Kiddipedia Podcast

I think we’d all agree that life is all kinds of crazy busy and consistently unpredictable. There never ever seems to be enough hours in the day, or a sufficient amount of calm, peaceful moments that have us feel that life under control.

No matter what, time is a finite resource.

We are always left with only 24 hours to squeeze everything in. No wonder the weeks and months fly by so fast.

I don’t know about you but I’m a big fan of working smarter not harder and ‘buying time’ so to create less stress with the hope of creating more quality, memorable moments.

So what is it that can give freedom, flexibility, and peace of mind?

Babysitting is a great option, and no not palming off the kids to your parents. This is also about giving them a break. So, what are the benefits and advantages?

To help talk to us about that and answer any other questions on this topic we welcome our special guest, Tara McTeigue, Founder, Mumaco

 

We ask Tara questions including:

1. Have you found an increased interest in babysitting as it allows childcare in a home environment?
2. Are you finding more parents are opting for in-home care and babysitting rather than the rush of having to drop off and pick up external childcare?
3. Your article highlights the key things to consider when booking a sitter.  Why is it so important to be prepared?
4. What is the legal age to babysit in Australia?
5. Do the legal babysitting rules differ change state to state? If so, how? 
6. What do parents have to legally provide to a babysitter?
7. Is there a Babysit COVID-19 policy? If so, what do we need to know about it?
8. What are babysitter’s rights?
9. What are the main issues families encounter when looking for a babysitter?
10. What questions parents should ask their babysitter?
11. How do parents best prepare their children for a new babysitter they have never met before?
12. Typically, what activities should babysitters do with the children they’re looking after? Is that the responsibility of the parent to provide activities for them?
13. What rules should parents have in place when inviting a babysitter into their home for the first time?
14. What are common issues parents encounter with babysitters?

 

For Tara’s full article: https://kiddipedia.com.au/five-things-to-consider-when-booking-a-babysitter/

 

For further information: https://www.facebook.com/mumacoapp

https://www.instagram.com/mumacoapp

https://mumaco.co/

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Navigating behaviours and triggers of fussy eaters has long been an enigma for many parents.

Frustratingly many fussy eaters can eat well at childcare, however not at home.

Why is this the case?

What strategies and techniques can be learnt from childcare centres and applied at home to help incentivise your fussy eater at home?

Our special guest, Marie-France Laval, Dietitian-Nutritionist will tell us how.

Marie-France shares her expert advice to help us understand what there is to learn from childcare centres to help to remove barriers and take a step closer to raising healthy, happy eaters.

We ask Marie-France questions including:

1. Why do some children eat well at childcare and not a home?
2. How do childcare centres use routine and structure that suit fussy eaters? How can parents model this technique at home?
3. How do childcare centres provide more independence to fussy eaters? How can parents adapt this technique at home?
4. How does the childcare environment provide less attention and pressure to fussy eaters?
5. What about peer modelling from other children, is that useful?
6. How has eating at the canteen shown to help children with becoming more adventurous with food? What did Birch study show?
7. What should parents do if their children refuses to eat at childcare and also at home?

 

For Marie-France full article: https://kiddipedia.com.au/my-child-eats-well-at-childcare-but-wont-eat-at-home/

 

For further details: https://fussyeater.com.au/

 

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They say to never work with animals and children, so naturally, today’s interview is about… both.

For anyone who has had pets in their life will know how much love and joy they bring. There are very few things in the world as perfect as the two, so naturally, they belong together.

The benefits of children growing up with pets are wildly documented. To help discuss what some of those are, we welcome our special guest first nation’s people, indigenous entrepreneur, and father, Morgan Coleman.

Morgan is the CEO and founder of the startup app - Vets On Call: an app that brings the vet to you in your home making it stress-free for pets and their owners to receive quality veterinary care. Morgan was also 7News Young Achiever Award (2020) and the Ernst & Young Indigenous Entrepreneur Achiever Of The Year Award (2019).

 

We ask Morgan questions including:

1. How beneficial are animals in the emotional development of children?
2. What are the top 5 benefits for children who have a pet?
3. What life lessons can animals teach children?
4. How has having animals in your life help shape your development of empathy, sense of responsibility as a child, and work ethic now as an adult?
5. As a Torres Strait Islander, I understand you experienced challenges growing up Indigenous. What can you tell about the challenges you faced?
6. I’ve read you would like to be an example to other Indigenous kids (and your son in particular) that business and entrepreneurialism is absolutely something they can pursue, can you expand on this?
7. How do Vets On Call help time-poor parents?
8. Where can parents access Vets On Call?

