In honour of NAIDOC week I am revisiting a selection of episodes that celebrate our First Nations peoples. In this episode I speak with Lisa Kennedy, a community artist who works with Elders and communities to pass on stories, culture and knowledge. She collaborated with Aunty Joy for the book Welcome to Country calling on her connection to the land and culture to express the story through her art. Lisa talks about the inspiration of country and how she channels the wisdom of Elders past.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The practice of 'blessing' a baby is best known in western cultures as a Christening. But Darug woman Jasmine Seymour has created a picture book for children all about a different kind of baby blessing. Her book is called Baby Business and it's all about a baby smoking ceremony. Jasmine talks about what the ceremony involves and how it connects children to country.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In honour of NAIDOC week I am revisiting a selection of episodes that celebrate our First Nations peoples. In this episode producer Cinnamon Nippard speaks with Thomas Mayor, author of the children's book Finding Our Hearts - about the history of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and why we need our children to understand it properly.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine if every primary school had a local First Nations teacher to talk about the history and cultural practices of the area. What would our future look like if children were given this kind of insight into the richness of Indigenous culture? Dr Scott Winch is the Senior Policy Advisor, First Nations at World Vision Australia and the co-chair of Know Your Country- an organisation that advocates for local First Nations teachers in every school. Scott talks about why local knowledge is so important and the difference it can make to children across Australia.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.