying Clever,” I explore something I desperately needed an adult to explain when I was young: other people do not necessarily think the way you do. That does not mean everyone is bad, and it certainly does not mean kids should become frightened or suspicious. It means we can keep our good hearts while learning to notice patterns, set boundaries, and choose carefully who receives access to our time, trust, and ideas.

We talk about “spotlight people,” the surprising strengths often found in the person who becomes the scapegoat, and why being useful to someone is not the same as being valued by them. For neurodivergent kids—and every helper, fixer, creative engine, and brave truth-teller—this episode offers permission to remain kind without measuring self-worth by how much you can do for everyone else.

This week’s kid question takes us to India and gives Lieutenant Steve an opportunity to demonstrate his most important superpower. We also explore why animals can feel especially safe to neurodivergent young people, why support is a verb, and why my granny loved to say, “In Dog We Trust.”

This is a hopeful flashlight conversation—not a warning siren. There is also Madonna, Dolly Parton, a Disney-villain detour, and a dog guarding the bedroom from invaders who never arrive.

Recommended for middle schoolers ages 10–15 and the parents, educators, counselors, and caregivers who love them.

Visit https://msmarypoppins.com for more about the podcast and upcoming downloadable materials that will help families, teachers, and young people carry these ideas into real life.

Stay clever, little foxes. 🦊💜☂️🍪

TRUE COLORS: 8 Hidden Superpowers for a Brand-New School Year 🌈💎

Season 4 is here! 🎉 And we’re starting with a radical idea: what if some of the things we’re quickest to label as “problems” in middle schoolers are actually unfinished strengths?

In this episode, Suzanne explores potentiality—the difference between what something is right now and what it still has the capacity to become.

Because an argumentative kid might be developing the persistence of an advocate. A hyper-observant kid may be building extraordinary social intelligence. An overexplainer might someday become a powerful communicator. And the kid who feels everything may not need less empathy—they may need help learning how to use that empathy without carrying everybody else’s emotions.

Through middle school sociology, developmental science, classroom stories, a nearly indestructible Asheville geode, Holes, a few cognitive distortions, and Lieutenant Steve’s absolutely unforgivable excavation of a practically brand-new queen-sized memory foam mattress 🐶😂, we uncover eight hidden superpowers:

• ​🧠 Discernment and knowing which battles matter
• ​👀 Reading the social world
• ​👂 Deep listening
• ​🗣️ Communication, argument & advocacy
• ​🧰 Resourcefulness: being competent, capable & connected
• ​❤️ Empathy with healthy boundaries
• ​⚖️ The justice detector
• ​🌱 Knowing who you are without abandoning yourself to fit in
• ​

This is not about pretending trauma is a gift or telling kids that everything happens for a reason. Trauma is not the superpower.

It’s about asking a much more useful question:

Now what?

What can we build with what’s already here? What skill might be hiding underneath a difficult behavior? What happens when adults stop confusing unfinished with incapable?

As a new school year begins, last year’s evidence does not get to write this year’s conclusion. Your middle schooler is still becoming—and there are entire parts of them they haven’t even met yet.

💎 Stop looking for bruised apples. Start looking for geodes.

And next week: Spotlight People—big egos, emotional gravity, manipulation, boundaries, and what happens when everybody else starts organizing themselves around one person’s spotlight.

Stop. Regulate. Listen.

And stay clever, little foxes. 🦊

suzanneswain@gmail.com

msmarypoppins.com

https://www.facebook.com/share/1HxRVp9juV/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://youtube.com/@middleschoolmarypoppinspodcast?si=lHbYdjE5OxnYxV_m

Topics: middle school • tweens • teens • parenting • back to school • adolescent development • emotional regulation • neurodivergence • empathy • anxiety • resilience • social intelligence • self-esteem • boundaries • advocacy • executive functioning • parenting teens • parenting tweens • teachers • educators

🏕️ In the final episode of our SEL Summer Camp series, we bring together everything we’ve explored about the middle school years: the developing adolescent brain, screens and environment, emotions, anxiety, anger, resilience, identity, and belonging.

This episode is about understanding the whole middle schooler.

😳 Behavior does not happen in isolation. It happens inside a developing brain, a body, a family, a peer group, a school, a culture, and a community. When we stop asking only, “How do I stop this behavior?” and start asking, “What is happening with this kid?” we begin to see children differently.

