Life Education

Consent is an important concept for everyone to understand. It applies to situations that occur every day, to everyone. Consent education is now mandatory in Australian schools, but consent is not just about sex. It’s an agreement regarding your rights or your body. In this podcast, host Tracey Challenor speaks to expert educators and a parent for advice on how to approach the consent conversation with younger children. Dr Melissa Kang, academic, physician and co-author of Welcome to Consent, says it begins with helping children to understand private and personal space as well as teaching kids to identify the boundaries of others. Respectful relationships are part of the conversation. Life Ed Puberty and relationships educator Lane Norman also shares how she navigates what can be a tricky conversation: “I say to children, it’s your body. No one gets to tell you what to do with it, so listen to your body, listen to your gut response, and keep yourself safe.” 

Anxiety is a mental health condition, meaning it can affect the way you think, feel and behave. Surveys suggest that anxiety may be on the rise. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, around one in eight Australians (13.1%) had an anxiety related condition in 2017-18, an increase from 11.2% in 2014-15. Mental health services report this number has risen further since COVID. 

Respected author and parenting expert Michael Grose knows firsthand how debilitating anxiety can be. Using his own experience and latest research from around the world, he co-wrote Anxious Kids with Dr Jodi Richardson. In this podcast he explains the simple things parents can do to help children move from excessive worry to a place of calm. From replacing screen time with more green time, to helping kids find fun and flow in mindful immersive activities, and improving diet, Michael reveals how little steps can establish lifelong habits that help move anxiety from centre stage to background noise.  

For many parents and their children, the school journey is a long and winding road.  Along with the good times, there are also challenges – the daily demands of the school routine; separation anxiety; homework headaches; motivation issues and even bullying.  

Popular clinical psychologist Dr Judith Locke - the author of The Bonsai Student - chats with journalist Tracey Challenor about the simple ways to help your child succeed in today’s school environment. She says the school report card is not the only measure of success: helping kids become responsible, resilient and ready for the years that follow school, is just as important. Using humour and practical strategies that have helped thousands of families, Dr Locke’s advice is the helpful ‘handbook to parenting’ you always wanted. 

Would you like to get a better handle on stress and be boss of your own brain? Why do we reach for the sugary foods when life is throwing us curveballs, even though we know it would be better to grab an apple? According to leading neuroscientist Professor Selena Bartlett, it’s all to do with how our pleasure-seeking brain responds to stress. But she believes we can beat binge eating and other addictions, and improve our mental health, by gaining a better understanding of how the brain works.  

In this fascinating podcast, find out how modern neuroscience, combined with some simple daily mindset habits, can improve your mental health and overall fitness.  

Many parents worry about internet safety and online grooming. According to cybersafety expert, educator and former detective Brett Lee, the chances of a predator trying to groom your child via the internet are all too real. But with knowledge and a little planning, families can arm themselves with the tools they need to keep kids safe online.  

Brett says we don’t need to know everything about technology, but we do need to be aware which devices connect to the internet and what programs, apps, and websites our kids are using. This knowledge, along with regular conversations, should make the internet a safe and useful place for children, not a scary one.

 [This disclaimer informs listeners and readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast belong solely to the interviewee, and not necessarily to Life Education.]