The Wellness Family

We’ve just had Chinese New Year, and the feng shui experts are out and about recommending we put a decorative crystal light here and a metallic ornament there to tap into the new year energies. But what actually is feng shui? Does it really make a difference? And how can it help our family life? Carolyn McCallum is Feng Shui and Chinese Astrology master. Through her business Feng Shui Harmony, she helps people understand how feng shui can maximize our health, happiness and our family relationships. And it doesn’t necessarily involve lots of crazy re-decorating! Find out more information about Carolyn and her work at www.fengshuiharmony.com.au javascript:nicTemp(); If you’re interested in more parenting ideas and inspiration, sign up for Jodie’s free enews at www.parentwellbeing.com

My guest for this episode describes post-natal depression as a sneaky little bastard. She also says that you can’t beat PND with ‘awesomeness’. So what can you do? Kelly Exeter is a graphic designer, writer, and blogger at A Life Less Frantic. She has a four year old, and a new baby, and PND snuck up on her. In this podcast, we discuss how Kelly realised she was experiencing PND, why trying to turn up the ‘awesome’ didn’t work, and what she did instead. Find out more information about Kelly Exeter and her work at www.kellyexeter.com.au If you’re interested in more parenting ideas and inspiration, sign up for Jodie’s free enews at www.parentwellbeing.com

Astrology. Horoscopes. Interesting? Or not very believable? You probably know your sun sign – that’s the one that’s normally reported in the newspaper horoscopes. But what about your rising sign or your moon sign? And do you know your children’s horoscopes and how they interact with your own? Astrology is fascinating! That’s why I invited Mystic Medusa to tell us what astrology is (and isn’t), what astrology can teach us about ourselves and the world, and how astrology can help us understand our kids better. Find out more information about Mystic Medusa and her work at www.mysticmedusa.com If you’re interested in more parenting ideas and inspiration, sign up for Jodie’s free enews at www.parentwellbeing.com

As parents, we all want to set up our kids for life’s opportunities. But the problem is that many of our children’s future careers and jobs haven’t even been created yet! So what can we do? One way is to foster our children’s entrepreneurial skills and spirit. That’s why Creel Price, one of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs, founded Club Kidpreneur. It’s a not for profit that teaches kids how to start their own micro business, become more entrepreneurial, and develop their confidence and sense of purpose. In this podcast, I ask Creel what inspired Club Kidpreneur, how we can teach kids entrepreneurial skills, and why it’s worthwhile. Find out more information about Club Kidpreneur go to http://clubkidpreneur.com If you’re interested in more parenting ideas and inspiration, sign up for Jodie’s free enews at www.parentwellbeing.com

When we were younger the message was: If you’re not careful, you’ll get pregnant! But then many of us find that conceiving doesn’t happen instantly. Gabriela Rosa is the founder and director of Natural Fertility & Health Solutions. Her mission is to empower individuals through better health to help bring healthy babies into the world.  In this podcast, we chat about the 11 pillars of fertility, fertility boosting foods and foods to avoid, and how acting pregnant now can help you to get pregnant later. Find out more information about Gabriela Rosa and her work at http://naturalfertilitybreakthrough.com If you’re interested in more parenting ideas and inspiration, sign up for Jodie’s free enews at www.parentwellbeing.com

Can you really get kids to eat warragul greens, kale, coriander and carrots? Pete Evans, celebrity chef, restaurateur and dad, can! Pete Evans, best known as co-host on My Kitchen Rules, is a celebrity chef with a passion for fresh, healthy, organic food, and for nutrition and wellness. His big inspiration is when people take responsibility for their own and their family’s health and wellbeing, whether it’s small changes or complete overhauls. In our chat, we discuss his ideal healthy diet, why he eats activated almonds, and how we can help our kids to learn healthy and nutritious food habits. Find out more information about Pete Evans and his work at http://www.peteevans.com.au If you’re interested in more parenting ideas and inspiration, sign up for Jodie’s free enews at www.parentwellbeing.com

Are you too busy? Are you too rushed for time? Are you feeling overwhelmed by your responsibilities and feel like you’re missing the forest for the trees? Brooke McAlvary was in the same situation. She had a successful jewelry business, renovations underway, and baby no. 2 due soon when everything fell in a heap. Now she runs a blog, Slow Your Home, where she shares her ideas about creating a life of simplicity. We chat about what makes up a simple life, how creating rhythms in your day (rather than routines) can help, and whether you can live a simple life and still spend $10,000 on a Hermes Birkin bag. Find out more information about Brooke McAlary and her blog Slow Your Home at www.slowyourhome.com  If you’re interested in more parenting ideas and inspiration, sign up for Jodie’s free enews at www.parentwellbeing.com 

Are parenthood and a creative career incompatible? Can you be a wonderful parent and still pen your bestseller or write a hit album or star in a musical and travel the world? Well, apparently you can! Amity Dry is best known for her two seasons on Channel 9’s The Block. But she is also a writer, composer, performer and producer. We talk about her hilarious and very entertaining musical Mother, Wife & the Complicated Life, how the realities of parenting and partnering aren’t always what they seem, and how you can go off to New York to pursue a creative dream and still be the parent you want to be. Find out more information about Amity Dry and her work at www.amitydry.com If you’re interested in more parenting ideas and inspiration, sign up for Jodie’s free enews at www.parentwellbeing.com