Along the way, I take you back to Camp Sycamore Hills and some of the people and stories that shaped the way I think about kids and community: the mysterious one-eared rabbit, Rich and his Great Pyrenees, the Art Barn, Tractor Girl, the legendary kitchen manager who called me “Astor,” and the Shero Award that still reminds me to look out for the underdog.

We also talk about the power of music and memory, including why hearing Des’ree’s “You Gotta Be” still takes me straight back to that campfire and reminds me of the kind of person I want to be.

If you are raising, teaching, counseling, coaching, or simply trying to understand a tween or young teen, this episode is a reminder that middle schoolers are not finished products. They are growing people who need room to practice, make mistakes, recover, and know they still belong.

Because healthy communities do more than manage behavior.

They help build people.

🍪A huge thank-you to Jessica Ragnio & founder Dr. Jason Kahn for spending so much of SEL Summer Camp with us!

💰Use code MARYPOPPINS for 15% off Mightier. Learn emotional regulation through video games. Suzanne does not make any profit from Mightier. Just collabbing! 😁

And remember:

🏕️There is always room for the underdog around our fire.

We’ve been saving you a seat.

Next episode: We’re exploring the surprising strengths and “secret superpowers” that can sometimes develop from growing up in a difficult or emotionally complex childhood—and how those survival adaptations can become powerful tools with insight and healing. After that, “Spotlight People” & Ego! 🍿

#MiddleSchoolMaryPoppins #MiddleSchoolParenting #ParentingTweens #SocialEmotionalLearning #EmotionalRegulation #MiddleSchool #AdolescentBrain #TweenParenting #Resilience #Belonging #ChildDevelopment #BehaviorIsCommunication #ConnectionBeforeCorrection #MentalHealth #ParentEducation

This is the website at www.msmarypoppins.com or email Suzanne:

Suzanne swain@gmail.com for inquiries, listener questions, and just to say hello!

🍎Apple Listeners: The show’s ratings were hacked & dropped to 3.1 rating from 4.9. It is under investigation currently. If you could help out & provide a positive star rating, it would mean everything! So grateful! Best, Suz & Steve🐶
—————————————————-In this special Deep Dive episode, Suzanne is joined once again by therapist Jessica Ragnio, MSW, LICSW, for one of the most important conversations of the Summer Camp series. Together, they explore what is really happening beneath explosive behavior—and why anger is so often protecting something much more vulnerable. 💜

Using Hawaiian volcanoes 🌋, ocean currents 🌊, and stories from Suzanne’s years in the middle school classroom, this episode unpacks the science and psychology behind emotional regulation in a way that is practical, compassionate, and surprisingly hopeful.

🧠 In this episode, you’ll discover:
• Why anger is often a secondary emotion
• What happens inside the brain during emotional reactivity
• How the amygdala can hijack logical thinking
• The power of co-regulation—and why connection comes before correction
• How to recognize the body’s warning signs before an emotional eruption
• Why regulation is not about suppressing feelings
• How to help tweens build awareness instead of shame
• Practical strategies parents, educators, and caregivers can use today

FREE ACTIVITY FROM MIGHTIER:

⛑️Anger Volcanoes: Strategies to help Effectively Deal with Teen/Tween Anger:

https://www.mightier.com/resources/7-effective-anger-management-activities-for-kids/

Along the way, Suzanne shares personal stories, educational insights, and a few adventures with Lieutenant Steve and the Coconut Kingdom 🐾🥥—because learning does not have to be boring.

Whether you are raising a tween, teaching one, counseling one, or trying to better understand your own emotional responses, this episode offers science, encouragement, practical tools, and plenty of hope. 🌈

Because, as always…

💜 People grow best when they know they belong.

🏕️ Special thanks to our Summer Camp sponsor, Mightier!

Visit http://mightier.com/ and use code MARYPOPPINS to save 15%. Suzanne does not receive payment for Mightier, as she loves the system!

🎙️ Hosted by Suzanne M. Swain, EdS LMSW

🌂 The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast

✨ Stop. Regulate. Listen.

