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Please send us a voice memo, drawing, or letter at hello@likeyoupodcast.com. We play a voice memos from listeners either at the beginning of an episode or during the affirmation segment of the episode. If your child wants to be included, record a voice memo and send it to us. Your child can introduce themself and then say a favorite affirmation, sing a line from a Like You song, say what they like about the show, or share whatever they feel! Keep it short (10-20 seconds). For more info on how to record and send a voice memo, see this post.

Like You is a production of Perpetual Motion. The show is written and produced by Noah Glenn. The show’s artwork was illustrated by Mia Saine. Episode art is created by Lindsey Glenn.

This episode features original music by Noah Glenn. 

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Noah: Hey everyone! We’ve just launched a new way for you to support Like You. You can now become a Like You subscriber on Apple Podcasts to receive access to special bonus episodes we’ll be releasing a couple times a month. This will include music playlists, interviews, miniature affirmation episodes, and more! Visit our show page in Apple Podcasts and tap Subscribe to sign up for a small monthly contribution. This new bonus content will also be available to Patreon supporters in addition to their existing Patreon benefits. Please consider supporting the show by subscribing through Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks! And here’s today’s show.

[intro music]

Noah: Hello! I’m Noah and this is Like You, a mindfulness podcast for kids. I’m so glad you’re here! On today’s episode, I hope you’re ready to get weird, because I’ve got a set of mindfulness exercises designed specifically for weirdos. So weirdos of all ages, find a place to listen where you feel comfortable and safe. As I ask questions and invite you to say affirmations, you’re welcome to speak out loud, or as always, you can just think your responses quietly in your mind.

Let’s get things started with a breathing exercise where we breathe in a strange way . When you breathe in, think of it as slurping in air [slurp]. And when you breathe out, stick out your tongue and wiggle it back and forth while you make a funny noise [noise]. Are you ready? Let’s breathe in and out a few times. Slurp that air in [slurp]. Then stick out your tongue and blow the air out. Take another deep slurp in. And then blow the air out. One more time, give me your longest slurp yet. And wiggle that tongue as you blow it all out. Great job!

Now on the count of three let’s all say I like me. 1-2-3. I like me.

I like you too. You are curiously quirky, beautifully bizarre, and wonderfully weird. Your weirdness is what makes you unique, and I hope your life is full of friends and family who love your weirdness and are just as weird as you.

Now let’s try a few more weird mindfulness exercises. First a face exercise. If you happen to have a mirror nearby, you might want to look at your reflection because you’re going to end up making some goofy faces in a moment. If you don’t have a mirror, that’s fine too!

Start by relaxing your face as much as you possibly can. Loosen your eyebrows, droop your mouth open, and let your whole face go slack. If you’re looking at your reflection, you might have a blank and boring look on your face right now. Sit for a moment with your loose and relaxed face. Try to focus your thoughts on how your face feels.

Now reach up to your face with your fingertips. Use your fingers to smoosh and scrunch your cheeks all around. Keep your face relaxed, but imagine it as a blob of goo that your fingers can loosely push and pull. Push your face goo around for a few seconds and notice how your face feels. Now push your cheeks back toward your ears, making your face pull tight. Then push your cheeks forward toward your mouth, scrunching your lips into a fishy face. Notice how your face feels different whether it is tight or scrunched. Try it both ways again. Push your cheeks back tight. And once more push them forward into a scrunchy fish face.

Now drop your hands and let your face get totally loose and relaxed again.

Now we’ll play a quick funny face game. When I say “funny” you’ll make a funny silly face. Then when I say “loose” you’ll relax and loosen your face. Try to do a different funny face each time. And I want you to continue to notice how your face feels different whether it is a funny face or a loose face. Here we go.

Funny! Make a silly face.

Loose. Let your face relax.

Funny.

Loose.

Funny, loose.

Funny.

Loose, funny, loose, funny.

And loose.

Ok, that’s all for the face stretches. Now let’s get the whole body involved. Stand up if you’re able. Or you can follow along with just your arms or your face.

First you’ll reach your arms up high over your head, stretching them up as far as you can.

Then you’ll drop your arms toward the floor, bend forward at your waist, and go loosy-goosy  like a rag doll.

Now we’ll add your voice to this up and down stretch. When you reach your arms up, make a high pitched noise. You can sing it or make it a funny noise, but whatever noise you choose, make it as high pitched as you can. Then as you drop back down into a loose rag doll, drop your voice down too, into the lowest sound you can make. We’ll do this back and forth a few times, reach arms high with a high pitched sound, then dropping low with a low pitched sound. Try sliding your voice across all the sounds in between as you transition from high to low and back again. Here we go. Stretch high. And low. High. And low. And high. And low.