How do you feel about your body? Do you love or loathe it? Do you care more about how your body looks or how your body functions? Unfortunately, many of us don’t love our body and we don’t particularly like how it looks either. It’s a major problem for many adults, and unfortunately, for many kids too. Mia Freedman, the founder, publisher and editorial director of mamamia.com.au, has been a strong advocate for promoting positive body image. We chat about how media hinders positive body image, what might help us experience a more positive body image, and what impact our own body image has on our children. Find out more information about Mia Freedman and Australia’s leading women’s website, Mamamia, at www.mamamia.com.au If you’re interested in more parenting ideas and inspiration, visit Jodie at www.parentwellbeing.com

Are you living a meaningful life? Are your children living with purpose and meaning too? Evidence is increasing about the importance of meaning and purpose for wellbeing and quality of life. But why is meaning so important in our lives, and how can we raise our kids with a sense of purpose? In this episode, I chat to Dr Paul Wong, psychologist and meaning expert, about the ‘meaning mindset’, three common parenting mistakes, and a simple framework for helping ourselves and our kids live with more meaning and purpose. To find out more about Dr Paul Wong, visit his website at www.drpaulwong.com If you’re interested in more parenting ideas and inspiration, sign up for Jodie’s enews ‘Live. Love. Learn.’ at www.parentwellbeing.com

Are you an intuitive parent? Do you feel like you can easily make the right decisions for your family? Do you feel in tune with yourself and your family? In this episode, we speak to Rebecca Dettman, a spiritual expert who helps people to clear emotional blockages, find their life purpose, and live their best life. Find out how to tap into your intuition as a parent, guide your children in a clear and purposeful way, and develop stronger relationships in your family. It is easier than you think! Find out more information about Rebecca Dettman at www.rebeccadettman.com, and check out her Love-Life show here on The Wellness Couch If you’re interested in more parenting ideas and inspiration, sign up for Jodie’s enews ‘Live. Love. Learn.’ at www.parentwellbeing.com  

Have you ever created a goal and then watched the deadline come and go? Do you know why goals are important for kids? Do you know how to use goals in your parenting? Caroline Adams Miller has been described as the ‘best goal guru in the world!’. She’s also holds a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology, and is the author of ‘Creating your best life’. In our chat, we discuss how setting and striving towards a goal might be much more important than whether we reach our goal or not…Fascinating! For more information about Caroline Adams Miller visit www.carolinemiller.com If you’re interested in more parenting ideas and inspiration, sign up for Jodie’s enews ‘Live. Love. Learn.’ at www.parentwellbeing.com

Parenting is challenging at the best of times. But for Russ Harris, his experience as a parent challenged him to the core. It forced him to apply to his own life everything he teaches other people. As a champion of Act & Commitment Therapy, and best selling author of The Happiness Trap and The Reality Slap, Russ has learnt first-hand how psychological flexibility, mindfulness, and values in action can help parents get through the day-to-day dramas and the big issues.   Find out more about Russ Harris and his books and workshops at www.actmindfully.com.au   If you’re interested in more parenting ideas and inspiration, sign up for Jodie’s enews ‘Live. Love. Learn.’ at www.parentwellbeing.com

What is courage? And why is it important for ourselves as parents and our kids? In this episode, I chat to the Indiana Jones of Positive Psychology – Mr Robert Biswas-Diener. We discuss how courage can be taught, how courage helps resilience, and how obedience can get in the way of courage. This is a fascinating discussion – not to be missed!   Find out more about Robert Biswas-Diener’s book ‘The Courage Quotient’ at www.positiveacorn.com/shop/books If you’re interested in more parenting ideas and inspiration, sign up to Jodie’s news ‘Live. Love. Learn’ at www.parentwellbeing.com

Have you ever thought about what life skills are important for your child’s success in life? And how you can help your child to learn them? Well, Ellen Galinsky has! Ellen is a pioneer in the field of child development, education, and work-family fit. Her latest book, Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs, outlines seven important skills, and the simple things you can do to help your children embrace them. You’ll come away with lots of great ideas! Find out more about Ellen Galinsky and her work at www.mindinthemaking.org or www.familiesandwork.org If you’re interested in more parenting ideas and inspiration, sign up to Jodie’s weekly enews ‘Live. Love. Learn’ at www.parentwellbeing.com

Hyper-parenting…it involves over-scheduling our kids, buying them lots of stuff, and wanting them to be more genius than everyone else in the class. Too much pressure? Yes…both for our kids and ourselves. The alternative is slow parenting. It doesn’t involve doing everything at a snail’s pace. Instead, it’s about listening to our instincts, making our own choices, and celebrating family life. You’ll take away so many lovely ideas from my chat with guru of the slow movement, Carl Honore. To find out more about Carol Honore visit his website If you’re interested in more parenting ideas and inspiration, sign up for Jodie’s enews ‘Live. Love. Learn.’