🎧 A heartfelt thank-you to my incredible producer, Janine Stella of StellaMix. Your creativity, talent, and countless hours behind the scenes help transform these conversations into something truly special each week. Thank you for believing in this mission and helping bring The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast to families around the world. 💜

SEO Topics

Middle school anxiety • Cognitive distortions • Parenting tweens • Tween mental health • Emotional regulation • School anxiety • Adolescent brain • Friendship drama • Self-esteem • Parenting middle schoolers • Social Emotional Learning (SEL) • Executive functioning • Neurodivergent children • Autism • ADHD • Anxiety in girls • Anxiety in boys • Parenting podcast • Teacher resources • Family mental health • Brain-based parenting • Cognitive behavioral strategies • Middle school behavior

Send Suzanne a Question or Comment:

Support the show

🍎Apple Listeners: The show’s ratings were hacked & dropped to 3.1 rating from 4.9. It is under investigation currently. If you could help out & provide a positive star rating, it would mean everything! So grateful! Best, Suz & Steve🐶
———————————-

🌱 Garden of Weedy Thoughts: Helping Middle Schoolers Bust Cognitive Distortions & Calm Anxiety

Why does your middle schooler suddenly believe everyone is judging them? Why can one awkward interaction at school turn into “Nobody likes me!”? And why do worries seem to grow so quickly during adolescence?

Welcome to the strange garden of the middle school brain.

In this week’s episode of Middle School Mary Poppins, Suzanne M. Swain, EdS, LMSW, is joined by Jessica Ragnio, MSW, LICSW, Clinical Director at Mightier, to explore one of the most important mental health concepts parents can teach their children: cognitive distortions—the thinking traps that make anxiety feel real, even when our thoughts aren’t telling us the whole story.

Using a whimsical garden metaphor, Suzanne explains why middle school isn’t just a grade level—it’s a culture. Together, Suzanne and Jessica discuss how anxiety quietly plants “sticky weeds” in our minds, why belonging becomes so important during adolescence, and how parents can help children recognize these unhelpful thought patterns before they take over the entire garden.

🌸 In This Episode You’ll Learn

🌷 What cognitive distortions are—and why they feel so believable.

🌼 Why anxiety often shows up as stomach aches, headaches, perfectionism, school avoidance, or irritability.

🌺 How girls and boys may experience anxiety differently during adolescence.

🌻 Why friendships, cliques, and social belonging feel so overwhelming in middle school.

🪻 How thoughts, emotions, and behaviors work together to shape our experiences.

🌹 Practical ways to help children challenge anxious thinking with curiosity instead of fear.

🌿 Why Stop. Regulate. Listen. is a brain-based strategy that helps kids regulate emotions before solving problems.

🌱 Free Family Activity

Continue today’s conversation with the Garden of Weedy Thoughts family activity from Mightier:

https://www.mightier.com/resources/weeds-badge-activities/

💜 Special Offer from Mightier

NOTE: Suzanne is NOT being paid by them. She simply loves what they do for for and the research behind it. An evidence- based way to help your child build emotional regulation skills? They created a video game tablet where the game uses heart rate information to include that in the gameplay where regulation is taught by the video game itself! Self-sufficiency is good! My neighbor kiddo used it and his mother is thrilled! Affordable too! The best part about the company are the people!

Middle School Mary Poppins listeners receive 15% OFF Mightier with promo code:MARYPOPPINS

🎥 Watch on YouTube

Watch full podcast episodes, parenting shorts, bonus clips, and exclusive content on our YouTube channel:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE_8pZC17nLY&si=kiKjRO_sx9Uu-3l8

If you enjoy the show, I’d love for you to subscribe to our YouTube channel and turn on notifications so you never miss a new episode, short, or parenting tip. Every subscription helps us reach more families looking for practical, brain-based strategies for navigating the middle school years.

⭐ Thank You

A heartfelt thank you to our incredible community for your encouragement, thoughtful messages, and recent reviews. Because of your support, Middle School Mary Poppins is now approaching 675,000 downloads worldwide and has earned more than 6,100 five-star reviews on Spotify!

Every download, review, subscription, and recommendation helps another parent, educator, counselor, or caregiver discover tools that can truly make a difference in a child’s life.

If today’s episode encouraged you, one of the greatest ways you can support the podcast is by:

💜 Following the show on your favorite podcast platform.

⭐ Leaving a rating or written review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

🎥 Subscribing to our YouTube channel and sharing your favorite episodes.

📣 Sharing this episode with another parent, teacher, or caregiver who could use a little extra support.

Your kindness helps this community continue to grow, and I truly appreciate every single one of you.