 

For Morgan’s full article, please go to: https://kiddipedia.com.au/the-benefits-of-children-growing-up-with-pets/

 

For further info, visit: https://vetsoncall.pet/about-us.html

https://vetsoncall.pet/

@vetsoncall

@righteous_pr

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If the life experience of living through a pandemic has taught us anything, it’s to appreciate what’s important in life.

Slowing down to enjoy quality time outdoors in the elements was most definitely one of them. For many, it awakened the primal instincts ingrained within us as a reminder of our deep-rooted connection to mother earth and all living things.

Today we will re-awaken some of those reminders, in particular about how they relate to the wellbeing and education of our children.                                                                       

We'll be speaking about the benefits of the outdoors and what lessons it provides children, along with how and why we should continue to integrate daily outdoor activities into our lives to experience the natural world post-COVID and beyond.

To talk to us about this today we welcome our special guest, Sally Gillespie.

Sally is a writer and lecturer in the fields of eco-psychology and climate psychology. She gained her PhD at Western Sydney University, researching the psychological experience of engaging with climate issues. She then wrote her book Climate Crisis and Consciousness: Reimagining our world and ourselves (Routledge) to make what she learned accessible to the general public.

We ask Sally questions including:

1. How has the COVID experience changed families' relationships with the outdoors?
2. What does the outdoors teach our young ones?
3. Can time spent in the outdoors help boost children’s academic performances, if so how?
4. What can our children learn through outdoor activities and play?
5. How can parents increase children's outdoor learning?
6. Do you think it’s important that we continue having conversations like this as a reminder that these problems are not a quick fix, and need consistent attention and diligence?
7. Do you think with everything we’ve lived through in 2020, bushfires, drought, climate disruption, and the COVID-19 pandemic, that there has been a shift in consciousness about the need for action to protect the environment, or not? 

 

For Sally’s full article, please go to: https://kiddipedia.com.au/outdoor-education-the-school-for-life/

For further info on Sally:

https://twitter.com/SallyMGillespie

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-gillespie-b5752480/

https://www.facebook.com/sallygillespieauthor

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If you’re a parent looking for an easy way to support your child’s education and ability to do better in school, then you’re in the right place.

Today, we take a closer look at our diet and what foods can help boost a child’s brain function, growth, concentration and memory.

Did you know that the brain is the first of the body’s organs to absorb nutrients from the food we eat?

So, what are the crucial brain foods children need to boost brain function?

Susie Burell answers this and shares her expert advice on the best brain-boosting foods for children’s brain development and cognitive function.

Susie Burrell is one of Australia's leading dietitians, with 2 Honours degrees in Nutrition & Dietetics and Psychology.

We ask Susie questions including:

1. What are the best foods to positively impact children’s cognitive development?
2. What are some of the key nutrients children don’t get enough of?
3. What are some of the worst foods for a child’s brain development?
4. What are some of the behavioural traits of children with a poor diet vs a child with a healthy one?
5. What about fussy kids, can parents best manage picky eaters? What tips do you have for parents that have kids adverse to trying new flavours and food experiences?
6. Why is fish so important for kids?
7. For busy parents, how do you make healthy eating at home easier?
8. What about children without nut allergies,  should they be eating or avoiding them?
9. How often should kids have meat vs. chicken vs. fish?
10. What fruit is best for children’s brain development?
11. I understand that the more intense the colour in fruits and vegetables, the more nutrition in the food, is that right?

 

For Susie’s full article: https://kiddipedia.com.au/super-brain-foods-for-busy-kids/

 

For further info, visit: https://susieburrell.com.au/

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It’s not uncommon for many cultures around the world to practice postpartum rituals to help protect the mother, and her wellbeing, after she has given birth.

Cultures including Indian, Chinese, Moroccan, Vietnamese and African amongst many. 

Disappointingly, and by stark contrast, in the western world we tend to focus on the mother during her pregnancy, however not as much after she has given birth.

Whilst a mother is pregnant, she will have people dotting on her offering to open doors or carry things and or offer a seat so she doesn’t have to stand. We throw baby showers, and have prenatal checkups and classes whilst loved ones are eager to know daily updates on how she is feeling.

