Educational successes and failures, high school dropouts, the pressure of HSC exams, and finding your passion in life... these are BIG and pressing issues for our graduating kids! Learn how to have conversations with your children about educational outcomes and choices, and what being successful in school (and in life) looks like to them.

Today we're talking with Ian Steel, who despite being a high school dropout, has gone on to run a string of successful businesses, and is the founder of the South Australian charity Kickstart for Kids.

 

Topics in this episode:

• Why school can be so hard
• ADHD, dyslexia
• How the school experience differs for girls vs boys
• Research report:  Understanding the non-completion of apprentices (ncver.edu.au)
• The importance of education
• School, trade/apprenticeship, or paid employment?
• Kickstart for Kids - supporting at-risk children
• Breaking the cycle of unemployment and poverty
• Relationship between hunger and classroom behaviours
• Do exams matter?
• The teenage brain - a Happy Families article
• How to Help when School Sucks - a Happy Families article

Listen to more  from our “Failed at School, Successful at Life” series:

• #876 Failed at School, Successful at Life: Cam Barber
• #877 Failed at School, Successful at Life: Susan Rogers
• #878 Failed at School, Successful at Life: Tom O’Brien
• #879 Why School Matters with Nigel Howard

Last day to register for the 'Supporting Autistic Children: Nurturing Neurodiversity' course hosted by Dr Justin Coulson & Dr Joey Lawrence

Find us on Facebook at Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families

Email us your questions and comments at [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's "I'll Do Better Tomorrow" Kylie shares the pros and cons of unschooling, and Justin cooks the best omelet EVER as he strives to make Every Second Count.

And a sneak-peak into next week's lineup of comforting conversations for any parent raising kids who are struggling with school or experiencing HSC pressure.

Topics in this episode:

• HSC stress
• School dropouts
• Outcomes of kids who do finish school, and those who don't
• Reflecting on how to be more intentional with parenting
• Homeschooling / unschooling in the Coulson household
• The challenge of finding rhythm in change
• Child-initiated conversations
• Sibling rivalry / connection
• 'The Bear' receives a rave review from Justin 
• Every second counts! 

Last chance to register for the BRAND-NEW 'Supporting Autistic Children: Nurturing Neurodiversity' course hosted by Dr Justin Coulson & Dr Joey Lawrence

Find us on Facebook at Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families

Email us your questions and comments at [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is being a mindful and present parent really that important? How does household chaos impact on family communication? Should corporal punishment be banned in Australia? In this week's 'From the Doctor's Desk' Justin and Kylie unpack these questions and more - sharing the science that will help make you a better parent.

Topics in this episode:

• Mindful parenting 
• Positive parenting and childhood stress
• The hippocampus, memory and learning
• The impact of household chaos on healthy family communication (particularly adolescent disclosure)
• Smacking/corporal punishment
• Mindfulness in schools
• Joan Grusec - 'Mindful Parents, Mindful Children'
• Jamie Hansen - Positive parenting can help protect against the effects of stress in childhood and adolescence
• Professor Daryl Higgins - Corporal punishment of children in Australia: The evidence-based case for legislative reform 
• Why It's Not Ok To Smack Your Kids - a Happy Families article
• Jackie Nelson - A Hidden Source of Disconnection Between Teens and Parents
• The MYRIAD project - Mindfulness in schools 

 

Register for the BRAND-NEW 'Supporting Autistic Children: Nurturing Neurodiversity' course hosted by Dr Justin Coulson & Dr Joey Lawrence

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Journalist, broadcaster and TV host Amanda Keller has just won the Commercial Radio Australia Award for Best On-air Team with her co-host Brendan Jones. To celebrate we are re-playing her Lightning Round interview with Justin - a series of short, sharp questions about parenting life. (Replay)

Topics in this episode:

• IVF
• Can you have a favourite child?
• Parental expectations
• Benefits of tag-team parenting
• Teaching children to drive
• The ultimate joy of parenthood
• Why Amanda would be happy to go into Witness Protection with her kids
• Amanda's biggest parenting win

 

Register for the BRAND-NEW 'Supporting Autistic Children: Nurturing Neurodiversity' course hosted by Dr Justin Coulson & Dr Joey Lawrence

Find us on Facebook at Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families

Email us your questions and comments at [email protected]

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The meltdown out of nowhere, an angry and aggressive child, the emotionally flooded teen - kids of all ages have BIG emotions, and experience emotional dysregulation!