Stay clever, little foxes. 🦊💜

SEO Topics

Middle school anxiety • Cognitive distortions • Parenting tweens • Tween mental health • Emotional regulation • School anxiety • Adolescent brain • Friendship drama • Self-esteem • Parenting middle schoolers • Social Emotional Learning (SEL) • Executive functioning • Neurodivergent children • Autism • ADHD • Anxiety in girls • Anxiety in boys • Parenting podcast • Teacher resources • Family mental health • Brain-based parenting • Cognitive behavioral strategies • Middle school behavior

Send Suzanne a Question or Comment:

Support the show

Why does your middle schooler seem happy, anxious, excited, embarrassed, frustrated, and overwhelmed—all before dinner?

In Week 3 of our whole family Socioemotional Learning (SEL) Summer Camp series, Suzanne M. Swain, EdS, LMSW, is joined by Jessica Ragnio, MSW, LICSW, Clinical Director at Mightier, to explore the fascinating world of adolescent emotions. Always a good hang with Jessica!

Together, the duo discuss why emotions become more intense during the middle school years, how identity development, independence, social awareness, and puberty shape emotional experiences, and what neuroscience can teach us about the adolescent brain.

In this episode, you’ll discover:
🌊 Why middle school emotions can feel like an emotional hurricane

🧠 How the adolescent brain develops differently than the adult brain

💜 Why kids often experience multiple emotions at the same time

⚡ How emotional energy and emotional valence help us better understand feelings

🌡️ Why emotions show up in the body before children always have words for them

🎣 How families can build emotional awareness through conversation and play

You’ll also learn why social rejection can genuinely hurt, what cortisol has to do with emotional regulation, and how helping kids recognize body signals can strengthen lifelong emotional intelligence.

🎣 FREE FAMILY ACTIVITY: FISHING FOR FEELINGS

Download this week’s activity here:

https://www.mightier.com/resources/emotional-awareness-activities/

Fishing for Feelings helps families build emotional vocabulary, identify body signals, and create meaningful conversations about emotions in a fun and engaging way.

SPECIAL OFFER: Our friends at Mightier help children build emotional regulation skills through gameplay and biofeedback.

Use coupon code: MARYPOPPINS for 15% off.

Guest:
Jessica Ragnio, MSW, LICSW
Clinical Director, Mightier

Remember:

We don’t stop the waves. We learn how to ride them.

Stop. Regulate. Listen.

Stay clever, little foxes. 💜🦊

A very special thanks to StellaMix productions and Janine Stella for her incredible production work. Please go to stellamix.com for all of your podcasting needs.

SEO Topics

Middle school anxiety • Cognitive distortions • Parenting tweens • Tween mental health • Emotional regulation • School anxiety • Adolescent brain • Friendship drama • Self-esteem • Parenting middle schoolers • Social Emotional Learning (SEL) • Executive functioning • Neurodivergent children • Autism • ADHD • Anxiety in girls • Anxiety in boys • Parenting podcast • Teacher resources • Family mental health • Brain-based parenting • Cognitive behavioral strategies • Middle school behavior

Send Suzanne a Question or Comment:

Support the show

💜☂️ Are Screens Evil or Not? Chocolate Cake, Dopamine & the Middle School Brain | SEL Summer Camp Week 2

Why do kids seem glued to their phones? Why do texts, group chats, likes, and social media feel so important during middle school? And are screens really harming kids—or is the answer more complicated than that?

In Week 2 of our SEL Summer Camp collaboration with Mightier, Suzanne Swain, EdS, LMSW sits down with developmental scientist Jason Kahn, PhD, co-founder of Mightier, to explore what brain science actually tells us about technology, screen time, dopamine, emotional regulation, social media, friendships, and adolescent development.

Together, we discuss:
🧠 The middle school brain and dopamine
📱 Why social media feels so powerful
🍰 The “Chocolate Cake Theory” of technology
💬 Why kids see phones differently than adults
❤️ The importance of belonging during adolescence
🎮 Healthy technology habits and screen balance
🌱 Boredom, creativity, and imagination
🏕️ Family conversations that reduce conflict and build connection

This episode helps parents, educators, counselors, and caregivers better understand how technology interacts with the developing adolescent brain—and how to guide middle schoolers toward healthier digital habits without shame, fear, or constant power struggles.

Special SEL Summer Camp Partner: Mightier
Mightier uses biofeedback-powered video games to help kids build emotional regulation skills in real time. Middle School Mary Poppins listeners receive 15% off with code MARYPOPPINS at http://mightier.com/.

