Kinderling Conversation

Once you have kids it can be difficult to commit to change, even when you want that change very much. Habits like meditation, exercise or other things that you know will make your life better can feel out of reach. Psychologist Rebecca Ray believes that there is a way to implement real and lasting change in our lives without increasing our guilt or "to do" list. Rebecca's latest books is Small Habits for a Big Life and in this interview she outlines how this approach can work for busy parents. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the more excruciating parts of a kid's education is helping them learn how to read. Particularly when you consider the types of books they're reading, with titles like "Hair", "Trucks" and "Our Car". In an effort to laugh through the pain, illustrator Beck Feiner talks through some of the more painful books she's read. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jess Sanders is a social worker and children's book author. From her work with boys and young men in the justice system Jess saw all the ways that boys are getting toxic messages about what it means to be a man. Her book Be Your Own Man looks at what boys have been missing in conversations around feelings, their bodies and friendships. Jess talks about how her books seek to give kids back an authentic sense of self. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Clementine Ford, Em Ruschiano and Abbie Chatfield have all recently spoken about their adult diagnosis of ADHD. At the same time they have expressed relief, like the diagnosis was the final piece of a puzzle, making sense of their past behaviours. So how do we as parents recognise the symptoms of ADHD in our children? Mark Bellgrove is a Professor in Cognitive Neuroscience at Monash University and the President of the Australian ADHD Professionals Association. He explains what ADHD is, how it can be treated, and where to go for help. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After many years of advocating for greater investment, the early learning sector is set for some significant changes. Executive Director of The Parenthood Georgie Dent was among others in the sector lobbying parties prior to the federal election. She joins the show to discuss the changes that have been promised, including the latest joint announcement from the NSW and Victorian Governments to provide universal access the year prior to school. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ella Fields (alias) writes roughly two books a year. When she first started she was writing around four books a year. She describes her books as 'steamy' romance and they are enormously popular. She's a USA Today and International best-selling author who started writing when her kids were just in primary school. What began as an experiment has ended up in a career that allows her to support her family. Ella talks about how she started and why she thinks her books are so popular.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perinatal depression and anxiety affects one in ten dads, yet only just over half reach out for help. Dave Edwards is the proud dad of two child aged 6 and 8. When his son was born he went through a really challenging time, that he only realised in hindsight was PND. Dave tells us his story in the hope that it will help other dads ask for help. Resources for dads: The Gidget Foundation PANDA Beyond Blue   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many people understand what domestic violence is, but child to parent violence is less well known. Jo Howard is a social worker who is an expert in adolescent violence in the home, and has also worked with families who have young children who are aggressive and violent. Jo says that parents who bear the brunt of this violence are often too ashamed to ask for help, and when they do, can be turned away. Jo talks about the impact of this type of aggression and what parents can do. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lauren Dubois was a successful political journalist before she turned her hand to blogging about parenting, eventually switching to Instagram. She's also written a book called You Will (Probably) Survive. Lauren's posts on Instagram are insightful and funny. But most importantly they always seem to resonate. Lauren talks about the amount of work it takes to maintain an account like hers and why it's worth the effort. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leaving your child at day care while they're crying their little hearts out can be so hard. Gen Muir is a parenting educator at Connected Parenting and a mum of four. She's still going through challenging drop offs so she knows just how to help parents make the experience easier and better. Gen gives us some practical tips on how to help our children separate from us with less tears. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I know. There are a million apps out there for parents, so what makes this one special? This is an app that could help parents who need the most support: parents with kids on the spectrum. Kindship is a free app that aims to connect parents who are likely to feel more isolated than other parents. Co-founder Sandy Golder talks about the benefits of joining a like-minded community who really understand what it's like. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you met the love of your life, was your first thought 'I wonder if their parenting style will match mine?' You may have thought they'd make a great parent, but probably not all the nitty gritty of how they approach things like discipline and sugar. Unfortunately these things can lead to frustration and confrontation once discipline and sugar become an issue for your kids. Rachel Tomlinson is a psychologist at Toward Wellbeing. She explains how we can get on the same parenting page, even when we've started from completely different chapters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Baseley is a TV presenter and dad of three. When it comes to spending time with his kids Matt loves to get messy in the kitchen. If you follow his Insta you will find many examples of how much fun they have together. The secret, Matt explains, is about following your own passion. Matt talks about his own love of cooking and how he deals with fussy eaters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour can be an unknown and frightening prospect. But what if you could go into this experience feeling confident and empowered? Nadine Richardson founded SheBirths to help women have better birth experiences. She explains the most practical ways a woman can prepare for birth. In this interview Nadine mentions the Shebirths free holistic pregnancy guide that you can find here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When our babies crawl into toddlerhood they start to push their boundaries. This can often include running away, throwing food and other challenging behaviours. So how do you handle this stage if you have two babies going through the same developmental stages? Mothercraft nurse Chris Minogue takes us through her top tips for managing this tricky stage of life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actor Ryan Johnson was going through a separation not long before the first lockdown in 2020. While coparenting through the pandemic he also met and fell in love with his new partner. On this episode Ryan talks about how he navigated all of that with his young daughter and ended up in a good place today. Ryan is best known for his role as Matt Knight in Doctor Doctor and his most recent appearance in the Aussie comedy How to Please a Woman.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Childhood friendships can be light and easy, but as kids head into their tween years they can start to get a bit tricky. Dana Kerford is the Director of URStrong, an organisation that helps children understand the many nuances of friendship. Dana gives us her top tips on how we can support our children when friendships get tough.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research from the University of South Australia has revealed that assistance dogs are helping to expand children on the autism spectrum and their families. Dr Shelley Wright is a qualified occupational therapist and who supervised the research. Shelley explains exactly how dogs can help children on the spectrum. Information relevant to this interview: Research from the University of SA on assistance dogs and autistic kids Assistance Dogs Australia Guidedogs Australia Information about assistance dogs See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maggie Dent is best known for her work helping parents to raise their boys. Now Maggie has sunk her teeth into girlhood with her book of the same title. Girlhood, raising our little girls to be healthy, happy and heard was inspired by her four grand daughters. In this interview Maggie leads us through how to raise our little girls with understanding and compassion. Touching on key issues raised by a survey of 5,000 parents Maggie uses her humour, wisdom and common sense to help parents and carers of little girls everywhere. Maggie Dent is also the host of the podcast Parental as Anything.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Helping children navigate their big emotions can be challenging. Particularly when those emotions result in behaviour that is aggressive or difficult to change. Lyn Jenkins is a clinical psychologist and the creator of Boss Brain, an online program designed to help children from 5-11 navigate their big emotions. Lyn explains what's happening for kids when things get out of hand and how we can help guide them through those tricky moments. This episode of Feed Play Love was made in partnership with Boss Brain. Visit lifematters.com.au/bossbrain for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.