Discover the tools and skills that will help you respond to your child with compassion and kindness - and build emotional awareness and regulation for you both.

Topics in this episode:

• No Matter What
• Emotion regulation 
• The magic of Nature
• Moving forward, finding solutions
• Responding with compassion and gentleness
• Emotion Coaching- a Happy Families article 
• Little People, Big Feelings - a Happy Families webinar 
• The Secret to Regulating Emotions - a Happy Families article

Register for the BRAND-NEW 'Supporting Autistic Children: Nurturing Neurodiversity' course hosted by Dr Justin Coulson & Dr Joey Lawrence

Find us on Facebook at Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families

Email us your questions and comments at [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parent behaviour at children's sporting events can directly impact the child's experience. Thankfully the majority of parents do seem to encourage having fun over putting the pressure on their child to be the best. Journalist Shona Hendley unpacks why sports parents get a bad rap - but are in fact the angels of society.

 

Topics in this episode - 

• Competitive parents coaching from the side
• Shona Hedley's article - Taking kids to sport all the time
• Dedication - time, money, energy
• Training, competitions, camps, social events, volunteering & more!
• Why do children drop out of sports early?
• "Doing your best" vs winning vs simply loving the experience
• Competence & connection
• Report cards: grades vs effort
• The current mental health crisis with young people
• Government policies and decisions re sport 

 

Register for tonight's webinar 'Enough: Helping our children overcome anxiety, perfectionism & self-loathing'

Register for the BRAND-NEW 'Supporting Autistic Children: Nurturing Neurodiversity' course hosted by Dr Justin Coulson & Dr Joey Lawrence

Find us on Facebook at Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families

Email us your questions and comments at [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Family life can be hard, particularly after a long day when everyone is tired! 

We share 3 things you can do to overcome the challenges of Witching Hour - helping you move forward when you really just want to run away. 

Topics in this episode - 

• Arsenic hour
• The challenges younger kids face in the late afternoon
• Emotional regulation
• HALTS - "Justin-isms" Digital Phone Wallpapers
• When the working parent gets home!
• The power of recognising 'hard' 
• Outsource help

 

Register for the BRAND-NEW 'Supporting Autistic Children: Nurturing Neurodiversity' course hosted by Dr Justin Coulson & Dr Joey Lawrence

Find us on Facebook at Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families

Email us your questions and comments at [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Time-crunch moments to get through the challenges of lunch, because the need for food is never ending!

Listen in for 5 time-tested ideas to help you deal with the challenges of knowing what food to pack so that your child will actually eat at school.

Topics in this episode:

• Tuck shop is awesome... but expensive
• Canteen pricelists from the 1980's
• Weekend baking
• Leftovers
• Taking the pressure off!
• Home menus
• Podcast episode #862 - Solving Lunch Box Headaches with Deb Blakley

 

Register for this month's webinar 'Enough: Helping our children overcome anxiety, perfectionism & self-loathing'

Register for the BRAND-NEW 'Supporting Autistic Children: Nurturing Neurodiversity' course hosted by Dr Justin Coulson & Dr Joey Lawrence

Find us on Facebook at Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families

Email us your questions and comments at [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"What's for dinner?" This has to be the most frustrating question that any parent deals with on a daily basis.

Listen in for 8 solutions to help you overcome the dreaded dinner dilemma!

Topics in this episode -

• Summer Fit by Sally Fitzgibbons – Book Review
• Themed nights
• Rotating roster
• The cognitive tax of cooking and planning
• Involving the kids
• Adam Liaw 
• Sharing the load

 

Register for this month's webinar 'Enough: Helping our children overcome anxiety, perfectionism & self-loathing'

Register for the BRAND-NEW 'Supporting Autistic Children: Nurturing Neurodiversity' course hosted by Dr Justin Coulson & Dr Joey Lawrence

Find us on Facebook at Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families

Email us your questions and comments at [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How can you do it all - AND still be a good parent?

5 ideas for 'Creating Margin' that will make all the difference when it comes to an over scheduled, over-busy life!

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Creating order from chaos
• Household tasks
• Connection
• Parental exhaustion
• Washing machine analogy
• Stephen Covey - 'Big Rocks' 
• Structure and routine
• Poet Annie Dillard - 'How We Spend Our Days' 
• Chores

 

You can purchase early bird tickets for the new course 'Supporting Autistic Children: Nurturing Neurodiversity' at the Happy Families website

Find us on Facebook at Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families

Become a Happy Families member today - Happy Families Membership

Email us your questions and comments at [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.