📥 Download this week’s Summer Camp activity guide:
http://msmarypoppins.com/

📧 Questions or stories?
SuzanneSwain@gmail.com

SEO Topics

Middle school anxiety • Cognitive distortions • Parenting tweens • Tween mental health • Emotional regulation • School anxiety • Adolescent brain • Friendship drama • Self-esteem • Parenting middle schoolers • Social Emotional Learning (SEL) • Executive functioning • Neurodivergent children • Autism • ADHD • Anxiety in girls • Anxiety in boys • Parenting podcast • Teacher resources • Family mental health • Brain-based parenting • Cognitive behavioral strategies • Middle school behavior

Send Suzanne a Question or Comment:

Support the show

☀️ SEL Summer Camp is Here!

Pack your curiosity, grab your emotional toolkit, and join us for a one-of-a-kind summer adventure!

Middle School Mary Poppins is teaming up with Mightier for a special six-week SEL (Social Emotional Learning) Summer Camp designed specifically for middle school families.

Together, we’ll explore the fascinating world of emotions, friendships, technology, anxiety, anger, communication, and the developing adolescent brain through engaging conversations, family activities, brain science, and practical tools you can use right away.

Joining Suzanne throughout the series is Jason Kahn, PhD, Chief Science Officer at Mightier, who brings years of expertise in developmental psychology, emotional regulation, and helping kids build resilience through play.

Each week we’ll tackle a new topic:

🧠 Week 1: S2 EP 28 - SEL Summer Camp Week 1 - Adolescent Brains: A Powerful Engine, Sensitive Alarm, & Driver Still in Training
Understanding the middle school brain and why adolescents think, feel, and react differently than adults.

📚Camp Week 1 Download:
https://www.mightier.com/resources/5-steps-to-unstick-your-thinking-for-parents/

💜This article contains a list of strategies for parents & families that prompt them to stop and reflect in the moment of disagreement or miscommunication with their child. The strategies help families separate out their own emotions and perspective in order to better see their child's perspective.

Future Camp Sessions & Topics:

📱 Week 2: Are Screens Evil or Not?
Technology, dopamine, gaming, and finding healthy family balance.

🌊 Week 3: Oceans of Emotion
Exploring feelings, emotional awareness, and the surprising ways emotions work together.

🌱 Week 4: Garden of Weedy Thoughts
Understanding anxiety, self-esteem, and those pesky cognitive distortions that can take over our thinking.

🌋 Week 5: Volcano of Anger
Learning what lives underneath anger and how to regulate big emotions before they erupt.

🤝 Week 6: Social Skills Lab
Building friendships, communication skills, empathy, and confidence through connection.

Throughout the summer, families will receive conversation starters, activities, reflection questions, and practical strategies that make Social Emotional Learning fun, meaningful, and accessible.

Why MSMP is Partnering with Mightier

At Middle School Mary Poppins, we believe emotional regulation isn’t something kids magically know how to do.

It’s a skill.

And skills require practice.

That’s why we’re excited to partner with Mightier, a program that helps children build emotional regulation skills through biofeedback-powered games that teach kids how to recognize what’s happening inside their bodies and practice calming strategies in real time.

💜 Special Offer for Middle School Mary Poppins Families

Receive 15% OFF Mightier with code: MARYPOPPINS

Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, teacher, counselor, therapist, or simply someone who loves a middle schooler, this series is for you.

So grab your camp gear, bring your curiosity, and join us as we spend six weeks exploring the most important classroom your child will ever have:

Their brain.

See you at camp!

☂️ Suzanne Swain, EdS, LMSW
Middle School Mary Poppins

🦊 Stay clever, little foxes

🏆Shoutout to StellaMix Studios for making this possible! 🤗🔥💜

SEO Topics

Middle school anxiety • Cognitive distortions • Parenting tweens • Tween mental health • Emotional regulation • School anxiety • Adolescent brain • Friendship drama • Self-esteem • Parenting middle schoolers • Social Emotional Learning (SEL) • Executive functioning • Neurodivergent children • Autism • ADHD • Anxiety in girls • Anxiety in boys • Parenting podcast • Teacher resources • Family mental health • Brain-based parenting • Cognitive behavioral strategies • Middle school behavior

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Middle school can feel like a daily showdown… until you realize the kid isn’t always the problem. Sometimes the kid is the signal.

