In this episode of Parent Hope Podcast: Real Questions, Grounded Reflections, Jenny Brown and David Brown revisit some of the key themes raised in Jenny's conversation with Justin Coulson about raising boys. 

Rather than focusing on parenting techniques, they explore deeper questions: How do we raise boys without making them a project? How do parents avoid defining themselves through their children's successes and struggles? What has changed in childhood over the last fifty years, and what might boys be losing when freedom, responsibility and independence decline? 

Drawing on Bowen family systems theory, recent research on boys and childhood, and reflections on their own experiences, Jenny and David discuss how parents can stay connected without taking over, support growth without overprotecting, and help boys develop confidence, responsibility and purpose. 

A thoughtful conversation about boys, parenting, anxiety, and the challenge of raising capable young people in a changing world. 

Coulson, J. (2026). Raising Boys. ABC Books. 

Mintz, S., & Stearns, P. N. (2025). The American Child: The Transformation of Childhood Since World War II. Oxford Univ Press. 

Hines, M. (2011).
Gender development and the human brain. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 34, 69–88. 

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Jenny interviews Dr Justin Coulson, one of Australia's most respected relationships speakers, authors, and researchers. Passionate about understanding what helps relationships flourish, Justin has spoken to tens of thousands of people about relationships in leadership, education, and, most importantly, family life.

In this episode, Jenny and Justin discuss his new book:

Boys: A Guide to Raising Boys to Be Confident, Resilient and Caring
(ABC Books – released 16 June 2026)

Justin Coulson reveals what decades of research suggests: when boys get what they actually need, they thrive. Not through force or fixing, but through connection, meaningful challenge, and someone who refuses to give up on them. 

Culture and society have been changing at a rapid pace for several centuries. The speed of that change is accelerating. The evolution of masculinity is ongoing. 

In many ways, masculinity is always ‘under construction’. But this book is about what doesn’t change. It’s about the foundations of healthy human flourishing in boys. They are ideas that you can build a family on – and a boy’s life on. 

Book Link:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/Boys-Guide-Raising-Confident-Resilient-Caring

Guest: Dr Justin Coulson

https://happyfamilies.com.au/boys

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In this episode of the Parent Hope Podcast: Real Questions, Grounded Reflections: Jenny and David Brown unpack listener questions following their conversation with Elisabeth Shaw, Relationships Australia NSW CEO, on parenting after separation and divorce. 

Together they explore the emotional realities of co-parenting through hurt, anger and exhaustion, while keeping children’s wellbeing at the centre. The discussion reflects on maintaining relationships with both parents, avoiding placing emotional burdens on children, navigating uneven co-parenting dynamics, and finding steadiness through a longer-term perspective. 

Honest, compassionate and grounded in family systems thinking, this episode offers encouragement and practical wisdom for parents trying to lead with integrity during one of life’s most difficult transitions. 

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When a relationship ends, parenting continues—and how parents navigate that transition can shape a child’s long-term wellbeing. In this thoughtful and compassionate episode, Dr. Jenny Brown speaks with Elisabeth Shaw, CEO of Relationships Australia NSW and a leading clinical psychologist & family therapist, about guiding families through separation with clarity, steadiness, and care. 

Drawing on decades of experience, Elisabeth offers practical insights into what truly supports children during times of upheaval—emphasising the importance of managing our own emotional responses, maintaining boundaries, and avoiding placing children in the middle of adult conflict. Together, they explore how parents can use what remains in their control to foster stability, connection, and resilience, even as family structures change. 

This episode offers grounded guidance for parents, as well as clinicians and educators, focusing on emotional maturity, leadership in parenting, and protecting children’s wellbeing during one of the most challenging transitions in family life.

https://www.relationshipsnsw.org.au/ 

Family Dispute Mediation 

https://www.relationshipsnsw.org.au/support/services/family-dispute-resolution-mediation/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisabeth-shaw-636aa734/ 

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This follow-up episode explores the real-life questions parents are still asking after the Parent Hope interview with Dr. Lyn Worsley. Together, David and Jenny Brown unpack what parents are left grappling with about resilience in everyday parenting—especially when children are anxious or disengaging from school.  

Through practical reflections, they discuss how parents might respond to anxiety as a signal, know when to step in or step back, and support children through challenges like school disengagement. This conversation offers steady, hopeful guidance for parents learning to play the long game.  

