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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! I want to start with a shout out to our supporters on Patreon who help make each episode possible! You can also be a part of helping us produce new episodes by making a small monthly donation at Patreon.com/likeyoupodcast. And don’t forget to subscribe to Like You on your favorite podcast app, so you never miss an episode. Now let’s start the show!

[intro music]

Hello! I’m Noah and this is Like You, a mindfulness podcast for kids. I’m so glad you’re here! Today we’ll think about our friends as we warm up by sharing a bowl of chicken noodle soup. So listeners 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.

It has been cold and snowy where I live recently, and on a cold winter day one thing that always warms me up is a bowl of chicken noodle soup. Do you like chicken noodle soup? Do you enjoy any other types of soup? We all like different things, so some of you may love soup and some may not. But a warm bowl of soup can certainly warm you up on a cold day, or help you feel a little better when you’re sick.

Let’s kick things off with a breathing exercise where we’ll imagine eating a big bowl of chicken noodle soup. You might want to close your eyes if that helps you imagine. Let’s picture a big, hot bowl of soup sitting on a table in front of us. It’s so hot that steam is rising up and drifting through the air. In fact it’s a little TOO hot, so we’ll have to cool it off before we try it. So take a deep breath in, filling up your chest, then blow slowly and gently across the top of the soup. Don’t blow too hard or it will splash out of the bowl. Just blow gently to help it cool down. Let’s do that a few times in a row. Take a deep breath in. Now blow gently to cool the soup. Another deep breath in, then blow softly across the soup. Watch the steam rolling away as you blow. Once more. Deep breath in. Gently blow to cool the soup. Ok, I think it’s ready for us to eat now. Let’s try a bit. We’ll do a second breathing exercise as we slurp a noodle. Do you know how to slurp a noodle? Imagine taking the end of a noodle between your lips, then in a quick deep breath, make a slurp sound like this [slurp]. Then let’s imagine the soup tastes so good that we let out a satisfied sigh like this [sigh]. Now you know what to do so let’s slurp a few more noodles just like that. Slurp and then sigh. Here we go. Slurp a noodle [slurp]. Then let out a sigh [sigh]. Once again slurp another noodle [slurp]. And let out a satisfied sigh [sigh]. One last noodle. Give it a slurp [slurp] and a sigh [sigh]. Yum! I hope you enjoyed slurping soup with me.

Now on the count of three, we’ll all say I like me. 1-2-3. I like me.

I like you too. I am proud of who you are and I love the way you think.

Now I hope you don’t mind if I talk a little more about soup. Why? Well, one of the wonderful things about soup is the way that many different ingredients come together to make something completely new. And you can taste each ingredient by itself, but it’s totally different when you taste it all together.

And people are that way too. Each person has something unique and different to contribute. Different thoughts, different experiences, different likes and dislikes. You and me and your best friend are all different people, yet we can come together and have fun with each other by each bringing the thing that makes us special. So let’s imagine making friendship soup.

First I want you to take a moment to think of three friends. They can be friends from school or a sports team or your place of worship or the neighborhood park. Or it could be family – brothers, sisters, parents, or any one you enjoy playing with. Think of at least 3 friends. You can even think of more if you want. Once you have a few friends in mind, think about what makes them each different. Maybe they look different from you or each other – different hair or skin color, different style, different heights and shapes and sizes. Also think about their personalities. Is each friend funny? Smart? Good at listening? Good at leading? Easy to get along with? Full of ideas for games? Have great taste in books or music? There are lots of qualities you may look for in a friend. Each friend will have a different mix of these things, because each person is different. So just spend a few moments thinking about your friends and what makes them each unique.

Now we’ll pretend each friend is an ingredient for a bowl of chicken noodle soup. One of them can be the chicken, one can be carrots, one can be broth, or celery, or salt, or pepper, or noodles. And you know, we all have different tastes, so maybe instead of noodles, your soup could have rice, or macaroni, or letters like in alphabet soup. Every bowl of soup can be a little different, just like every group of friends can be a little different.

Now imagine you and all your friends as chicken and broth and carrots and noodles, hopping into a giant bowl together. Now if you’re able to, get up on your feet and get ready to stir. You can stir the soup by wiggling around or spinning in a circle and waving your arms, just make sure you look around you so you don’t bump into someone of something as you move. Now stir up the soup!

Ok, now let’s imagine your friend soup is all stirred up. Take a big breath and sit back down if you were up and moving. Now I want you to close your eyes one last time. And think of all those friends one more time. Picture their faces, think about what makes them special. Now just like soup warms you up when you’re cold or sick, your friends probably help you feel better when you’re feeling sad or left out. Let’s take a moment to say thank you and send out some love for our friends. While you’re picturing them in your mind take a deep breath, smile, and say “thank you for being my friend.” Thank you for being my friend. Now keep picturing your friends and say “I wish for you to be healthy and happy.” I wish for you to be healthy and happy. Now imagine giving your friends a big hug or a high five.

I’d like to sing a song that celebrates our differences and finds joy in what makes us unique. As you listen, feel free to think more about your friends, as you sit and relax or hop up and dance.

I’m glad that I am me

I’m glad that you are you

I’m glad that we both do the things

That we each like to do

I’m glad that I know you

I’m glad you know me too

We’re different but we teach each other

Things we never knew

What if you were me?

And what if I were you?

Would we still do the same things

That we’ve always liked to do?

I wonder…

But you’ll always be you

And I’ll always be me

We learn and grow and change our clothes

But stay the same beneath

I’m glad that I am me

I’m glad that you are you

I’m proud of how you’re growing

And I like your point of view

And I like you

Now it’s time for today’s affirmations. Affirmations are words you can say about yourself to help you remember how wonderful you are. I’ll say each affirmation twice. You can listen the first time, then say it with me the second time, either out loud or inside your mind.

I have friends who love me.

I deserve to be loved.

Other people know that I am kind.

I am a good friend.

I care about other people’s feelings.

I like what makes me different.

I am glad that I am me.

Now 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 about it! You have a grownup check our website or show notes for ways to get in touch and share your thoughts with me.

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 supporters on Patreon. Become a supporter 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 a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You can send us voice memos, drawings, and pictures by having a grownup send an email to hello@likeyoupodcast.com or if they follow us on instagram, they can send us a direct message there. Visit our website at likeyoupodcast.com to find show notes, transcripts for each episode, an online shop, and other info about the show. Be sure to follow us on instagram, Facebook, and twitter @likeyoupod. Thanks for listening!