In this episode of The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast, Suzanne Swain, EDS LMSW explores the moments that make adults throw their hands in the air and ask, “Seriously?!” — and why that reaction is understandable, but often aimed at the wrong target. When behavior goes sideways, we tend to place the full weight of the situation on a 12- or 13-year-old navigating hormones, identity development, social pressure, emotional overwhelm, and a brain that is still developing impulse control and executive functioning. That isn’t an excuse for harmful behavior… it’s a roadmap for understanding it.

Drawing from years of real middle school classroom management experience, Suzanne walks listeners through a systems-based approach to behavior that focuses on emotional safety, clear expectations, simple procedures, and consistent boundaries. You’ll hear why consistency matters more than intensity, why fewer rules often work better than dozens of threats, and how becoming “annoyingly predictable” can actually help kids feel safer and more regulated. The episode also explores metacognition — the adult skill of noticing what’s happening internally before reacting externally — and how our own regulation often shapes the emotional climate around children.

But structure alone is never enough. Kids also need connection. This episode unpacks the idea of “connection before correction” and why trust, co-regulation, and emotional repair are critical parts of accountability. Suzanne also discusses some of the hidden stressors affecting today’s tweens and teens, including chronic sleep deprivation, overstimulation, emotional exhaustion, and constant screen saturation.

Blending neuroscience, humor, emotional critical thinking, and real classroom insight, this conversation offers a more compassionate lens for understanding middle schoolers without removing accountability or structure.

💜 ND Friendly Listening Note: MSMP is designed with neurodivergent listeners in mind. Ads and interruptions are intentionally kept to a minimum and placed thoughtfully for continuity and emotional regulation support.

☂️ ENTER THE NEW CONTEST: head to the website and join the mailing list for a chance to win a 45 minute family session with Suzanne!

💜☂️Visit http://msmarypoppins.com/ for resources, updates, and ways to support the show.

Produced by StellaMix Podcast Productions. Reach out to my high school buddy Janine for all of your podcast needs as she is the wizard you need!
🌐 http://stellamix.com/

🦊Stay clever, little foxes. You got this!

Send Suzanne a Question or Comment:

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Internet Culture & Emotional Health: The Safety Dance

feat. Adam Brooks, Program Coordinator from BARK Technologies adamb@bark.us

Special MSMP listener offer:
Use code POPPINS25 for $25 off any Bark phone model or watch (limit 2). Learn more at: www.bark.us

Part 3 of our “Reimagining Screen Time” technology series focuses on one of the biggest modern parenting challenges of all: keeping kids safe online while still building trust, communication, and healthy independence.

Balancing screens with quality family time, creating intentional technology plans, and opening ongoing family discussions about devices and boundaries has become just as essential as having a family fire safety plan.

As an educational technologist and former middle school educator, Suzanne recently took a deep dive into researching modern family technology tools and discovered BARK Technologies.

BARK has: more than 7 million users, strong professional reviews, extensive educational resources, and a kid & family-forward philosophy towatd devices and screen time.

BARK stood out as an innovative and highly acclained option for helping families navigate the digital world more safely together.

What especially impressed Suzanne was Bark’s willingness to provide schools and educators with professional development and technology safety resources—even when schools are not purchasing products or services. That commitment to education, accessibility, and family discussion deserved a closer look.

So Suzanne invited Adam Brooks, Bark’s Program Coordinator and a former teacher himself, onto the podcast to discuss current research, internet culture, emotional health, and practical ways families can create healthier digital habits together.

Let’s face facts: middle schoolers are growing up in a digital environment that moves faster than most adults can realistically keep up with. Between social media pressure, group chats, cyberbullying, AI-generated content, online predators, and nonstop notifications, families are navigating challenges that simply did not exist a generation ago.

In this episode, Suzanne and Adam discuss:

• Why middle school brains are especially vulnerable online
• The emotional impact of social media and comparison culture
• Cyberbullying, online predators, and digital safety
• Healthy monitoring vs. invasive parenting
• How to build trust instead of constant power struggles
• Practical tools families can begin using immediately
• Creating collaborative family technology plans that encourage communication and emotional safety

Bark Technologies offers monitoring tools, parental controls, screen time management, content filtering, and affordable kid-safe phones and watches designed to help families navigate technology in a healthier and more balanced way.

As always, Suzanne takes ethics very seriously. BARK Technologies did not pay for this review, testimonial, or discussion. This episode reflects Suzanne’s independent professional opinion after personally researching family technology options that are affordable, highly regarded, innovative, and capable of encouraging stronger communication and healthier family relationships around technology use.