Post birth, a mum can be discharged from hospital within 24-48 hours for natural birth and up to 4 days for a c-section. If she is lucky her partner will have paternity leave, but soon enough she will be left to breastfeed / bottle feed and recover from the birth, before possibly having to shortly return back to work.

So, how can we adapt traditional postpartum practices to help support our modern mama’s? Lucky for us our special guest, Amy Pasfield, will share how we can create nourishing and supportive postpartum experiences.

Amy is a Holistic Nutritionist, Postpartum Doula, mama to two beautiful girls and the owner of Mother Unearthed – A holistic model of care for women to unearth the Mother within by providing nutritional, emotional and educational support in a time that we need it the most.

We ask Amy questions including:

1. Do you think we, in the western world, we should support mothers more during the postpartum period?
2. How can we gather our village support as a modern mother?
3. Why do you think practicing seclusion is important?
4. How can practicing 40 days of confinement help a mother heal after birth?
5. During this period of time mothers are quite vulnerable, do you think this is something we should recognised more?
6. How will retreating to the confinement of your safe space help a new mum?
7. What are realistic ways a modern mother can support her healing?

 

For Amy’s full article, please go to: https://kiddipedia.com.au/traditional-postpartum-practices-for-the-modern-mama/

For further info:

https://instagram.com/mother_unearthed

https://www.motherunearthed.com/

https://m.facebook.com/motherunearthed/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Being a parent, despite being an absolute honour, is most probably the hardest role anyone will ever undertake, not to say with the greatest amount of responsibility.

When you find out you’re going to be a parent for the first time, at some point your focus and attention completely shifts from who you were to who you need to be. During this, there’s a change processes where you let go of the old parts of you behind as you move forward to make room for the new and exciting change ahead.

But, at some point have you asked yourself the question, does parenthood change us completely? Or is it just “add” something to our existing life?

To become something greater than we already are, something’s have to change. Parenting is the perfect example of a reason to evolve and grow to better version of yourself.

Do we lose these old parts of ourselves, or do they lay dormant for us to awaken them again when the time is right?

To help answer this, and so much more, we welcome our special guest Anneliese Braendle: certified Health & Wellness Coach and kick-ass motivator, as well as the face behind Spark Courage. Other than her coaching qualifications she also holds a Bachelor and Master of Business – both with a major in Change Management which ties nicely together, as Courage and Change is what she works on with her clients.

We ask Anneliese questions including:

1. Do you think that having children changes a person’s personality? If so, how?
2.  When we experience pressure, do you think that it puts us under a microscope and we become more of who we already are?
3. How common have you found parents ask themselves the question “Is this my life now, am I really just going to be a mum / dad?
4. I understand that recent studies have confirmed that having your first child does change your personality, what can you tell us about the study?
5. How does someone lose themselves?
6. Where do you suggest we start on the journey of finding ourselves?
7. If you could only implement one of the tips you mention in your blog, which one would it be?

 

For Anneliese’s full article: https://kiddipedia.com.au/losing-yourself-finding-yourself/

 

For further info:

@sparkcourage Instagram

https://www.sparkcourage.com.au 

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparkcourage/

 

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If you’re a parent with a newborn baby, and are concerned if your baby is putting on enough weight, then you’re in the right place.

Did you know that it is common for a newborn baby to lose up to 10% of their birth weight?

Do you know how long it takes for your newborn to get back to their birth weight? And what you can do to help support this?

Well lucky for us our special guest, Belinda Joyce will tell us this, and many other expert tips related to your newborn’s health, weight and feeding.

Belinda is a midwife, maternal & child health nurse with over 20 years’ experience.

She is also a mother of four and author of 'Survive and Enjoy Your Baby'. Her passion is in providing safe, evidence-based advice & options to parents so they can find their own path to parenthood.

 

We ask Belinda questions including:

1. How normal is it for newborns to lose weight?
2. How long does it take a healthy baby who is feeding well to get back to birth weight?
3. How often should there be weight checks in the early weeks to help avoid unnecessary worry?
4. Scales can notoriously have discrepancies, which can cause unnecessary stress for parents. How can parents try to avoid this?
5. For Mums who are breastfeeding, what tips and advice can you share to help ensure babies are receiving enough nourishment?
6. What about mothers who are bottle feeding, what techniques can you share that are helpful?
7. How do parents know which formula is best for their baby?
8. What is the average weight gain for babies?
9. Should babies’ growth follow the growth charts?
10. Most parents want their baby to gain above the 50% percentile, what percentage is considered to be normal?
11. Other than weighing your baby, what are some other ways to know your baby is gaining weight?
12. Should there be any problems with the baby putting on weight, which health care professional should parents go to see?

