What Were You Thinking?
Parent Playbook Series

CBT tools for parents to help kids think more flexibly

The What Were You Thinking?
Parent Playbook Series

A CBT-based digital playbook designed to give parents:

  • Insight into your child’s thinking
  • Four age-specific editions (Elementary – High School) so it matches your child’s world
  • 30 real-life scenarios in each playbook—ready to use in evenings, car rides, or quick moments
  • One simple framework to walk you and your child through noticing → rethinking → shifting thoughts
Brain in Yoga Pose

How This Helps

As YOUR CHILD SHARES their thoughts for each scenario:

  • you get a window into their thought process.
  • you can stop scrambling for what to say.
  • you are empowered to use your own more flexible and mature perspectives to gently guide them.

With YOUR GUIDANCE, your child can:

  • notice what they might think in tough moments

  • hear how their mind might be missing cues, getting stuck in unhelpful patterns or leaning on unfair assumptions

  • pick different, more helpful thoughts

Finally! The Parent Playbook
to help you help your child!

  • Focused on one essential CBT skill: helping kids notice their thoughts — the first step toward choosing more helpful thinking.

  • Not an overwhelming CBT manual: instead, a parent-friendly resource that gives you just what you need to guide your child.

  • Clear framework included: a simple, brief CBT overview so you understand how and why these tools work.

  • Written for parents, not clinicians: approachable language you can actually use at home.

  • 30 ready-to-go practice scenarios: developmentally appropriate and relatable for each age group.

  • No more pressure in the moment: you won’t have to struggle to invent scenarios on the spot or risk hitting emotional ‘hot buttons’ that shut your child down.

If you’ve ever watched your child get stuck in a spiral of “I’m not good enough,” “Nobody likes me,” or “I’ll never get this right,” you know how painful it is.

You try to reassure them…
You try to offer perspective…
But often, nothing seems to land.

That’s because kids don’t just need words of comfort — they need practice.
Practice noticing their thoughts.
Practice exploring different perspectives.
Practice building new thinking habits that stick.

These playbooks were created for those moments—when you want to help your child practice noticing their thoughts without slipping into lecturing, overtalking, or accidentally making things worse.

Imagine if your child could…

  • Pause and notice what they’re thinking instead of reacting right away.

  • Realize that one tough moment doesn’t mean a bad day — or a bad self.

  • Think critically about their thoughts and choose more helpful ones 

  • Tell you what’s on their mind without shutting down.

And imagine if you could guide them through all of this with
confidence, calm, and a clear plan.

That’s exactly what the What Were You Thinking? Parent Playbook Series 
was designed to help you do.

Choose Your Edition

Every age thinks differently.
That’s why What Were You Thinking? Parent Playbook Series is available in four editions—each built around
relatable, age-specific scenarios that make practice effective.

What Stays the Same:

  • A simple, parent-friendly CBT framework

  • Clear steps to help your child notice → rethink → shift unhelpful thoughts

What’s Different in Each Edition:

  • 30 Relatable, age-specific scenarios that match real challenges:

    • 🌱 Playground drama (Early Elementary)

    • 🧩 Friendship ups and downs (Late Elementary)

    • 🎒 Peer pressure + social worries (Middle School)

    • 🎓 Stress, grades, and identity (High School)

Early Elementary Edition

(Ages 5–7)

At this age, kids are just starting to connect their thoughts and feelings. Big emotions can feel overwhelming, and flexible thinking is still brand-new.

This playbook gives you 30 scenarios—like classroom mix-ups or playground misunderstandings—that help your child begin noticing their thoughts and practicing new ways of seeing situations.

Early Elementary Playbook

Late Elementary Edition

(Ages 8–10)

Kids in this stage are more aware of friendships, fairness, and fitting in—and their self-talk can quickly become critical.

This playbook offers 30 scenarios around friendships, schoolwork, and confidence—so you can help your child reframe unhelpful thoughts and build healthier thinking habits.

Late Elementary Playbook

Middle School Edition

(Ages 11–13)

Middle schoolers are developing strong reasoning skills but also face new pressures, from academics to social media.

This playbook uses 30 relatable scenarios—like group projects, peer drama, or social worries—to help your child recognize unhelpful thought patterns and practice shifting perspective without shutting down.

Middle School Playbook

High School Edition
(Coming Soon)

(Ages 14–17)

Teens are balancing independence, identity, and growing responsibilities. Negative self-talk and rigid thinking can easily creep in.

This playbook includes 30 real-world scenarios around grades, friendships, sports, and future worries—giving you a way to guide your teen in practicing flexible thinking during a stage when it matters most.

Coming Soon

When you teach your child to see their thoughts, they can learn to shift them—and when they shift their thoughts, they CAN TRULY feel better.

What Were You Thinking?
Parent Playbook Series

Details at a Glance

  • Format: Digital workbooks (PDF)

  • Delivery: Instant download after purchase

  • Availability: 4 separate editions (Early Elementary, Late Elementary, Middle School, & (coming soon… High School)

  • Price: $7.50 each — choose the edition that fits your needs, or get them all to cover every stage of growth.

What Were You Thinking?

Early Elementary Edition

Get My Early Elementary Playbook

What Were You Thinking?

Late Elementary Edition

Get My Late Elementary Playbook

What Were You Thinking?

Middle School Edition

Get My Middle School Playbook

What Were You Thinking?

High School Edition

Choose Your Edition

Questions on Your Mind (Answered)

There are four editions—Early Elementary (5–7), Late Elementary (8–10), Middle School (11–13), and coming soon a High School edition (14–17). Each includes 30 scenarios tailored to that developmental stage, but the overall framework stays consistent.

No. These playbooks are not therapy and don’t replace professional care.
They’re educational tools, grounded in CBT principles, designed to help parents guide their kids in practicing flexible thinking skills at home. If you feel your child may need therapy, please seek support from a qualified mental health professional.

CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
You don’t need to know CBT—and your child doesn’t need to have had CBT therapy—to use these playbooks.

Each edition includes:

  • A simple explanation of the CBT framework, so you can better understand how to use the scenarios

  • Parent-friendly definitions of key terms like cognitive awareness, metacognition, and the CBT model

No prior training required—everything is written in straightforward, parent-friendly language.

Just a few minutes a day is all it takes.
In fact, it works best that way. Use 2–3 scenarios at a time, and you can easily fit them into bedtime routines, car rides, or after-school conversations.

The goal isn’t long lessons—it’s consistent practice. Each scenario helps your child notice what they might be thinking, then gently challenge and shift those thoughts toward more flexible, helpful patterns.

Disclaimer & Terms

Due to the digital nature of our products and services, we do not offer refunds or returns for any reason.

The content in this product — including any references, resources, or links — is provided for informational purposes only. It should never be used as a substitute for direct medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from your doctor or another qualified healthcare professional.

No content within this product should be taken as medical, clinical, or professional advice. Any action (or inaction) you take as a result of consuming this content is done solely at your own discretion and risk. The author and Dakhari Psychological Services, LLC cannot be held liable for any consequences of such action or inaction.

Accessing or using any content within this product does not create a doctor–patient relationship with the author or associated professionals. If you choose to share personal, medical, or clinical information with the author or associated professionals, that does not create a doctor–patient relationship.

For individualized advice regarding your health concerns, please consult directly with a qualified healthcare provider.