Feed Play Love

How should we talk to our kids about Australia's history? How much do we share about the dark and tragic events that came with colonialism for the First Nations of Australia? Anita Heiss is a member of the Wiradjuri Nation of Central NSW and a prolific author. Her latest book is Am I Black Enough For You- re-released after 10 years. Anita explains how parents can explain our history to kids, including the parts we should celebrate.

In this interview Anita talks about Magabala books. Individual books that are reference include:

Alfred's War
Charlie's Swim
Down the Hole
Bush Games and Knuckle Bones
A Letter for Simon

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the lockdowns of the past few years children used technology even more to stay connected with their friends. Now that they are back at school, you may have noticed that they're texting each other more than ever before. Texting can be a very nuanced medium, and not one that tweens really understand. Dana Kerford is the founder of URSTRONG, an organisation that helps educate children about healthy friendships. Dana shares her insight to how kids communicate through text and how we as parents can help to guide them.   

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's your most awkward parenting moment? Perhaps you were out to dinner when your toddler decided it was a good time to play with themselves. Adults can find it uncomfortable when our children start to explore their bodies, but Vanessa Hamilton says it's all developmentally appropriate. Vanessa is the Founder of Talking the Talk Healthy Sexuality Education. Vanessa explains why kids play with themselves and how parents can handle their own emotional response.

In this episode Vanessa talks about the five body safety tips that can be found on Jayneen Sanders website Educate2Empower.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you're thinking about where you'll give birth, chances are you're not thinking of fluorescent lights, beeping noises and lots of metal surfaces. Janet Purcell is a registered nurse and positive birth advocate. Janet believes that whether you're having a vaginal birth in a birthing suiteor a planned or emergency caesarean, there are ways you can make the experience a more positive one. Janet runs through the ways you can make a hospital feel more like home, ever when your birth hasn't gone to plan.

For more information about Janet check out her website Birthplace.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Melanie Corlett had a toddler and a baby on the way when she decided that something needed to be done about the kind of support being offered to new mums. So in the thick of the 2020 lockdown she started to develop the app Mumli a place where new mums can collate the information most relevant to them. Melanie talks about raising a business and a baby at the same time and why she thinks this app will make things easier for mums.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even as we head towards greater choice when it comes to having children, there is one group of people who are still fighting against prejudice when it comes to having children. Eliza Hull is a contemporary musician, disability advocate and the editor of We've Got This, Stories by Disabled Parents. Eliza says that despite the judgments parents with a disability often get from those around them, they're actually really well equipped to raise children. She debunks some myths about parents with disability and explains how we can all be better allies.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a lot of advice out there on how to deal with bullies. But when you're confronted with the experience in real life it can feel incredibly nuanced and even awkward. Dr Vanessa Lapointe is a psychologist and author who leads from the heart. In this interview she gives us some excellent advice on how to identify if you child is being bullied, how to respond appropriately, and what to do if your child is the bully.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our priorities around work can shift a lot after having a baby. Which is not to say that our jobs are no longer important, just that they may no longer have top billing. And even if they do remain high on the priority list, the question of how to manage work with sleep deprivation can be a tricky one to solve. Chelsea Pottenger is the founder and director of EQ Minds, a company that helps businesses address mental wellbeing for their workforces. Chelsea talks about how we can cope with sleep deprivation, and also bring mindfulness to the work we do after we have kids.

The meditations for kids referred to in this episode include:

Calm
Bedtime Explorers

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine not knowing you're pregnant until you go into labour. For many women that seems impossible, but it's a rare phenomenon that does happen.  These types of pregnancies are referred to as hidden, concealed or cryptic pregnancies. Hannah Dahlen is a Professor of Midwifery at Western Sydney University. She attended a labour of a hidden pregnancy, and talks about how women can go through nine months without knowing they are pregnant.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.