Podcast

They don’t talk and then when they do talk they are rude. How does communication change in the teenage years?

In this Teen Clinic Podcast, youth advocate, teen expert and mother of three Lucy Dahill tackles hot topics such as respect, trust, and how to effectively get talking with your teen.

As Lucy always says, all behaviour is a form of communication. Teens are working with a brain that is rejigging to deal with upcoming independence and more complex relationships, and it's always better to work on a health and balance model than to try and fix situations that have already exploded.

It seems to dominate our lives. How do we support teens to be discerning social media users?

In the fourth episode of the Teen Clinic Podcast, youth advocate, teen expert and mother of three Lucy Dahill discusses parent's roles and responsibilities when it comes to their teen's social media usage.

Lucy reinforces the age old wisdom of 'walking the talk' in terms of setting a good example of social media use for teens. She also points out that where parents would use other methods, teens use social media as a way to fulfil their need for connection and also as a way to self-soothe.

Parents At Work CEO Emma Walsh interviews Catherine Brooks about her book "Let's Make It Work, Baby". Catherine is a senior employment lawyer and associate director at the innovative firm Law Squared. She is also about to go on her second parental leave.

Emma and Catherine explore some of the common questions parents ask when they are about to go on leave such as 'how much leave should I take off?' and 'what are the ins and outs of talking to my manager about returning on a flex basis?'. Catherine also provides great resource links around finding out your legal entitlements during the parental leave transition time.

The pair also address the personal reflections often experienced at work during pregnancy or on a return from leave including the expectations and judgements we have that put pressure on ourselves.

In Meditation for Parents and Carers, Katie Walls – complimentary health and wellbeing practitioner and educator and experienced meditation facilitator – will take us through the simple yet highly effective Gentle Breathe Meditation.

This 1-hour webinar will include:

- Starting with a Gentle Breathe Meditation

- What is meditation exactly?

- Dispelling meditation myths – anyone can do it

- Why meditation is so effective in developing self-care and improving vitality

- How to find time to meditate in your every day – however busy you are - Finishing with a Gentle Breathe Meditation

To really understand why your toddler behaves in a certain way you have to first understand what is happening in their brain! The first 3 years of a child’s life are the most critical in their development and your toddler’s brain is going through radical changes as they work to understand their place in the world!

During this podcast, Sharlene Vlahos, the Director of Education and Business Development at leading experts in parenting support, Karitane, discusses brain development and how it impacts your toddler’s behaviour- once you understand why it makes it so much easier to deal with your toddler!

In the past the ‘breadwinner’ role represented success for a lot of dads, but today things are different. Today’s dads have an opportunity to care for their families in far broader and more satisfying ways.

In this podcast, The Father Hood team talk to Rob Sturrock about the changing definitions of masculinity in the modern world and how a man's approach to fatherhood is at the forefront of this societal discussion. Rob talks about how there is no one way to 'provide' for your family, contrary to long-established beliefs, and that the active participation of a father in his children's lives is not a sign of weakness or lack of success in his career. In fact, he believes that a father's ability to balance work and family in his own way is one of the most masculine things a father can do and encourages all father’s out there to find the right balance for themselves and their family.

Rob's new book 'Man Raises Boy' takes a deep dive into the themes discussed in this podcast and explores a new era of fathering that balances strength and vulnerability. If you would like to find out more about his book then click here:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/man-raises-boy-rob-sturrock/book/9781760875213.html

Improving the Quality of Our Relationships (and how this affects our wellbeing)

Do you feel you are being yourself in all your relationships? Are there any relationships you would like to change or improve that may currently be quite negative or destructive? Does how you relate to others impact on your health and wellbeing?

When we are free to be our real selves we connect more deeply with others and we enjoy life more - we feel more fulfilled in our jobs and we are naturally enriching as parents. Life doesn't feel hard and problems don͛t feel like big issues to tackle. Why isn͛t this a reality for most of us, most of the time? It comes down to our relationships. We have a relationship with every aspect of our life. We say, this is what my relationship is with my partner, my kids, my clothes, my dog, nature, our house– every aspect in life. Therefore, doesn't it make sense to stop and reflect on the quality of our relationships if, indeed, everything is about relationships? Yet most of us are not approaching life this way. This month Katie and Sam look at how we measure our relationships, whether we are holding back in any areas or have different versions of ourselves with different people? What happens

if we are and what impact does this have on our overall health and wellbeing? Most importantly, how can we work with any issues that arise so that we not only have fulfilling relationships with others but also ourselves.

Anxiety, Stress and Overwhelm – What’s normal, what’s not?

Do you wake up thinking about your to-do list?

Does your mind and heart race?

Do others comment on how calm you are yet you still feel the pressures of modern day life?

How can you support yourself when you feel overwhelmed, stressed and tired?

Chances are you have experienced some level of anxiety or stress in your lifetime, and you are not alone. Over 2 million Australians a year suffer from anxiety, according to beyondblue... and that͛s only the people that have been diagnosed.

Given the increasing demands of work and family responsibilities it͛s not surprising that every parent has experienced some level of anxiety.

The question is – what is normal? And what is the flow on effect to our health? What are we role modelling to our children and colleagues?

Complementary Health Practitioner Katie Walls and Executive Work Life Wellbeing Coach Sam Eddy address anxiety and overwhelm by helping us expose its root cause and discussing the effects of allowing it to accumulate (despite thinking we͛re getting away with it!) They will also help us assess where we are at with our anxiety, what sets us off and some practical ideas about how we can support ourselves in our every day.

Burnout is now officially recognised as a medical condition by the World Health Organisation.

Given most of us spend more time at work than we do with friends and family, we’d like to hope the hours we spend at work are worthwhile, enjoyable and rewarding – at least most of the time. But what happens when we give too much to work, it’s no longer enjoyable, it’s demanding, overwhelming and there seems to be no end in sight? What do we do next? Do we quit, downsize, put up with it and suffer in silence? How do you deal with career fatigue before burnout sets in?

‘One day’ or ‘I wish’ are common phrases for a person who is unhappy in their job and continually hoping for more from their job or career. But what if getting somewhere or being successful isn’t necessarily about getting a new job? What if your relationship with work and all you bring to it is what’s actually at the core of feeling enriched and empowered in whatever role you are in?

Join Emma Walsh (Founder of Parents At Work) and Gill McLaren (Executive Career Coach) as they explore ways that can help you reignite your passion for your career as well as some top tips for sustaining it!

We’re back with Part 2 of the Shared Care Special, where we’re following Sarah and Peter on the journey of their parental leave. Sarah Maxwell, People & Performance Director at Solotel, and husband, Peter, are sharing the parental leave with their newborn baby girl.

The couple are alternating their blocks of leave, with Sarah having just returned to work after her first block of leave, handing over to Peter for his first block. In this Episode, Sarah shares why she found her transition back to work relatively smooth, and she is excited and looking forward to second next block of parental leave which is only a few weeks away now.

What makes this series so unique is that we're following Sarah & Peter over a number of months, and hearing first-hand about how they're finding the experience. It's fantastic to see parental leave equality in action from the parent point of view.