Parental As Anything

Miscarriage remains a taboo topic, with many women delaying the announcement of their pregnancy. So what impact does this so-called '12-week rule' have on parents and their kids if a pregnancy does end? Maggie Dent wants to get you comfortable with discussing miscarriage with your child. She talks to Amanda Bowles — CEO of pregnancy loss support organisation Bears of Hope — about how to do it in an open and honest way.

To hear Maggie's top tips on how to talk to kids about miscarriage, scroll to 20:05.

For miscarriage, stillbirth and newborn death support, contact bearsofhope.org.au or sands.org.au.

Maggie Dent is the queen of common-sense parenting — and her podcast is essential listening for all parents. She's now turned Parental As Anything into a book, a no-nonsense guide to raising happy, healthy kids — and it's as indispensable as the podcast.

Teenagers love their phones. All day. Every day. Even at night. And while there are lots of really great things about smartphones, there are so many pitfalls — strangers, bullying, porn, sexting. How do you guide your teenager's digital life? Find out when Maggie Dent talks with Dr Ginni Mansberg, GP and co-author of The New Teen Age, a book which looks at what teenagers are up against on their devices.

With bad news available 24/7, if it's hard for adults to stay optimistic, how are kids meant to do it? Is there ever a good time to watch the news with your children? And if you've got teenagers, how do you stop them getting down and stressed about the world? Maggie Dent talks to psychologist and stress reduction practitioner (yes, that's a thing!) Sean Panambalana about the dangers of 'doom scrolling' and how to help your child engage meaningfully in the news cycle.

To hear Maggie's top tips on how to talk to kids about news, scroll to 14:30.

Warning: this episode discusses suicide. Suicide is the leading cause of death in Australian young people — and there is no simple solution to this heartbreaking reality.

As a problem that thrives in silence, Maggie Dent wants to get you okay with discussing suicide and suicidal tendencies. She talks to Celina, a woman from her community whose son died by suicide, adolescent psychiatrist Mat Coleman, and Dr Claire Kelly from Mental Health First Aid Australia.

If you or your child needs help, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

For youth mental health support contact headspace.org.au or reachout.com.

If your child told you they felt more like a boy than a girl, or more like a girl than a boy, would you know what to say or how to support them? When the parents of today were kids, very little was widely understood about gender identity and gender dysphoria. In this episode you’ll learn about gender and what it’s like to be a trans kid. Maggie Dent speaks with teenager Olivia Stewart who began transitioning at age 13 and Dr Vic Rawlings, whose research focuses on LGBTQ young people.  

If you need support for you or your child head to these websites: https://transcendaus.org/, https://www.pgdc.org.au/.There’s a good general explainer pitched at young people here:  https://kidshelpline.com.au/young-adults/issues/gender-identity

Getting up in the dead of night to change wet sheets — only for them to be wet again — can be frustrating and worrying. But having a child who regularly wets the bed is way more common than you think. Paediatric specialist Dr Megan Yap talks to Maggie Dent about ways to work through this passing phase.

Sibling rivalry — situation normal, right? But how much is too much, and what can you change in your family dynamic to take the pressure down? Maggie Dent talks to psychologist and mum Michelle Chiang about when to call a truce on these daily battles and when to stay out of them.