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Anxious kids and teens often begin to withdraw—from friends, from challenges, and increasingly, from school. But behind that disengagement lies a deeper need: resilience. In this episode, our guest Dr Lyn Worsley of The Resilience Centre helps us unpack exactly what resilience is—beyond the clichés—and why it matters so profoundly for anxious young people ---and their parents.

Dr Worsley also shares how parents can actively cultivate resilience-building family environments where strengths are noticed, challenges are navigated step by step, and confidence grows over time. What traps can parents beware of —where their efforts to support can inadvertently hinder the growth of resilience?

This is a practical, compassionate conversation for any parent navigating the complex intersection of anxiety, resilience, and school disengagement.

Dr Lyn Worsley is a clinical psychologist, author, and director of The Resilience Centre in Sydney, Australia. She is internationally recognised for developing the Resilience Doughnut, a strengths-based model used in schools and clinical settings to help young people and families thrive. With decades of experience supporting anxious children, teens, and their parents, Dr Worsley brings a warm, evidence-informed approach to understanding and building resilience in everyday life.

Links

The Resilience Doughnut

https://www.theresiliencedoughnut.com.au/people/lyn-worsley/

The resilience Centre

https://www.theresiliencecentre.com.au/practitioner-profiles/

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In this first Real Questions, Grounded Reflections episode, Jenny and David Brown slow down the conversation following the Parent Hope interview with Dr. Marshal Ballantine Jones. Together, they explore questions many parents are carrying: Is my child okay after what they’ve seen online? How do I talk about sexualised content without shame or panic? Is it too late to reset boundaries? With honesty, steadiness, and hope, this conversation offers grounded principles—not quick fixes—reminding parents that calm leadership, balanced love, and non-reactive boundaries can turn even painful moments into opportunities for growth.

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When children are exposed to confronting sexualised online content, parents can be left reeling—worried about the impact, unsure what to do next, and tempted to jump into control mode. While Australia has now rolled out age restrictions for children and social media, much of the damage has already been done, leaving many families trying to work out how to respond. Yet children recover best when the adults around them restore their own steadiness first. When parents can respond calmly and with clarity, they create the secure space children need to make sense of what happened and re-establish healthy attitudes to sex and intimacy.

In this episode, we speak with Dr Marshall Ballantine-Jones, a leading specialist in online sexualisation education with more than 25 years of experience supporting children, youth, and families. As CEO of DigiHelp Publishing, Marshall designs school-based programs that address the realities of online behaviour with honesty, compassion, and practical strategies.

Together, we explore:

• Why children’s online exposure can unsettle parents just as much as children
• Getting real about the damaging impacts of porn exposure for children
• How parents can restore steadiness before guiding their child forward
• Practical ways to support children as they recover and rebuild healthy understandings of sex and intimacy
• What effective “repair” looks like at home—without shame, panic, or overcontrol
• How strengthening the parent-child connection remains the most protective factor

This conversation offers reassurance for parents who feel overwhelmed, replacing fear-driven reactions with grounded confidence. Instead of trying to control every risk, parents can learn to steady themselves—so their children can recover well and continue developing with hope and resilience.

Links

https://digihelp.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marshall-ballantine-jones-2096a933a/

6 Principles for Parenting in a Porn Culture:  https://resistministries.org/parents/

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In setting the tone for this repost, Jenny Brwon highlights why she thinks this conversation endures: Phil Klever’s long-term research shows that the most resilient families aren’t defined by perfect parenting but by steady, self-directed goals that anchor parents over the years. She underscores how small, thoughtful steps — rather than quick fixes — help parents stay less reactive, more connected, and more grounded in their role.

Phillip Klever has conducted a remarkable 20-year study of 50 couples and their multigenerational families and has written 7 peer-reviewed journal articles about the study. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-klever-8b360927/

Research

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Phillip-Klever

Key article

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2009.00120.x

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In opening this repost, Jenny Brown highlights this episode as a standout for its clarity and compassion. Briony Scott’s reminder to see teens as emerging adults rather than fragile problems resonates deeply with parents feeling pressure to diagnose every wobble. Jenny lifts up the episode’s central idea: that parents can reduce anxiety — their own and their teen’s — by trusting development, staying thoughtful, and avoiding the contagious panic that often clouds adolescence today.

 Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brionys/?originalSubdomain=au

SMH article

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/briony-scott-the-surprising-sex-talk-sydney-s-most-respected-principal-gives-her-students-20241114-p5kqpd.html

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