And we’re done. You can return to a comfy cozy spot now.

Now I want to have you take a moment to think about something that makes you feel weird or different. Maybe you like some sort of odd food like a peanut butter and cucumber sandwich, or putting pickles on your ice cream. Maybe you like to play a silly game that you made up, or maybe you pretend to be imaginary characters that say funny things. Maybe there’s something that’s not exactly weird, but is just a little different than other people you know. How does it make you feel to think of yourself as being weird or different? Does it make you feel proud? Excited? Or maybe being different makes you nervous, anxious, or lonely. Maybe even scared. Feeling a little weird or different can inspire all sorts of different feelings. But here’s something important to remember.

Everyone is a little bit weird. You. And me. Your parents. Other kids at your school, or sports team, or place of worship. Strangers that you see on the street. Everyone is a little bit weird. That’s what makes us each unique. The world would be a boring place if we were all exactly the same. And yes, some of the things that make you unique might also make you feel proud and special. And other things might make you feel lonely or left out. Everyone around you feels both ways sometimes. Proud sometimes, lonely and anxious other times. It is part of being a person. Each of us is just a little weird. But one of the greatest parts of life is when you meet someone else who feels like the same kind of weird as you. That’s what we call a friend.

So remember, be proud of what makes you weird, and always be on the lookout for other weirdos like you.

Now it’s time for affirmations. Affirmations are words you can say about yourself to remind yourself how wonderful you are. You can say them out loud or inside your head. Our friend Mia will join us to say affirmations today. Mia and I will take turns saying affirmations. We’ll say each affirmation twice. So you can listen the first time, then say it together with us the second time. Sag Noah: My weirdness makes me cool.

Mia: There is beauty in our differences.

Noah: I’m proud of every part of me.

Mia: I love people who are different than me.

Noah: I am an amazing person.

Mia: I deserve to be loved.

Noah: There is no one better to be than myself.

Now let’s smile and take a few slow, deep breaths as we wind down our time together. If any of those affirmations stood out to you, feel free to write them down, or just store them safely in your mind to say when you need it. If you have an affirmation that is special to you, I would love to hear it! You can even send a recording of an affirmation to play on the show. Have a grownup check our website or show notes for more information. Right now I want to play an affirmation sent to us by a podcast listener. I’ll let him introduce himself and tell you his favorite affirmation.

Antonio: Hi My name is Antonio and I’m 9 years old. And I’m from Florida, but I’m born in Brazil. My favorite affirmation is all the feelings can pass. And this mindfulness podcast helped me be more relaxed at school and more confident at school too. So bye!

Thank you Antonio! I love that affirmation “all the feelings can pass.”

I’d like to end with a song called However You Feel. It’s a reminder that we all feel many different kinds of emotions, and that it’s ok to feel them all. I also personally think it’s one of the goofiest songs I’ve written for the podcast. Let me know what you think!

If you feel like singing

Here’s what you can do

Lalala Lala lala doot de doot da doo

Lalala Lala lala doot de doot da doo

If you feel like laughing

Here’s what you can do

Hahaha hee hee hee hoo hoo hoo

Hahaha hee hee hee hoo hoo hoo

However you feel

Your feelings are real

And you are never alone

So sing out high

And sing out low

And let somebody know

If you feel like crying

Here’s what you can do

Wah wah wah wah boo hoo hoo

Wah wah wah wah boo hoo hoo

If you’re feeling anxious

Here’s what you can do

Breathe in deep, then breathe out too

Breathe in deep, then breathe out too

However you feel

Your feelings are real

And you are never alone

So sing out high

And sing out low

And let somebody know

If you’re feeling lonely

Here’s what you can do

Call a friend and say “how are you?”

Call a friend and say “how are you?”

If you feel like making someone smile

Here’s what you can do

Say “I’m glad that we’re friends, and I like you”

“I’m glad that we’re friends, and I like you”

I can’t wait to spend some time together again soon. Until then, I like you, I’m proud of you, and I’m glad we are friends. Have a happy and peaceful day.

Like You is a production of Perpetual Motion. It is made possible by our subscribers on Apple Podcasts and Patreon. Become a supporter by tapping “subscribe” on our show page in Apple Podcasts, or by visiting Patreon.com/likeyoupodcast. Like You is written and hosted by me, Noah Glenn. I also composed and performed the Like You theme music and other music that appeared in the episode. Our podcast cover art was illustrated by Mia Saine. Our episode art is created by Lindsey Glenn. If you’ve enjoyed the podcast, I hope you’ll tell your friends, and leave us a 5 star review wherever you listen to podcasts. Grownups can find more information about Like You by visiting our website at likeyoupodcast.com. Thanks for listening.