🎉 Special MSMP listener offer:
Use code POPPINS25 for $25 off any Bark phone model or watch (limit 2).
Learn more at: www.bark.us
Questions about Bark’s services or educational partnerships can also be directed to Adam Brooks at adam.b@bark.us. He is excited to hear from you! Come back anytime!

Send Suzanne a Question or Comment:

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Plain Talk: Dogs, Cats, & the Neurodivergent Brain (Unscripted & Unedited) 🐶💕🐱🥹

This episode is a different one, y’all!
No outline.
No “cheat sheet.”
No editing out the pauses or the “you knows.” 🤓🤫

Just a real “plain” conversation. I thought it would be fun to see what happens without my safe bullet points.

💜 Give me about two minutes on this one—it settles in and gets really good. Besides, it’s all about FURRY FAMILY! 🤩 Animals are everything. Stepping out of your comfort zone can be a great experience.

Middle school is a time when life feels unpredictable—friendships shift, social rules change by the hour, and for neurodivergent kids, sensory overload can turn an ordinary day into a storm.

So why do animals help so much?

In this off-the-cuff episode, we talk about dogs and cats not as “pets,” but as teammates—partners that help regulate a child’s nervous system in real, measurable ways.

We break down the neuroscience in plain language:
Petting an animal can lower cortisol, raise oxytocin, and help the brain feel safer. The limbic system begins to settle. The world feels different.

Then we get into what almost sounds unbelievable about dogs—their ability to detect emotional states through scent, track routines by “smelling time,” respond to subtle pressure changes, and hear what the rest of us miss.

If you’ve ever felt like your dog knew you were having a bad day before you did… you’re not imagining it.

And yes—we give cats their due.

Cats aren’t “less social.” They’re selectively social—wired for predictable, low-pressure connection. From the slow blink to their carefully chosen moments of closeness, we explore why cats can be exactly what an anxious brain needs.

You’ll also hear stories about Neville, a little “street council” energy, and the very real truth about loving animals—even knowing loss is part of the deal.

💬 Tell me: which animal has helped you (or your child) feel safe?

—

New here? Start with “Ridiculous Joy” to get a feel for the heart of the show.

Want to reach out?
Suzanne M. Swain, EdS, LMSW
📧 suzanneswain@gmail.com
🌐 msmarypoppins.com

Produced by StellaMix Podcast Productions: https://stellamix.com/

Support the show:
If this episode helped your family or classroom, visit msmarypoppins.com and click Support the Show.

Your support keeps this podcast free, research-based, and centered on emotional health for kids—especially neurodivergent tweens and teens.

Send Suzanne a Question or Comment:

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Screen time is not going anywhere, so instead of arguing about whether it is “good” or “bad,” let’s get specific about what it doing positively for our kids. My EDS is in Education Technology, bring it!

This is episode two in our exploring screen time series, where we discuss how digital tools can be used in more intentional, supportive ways for kids and families. I found Mightier! I think Mightier is doing something truly innovative, affordable, & educationally way ahead of the pack. So, I vetted it. Again and again. Nights of secretly evaluating on ridiculously high-level criteria. Had kids try it.
And the Result? Legit👏🫶🏼

I sought THEM out. No paid testimonial. Just a shrewd educator seeking a diamond. Really thrilled to bring this solution to listeners. There are kids out there that would be so benefited by what they do with biometrics. Brilliant.

WEBSITE: www.mightier.com
COUPON CODE: MARYPOPPINS (15% OFF)

In this episode, I share a surprising tool I vetted myself: a set of video games that use heart-rate biofeedback to help kids practice emotional regulation while they play. If your child melts down quickly, struggles with anxiety, or gets stuck in frustration, this conversation offers a concrete way to think about intentional screen time and digital wellness at home. Please note: I am not being paid in any capacity for this interview. I simply am absolutely mesmerized by this software. Share the knowledge!

A VISIT FROM JESSICA RAGNIO FROM MIGHTIER:

Suzanne is joined by her first-ever guest, Jessica Ragnio, a clinical social worker, therapist, and mom of three who serves as Clinical Director at Mightier. She breaks down how the program grew out of research at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and why real-time practice matters more than simply talking about coping skills when a child is already flooded.

We dig into how the games respond to rising heart rate, what “red zone” and “blue zone” cues look like, and how kids are rewarded for bringing their bodies back down to calm.

