Teenage sex. Anxiety. Underage drinking. Porn. Phone addiction.  

Nothing truly prepares you for becoming a parent, but some of the best advice comes from other mums or dads – even famous ones like Hamish Blake.

In this special episode, Maggie Dent hands the reins over to the Parental As Anything community for you to share your best parenting hacks. Even comedian Hamish Blake shares his top tip for keeping kids entertained.

The advice provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. If you require further advice specific to your needs, please consult a professional.

Starting high school is a massive change for both you and your tween. How do you get them ready and help them through the ups and downs of Year 7?

Youth coach Claire Eaton and Maggie Dent share their practical tips for the weeks before they start, routines to keep them on track and handling the rough patches.

The advice provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. If you require further advice specific to your needs, please consult a professional.

Like it or not, children will learn to swear from school, videos, even their parents. So what can you do to stop your child being a pottymouth? 

In this Help Me, Maggie episode Maggie Dent explains why children might swear, how to discourage them from using offensive words and what to say if you slip up and swear in front of them. 

The advice provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. If you require further advice specific to your needs, please consult a professional. 

• Host: Maggie Dent 
• Producer: Josie Sargent 
• Consulting Producer: Carmen Myler 
• Executive Producer: Kim Lester 
• Sound design: Isabella Tropiano 

Sleep deprivation is a silent epidemic among our teenagers, according to paediatric and adolescent sleep specialist, Dr Chris Seton.

With screen time, social media and gaming competing for our teenager's attention, sleep disruption is at an all-time high.

Dr Seton tells Maggie Dent about the devastating effects sleep deprivation has on our teenagers. From social, emotional and mental health problems to declining academic performance, it is a wake-up call for parents to make sleep a priority.

The advice provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. If you require further advice specific to your needs, please consult a professional.

Credits

Presenter: Maggie Dent

Producer: Maria Tickle

Executive producer: Monique Bowley

Consulting producer: Carmen Myler

Sound engineer: Nathan Turnbull

Field recordings: Rebecca McLaren

If your child is struggling to read or write, they may be among the 10 per cent of people who have dyslexia. What is it? How can it impact a child’s education, self-esteem and mental health? 

Maggie Dent speaks to Sarah Asome, a school principal and mum of dyslexic children, from advocacy group CodeREAD, and psychologist Dr Craig Wright from Understanding Minds. Together they discuss the signs of dyslexia, seeking a diagnosis and what parents can do to support their child at school and at home. 

The advice provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. If you require further advice specific to your needs, please consult a professional. 

• Host: Maggie Dent 
• Producer: Josie Sargent 
• Consulting Producer: Carmen Myler 
• Executive Producer: Kim Lester 
• Sound design: Isabella Tropiano 
• Field recordings: Rebecca McLaren 

Life with children means more stress, less sleep and less time for you. And when all of your energy goes to raising kids, what’s left for your spouse?  

In this Help Me, Maggie episode Maggie Dent gives tips on what adults can do to stay connected in the chaos, why effective communication is key and what to do when the bad moods of teenagers wear off on the whole household. 

The advice provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. If you require further advice specific to your needs, please consult a professional. 

• Host: Maggie Dent 
• Producer: Josie Sargent 
• Consulting Producer: Carmen Myler 
• Executive Producer: Kim Lester 
• Sound design: Isabella Tropiano 

Shouting? Time outs? Shaming? You don’t have to do any of this to effectively discipline your child. So how do you teach your kids right from wrong? 

We’re revisiting one of our most popular episodes. Vanessa Lapointe, the author of Discipline Without Damage, joins Maggie Dent to share the best way to discipline your child without punishing them, how to teach them to make good choices, and why discipline is a long game. 

The advice provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. If you require further advice specific to your needs please consult a professional.     

• Host: Maggie Dent 
• Producer: Kim Lester 
• Consulting Producer: Carmen Myler 
• Executive Producer: Justine Kelly 
• Sound design: Isabella Tropiano / Ann-Marie Debettencor
• Field recordings: Anne-Marie Middlemast 

What if your kid feels ready to walk to school alone before you feel ready to let them? Will they be safe, and how will it make them more independent? 

Maggie Dent has tips for parents who want to know when a child is ready, how to take the first steps to independence and how to head off potential danger. 

The advice provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. If you require further advice specific to your needs, please consult a professional. 

• Host: Maggie Dent 
• Producer: Josie Sargent 
• Consulting Producer: Carmen Myler 
• Executive Producer: Kim Lester 
• Sound design: Isabella Tropiano