 

For Belinda’s full article, please go to: https://kiddipedia.com.au/is-my-newborn-baby-putting-on-enough-weight/

 

For further details:

https://belindajoyce.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SurviveAndEnjoyYourBaby/

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It’s not every day that you get to speak to not one, but two dynamic women who are inspirational to many of us.

Both are former policewomen and mothers with two children. These super-talented twins sisters have demonstrated to all Aussie Mums how following your heart and true passion can and does pay off.

You may remember them from winning the block in 2013, and returned for The Block Fans vs Fav’s in 2014. Since then, they have continued their success as accomplished interior designers and now launched their personal care brand al.ive body and expanded with al.ive body baby, both during COVID.

Today we are thrilled to welcome Lysandra and Alisa Fraser

We ask Lysandra and Alisa questions including:

1. How do you look back retrospectively at your accomplishments to date?
2. What tips do you have for parents with a great idea, and who aspire to launch their own business?
3. How do you balance quality family time with your workload?
4. What do you do to keep your sanity? What are your best hacks for coping with mum's stress?
5. What kind of Mums are you?
6. Lysandra, as a divorced mum who shares custody with your ex, how do you navigate the ‘one week on, one week off’ living arrangements?
7. What’s been some of your hardest parenting moments?
8. What do you find are the biggest challenges with raising boys?  did you ever want to have girls?
9. What are your favourite ways to enjoy quality time with your kids?
10. Tell us about the journey of Al.ive Body Baby – how did it come about and why?

 

For Lysandra’s full article: https://kiddipedia.com.au/mum-guilt-and-how-tv-reno-queen-lysandra-fraser-rode-out-the-covid-storm/

 

For further details:

Insta - @al.ive_body

Insta - @al.ive_body_baby

Facebook - al.ive body

Facebook - al.ive body baby

www.alivebody.com.au

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Consent has most certainly been the hot of 2021 so far.

If you’re a parent who would like helpful tips on how to talk with your children about consent, you’re in the right place

Today we aim to help you help your children fully understand concepts like bodily autonomy and verbal consent, with tips on how you can comfortably open conversations on the topic.

We also address recent issues in the media as examples of what can happen when and if we don’t have age-appropriate conversations with children which can eventuate to larger problems in their teens and adulthood.

If we can start with addressing basic concepts, and open up conversations about consent at an early age, it will make it much easier to talk about the hard stuff with children as they grow. 

Whilst there is no silver bullet to solve the issues Australia is experiencing with domestic violence and abusive behaviours, we can make a conscious decision to educate children about consent and what respectful, healthy, happy relationships are.

Prevention is always better than a cure. 

Let’s raise respectful children to become respectful adults. 

THIS is where can start and help do our part to put issues like this to an end. 

To help discuss this we speak with Kari Sutton, an expert in fostering children's positive mental health. Kari has helped over 25,000 children, parents, and educators with evidence-based strategies to help manage their anxiety. Her expertise has made her an in-demand conference speaker, author, and consultant in fostering children's positive mental health.

 

We ask Kari questions including:

1. Are lessons about consent more than a conversation about physical/personal relationships and more about teaching children about the basic principles of respect? 
2.  Do you think if we start age-appropriate conversation early, it can stop issues developing into larger ones, and from potentially developing at all?
3. How early can we start talking to our children about consent?
4. What language do we use when we are talking to children about their bodies?
5. What are some basic examples parents with preschoolers can use?
6. How can this behaviour also help cultivate consent?
7. How can we talk to family, friends even our GP about the concepts we are teaching our children?
8. What are your thoughts on the recent issues in the media ie the online petition in NSW, to Australian Government's Respect Matters program ‘The Good Society’ short educational videos to sexual harassment allegations in parliament?
9. Do you think if consent isn’t addressed properly, it can make it difficult for children to address the subject seriously?
10. Do you think parents need to be respectful of children's level of intelligence and general awareness? or not?

 

For Kari’s full article, please go to: https://kiddipedia.com.au/consent-education-needs-to-start-early/

 

For further details: https://karisutton.com/

https://www.facebook.com/karisutton

https://www.instagram.com/karisuttoninsta/

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