We also cover what families tend to notice over time, including stronger emotional awareness, better frustration tolerance, and calmer recovery in school and friendships. For parents who want visibility, we talk through the companion app and the progress data it tracks, including cooldowns.

If you want to explore it yourself, head to www.mightier.com and use the code MARYPOPPINS for 15% off.

If this episode helps you rethink screen time, subscribe, share it with a parent friend, and leave a review so more families can find practical mental health tools.

Contact Suzanne M. Swain EdS LMSW:

suzanneswain@gmail.com

Website: msmarypoppins.com

Produced By: StellaMix Podcast Productions

Special thanks to our producer, StellaMix podcast productions, another Palm Beach County School of the Arts collaboration. Need a podcast? Connect with Janine Stella ASAP: http://www.Stellamix.com

Send Suzanne a Question or Comment:

Support the show

Screens: the ultimate villain… or your kid’s emotional support sidekick? In this playful (and eye-opening) episode, Suzanne dives into the nightly showdown every parent knows too well—the “put the phone down” battle—and flips the script in a way you probably didn’t see coming.

What looks like defiance might actually be overwhelm. What feels like obsession might be regulation. From dopamine hits and digital comparison to cyberbullying and late-night scrolling, we unpack what’s really going on behind the screen—and why simply taking the phone away might be missing the bigger picture.

With relatable stories, a dash of humor (shoutout to Lieutenant Steve 🐾), and practical strategies you can actually use, this episode helps parents, educators, and caregivers move from power struggles to real connection. Because the goal isn’t to win the screen time war—it’s to understand the kid on the other side of it.

Tune in for a fresh perspective, a few “aha” moments, and maybe even a little peace at bedtime.

————-

PRO BONO: Currently, MSMP does not profitize nor monetize as an effort to avoid bias & to help build trust with new listeners. (Too many commercials ruin messaging.)

Trust is everything & worth earning first. MSMP will only support rigorously vetted advertisers that commit to bettering the lives & mental health of kids and their families - no fluff. Your time is valuable. ——————————-

Contact Suzanne M. Swain EdS LMSW:

suzanneswain@gmail.com

Website: msmarypoppins.com

Produced By: StellaMix Podcast Productions

Special thanks to our producer, StellaMix podcast productions, another Palm Beach County School of the Arts collaboration. Need a podcast? Connect with Janine Stella ASAP: http://www.Stellamix.com

Send Suzanne a Question or Comment:

Support the show

You can be smart, creative, and deeply caring and still walk through life feeling like you’re getting “thrown to the curb.” That ache hits a lot of neurodivergent adults, especially when old childhood labels keep playing on loop: too sensitive, too emotional, too intense, too distracted, so much potential if you could just… I’m busting those cognitive distortions and telling a truer story about neurodiversity, ADHD, autism, giftedness, and what it’s like when your brain takes in more than the room expects.

We start with a memory from childhood that’s equal parts funny and revealing: walking up to neighbors’ houses and asking if they had kids who wanted to be friends. Through that lens, we talk about why connection can become a core driver for neurodivergent people and why shame is often just misunderstood wiring. Then we get into brain science that matters, especially for parents and educators: the middle school brain renovation where the limbic system runs hot and the prefrontal cortex is still under construction. Add sensory sensitivity and emotional intensity, and the world can feel loud, fast, and harsh, even when you’re doing your best.

From there we connect the dots to adulthood: executive functioning challenges, workplace expectations, the “inconsistent but brilliant” stereotype, and why “failure to launch” is often about planning, time management, stress regulation, and systems that weren’t built for neurodivergent minds. We also talk hyper empathy, reading body language, and the loneliness of being highly attuned. Most importantly, we practice reframes that are fair, specific, and actually usable and we translate that into how we can support neurodivergent kids without trying to fix them, by getting curious about their thinking steps and honoring their process.

If this resonates, subscribe, share with someone raising or living as neurodivergent, and leave a review so more people can find language that replaces shame with clarity. What’s one label you’re ready to rewrite?

Contact Suzanne Swain:
Email: suzanneswain@gmail.com Website: msmarypoppins.com

Produced By: StellaMix Podcast Productions

Special thanks to our producer, StellaMix podcast productions, another Palm Beach County School of the Arts collaboration. Need a podcast? Connect with Janine Stella ASAP: http://www.Stellamix.com

Send Suzanne a Question or Comment:

Support the show