Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families

Beck Delahoy explores the paradox of modern parenting: while raising children has never been easier thanks to advancements in health, education, and living standards, parenting itself has become increasingly challenging. However, with these advancements, a "slow life strategy" has emerged, leading to intensive parenting practices doing more harm than good. It’s time to ease up on the intensive parenting and embrace a simpler, more fulfilling approach to raising children. In this episode: Beck Delahoy's 'Lessons Learned' Parenting Substack Life expectancy's pre 1900s Why raising children into adulthood has never been easier The 'slow life strategey' Intensive parenting Parenting is harder Time to lower the parenting bar . Related links:  What Your Child Needs From You [Webinar] . Find us on Facebook or TikTok Subscribe to the Happy Families newsletter Leave a voice memo here or email your questions/comments to podcasts@happyfamilies.com.au Find out more about joining THE QUEST at our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conflict is a normal, natural part of every healthy relationship, but sometimes our children can become fearful and anxious when parents argue. You can have more productive arguments and model healthy conflict resolution by focusing on the quality of the interaction—the regulation—rather than the resolution itself.  Brittany asks, "How do you teach empathy without creating a people-pleaser?" We want our children to be helpful, kind, and considerate of others, but not at the expense of their own wellbeing or with unhealthy levels of self-sacrifice. There are three things you can teach your child to prevent them from becoming people-pleasers. In this episode: When children become concerned and try to keep the peace between parents Be attentive to your child's worries Is it ever ok to argue in front of the kids? Examples of unhealthy conflict Respectful, productive conflict How to focus on regulation over resolution (4 things to model) John Gottman, Esther Perez People-pleasing VS empathy, consideration of others Where does your child get their value or sense of identity from? . Related links:  #523 Should We Argue In Front Of The Kids? . Find us on Facebook or TikTok Subscribe to the Happy Families newsletter Leave a voice memo here or email your questions/comments to podcasts@happyfamilies.com.au Find out more about joining THE QUEST at our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we make feelings “King”, our children can become stuck in their emotion, unable to regulate or move forward. Justin shares the right way to respond to feelings, helping them understand, process, and then move through their emotional state.  In this episode: Revolutionary change in how parents respond to emotions Impact of TikTok parenting influencers Validating emotions Feeling seen, heard, valued Ways to regulate and tame emotions Parent or therapist? #822 The Emotional Lives of Teenagers - Part 1 #827 The Emotional Lives of Teenagers - Part 2 #976 Abigail Shrier's Bad Therapy How to help your child process their emotion and move on from it . Related links:  The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents, by Lisa Damour The Secret to Regulating Emotions Emotion Coaching [Webinar] Little People, Big Feelings [The Summit] . Find us on Facebook or TikTok Subscribe to the Happy Families newsletter Leave a voice memo here or email your questions/comments to podcasts@happyfamilies.com.au Find out more about joining THE QUEST at our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kylie is away on a kid-free adventure with a friend...and loving it! Has Justin been surviving without her? Listen in to hear the challenges, the fun, and the lessons they are both experiencing during this extended time apart. In this episode: A girls week away Friendships Pressures of family life Importance of stability and routine . Related links: Overwhelm [webinar] 18 Ways to Increase Your Happiness . Find us on Facebook or TikTok Subscribe to the Happy Families newsletter Leave a voice memo here or email your questions/comments to podcasts@happyfamilies.com.au Find out more about joining THE QUEST at our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Week In Parenting: why Australian parents are more open to smacking children than other countries, and how we can reduce peer pressure for kids and for parents by joining forces and creating community. In this episode: Smacking and corporal punishment Australian parents most open to smacking kids in international study | 9News The Parenting Revolution Can Australia make age verification work for social media? | The Guardian Momentum is building! 36 Months - sign the petition Let kids be kids - have a play-based childhood Peer pressure for kids and for parents too Unplug Childhood - join the village & take the pledge . Related links: #454 Online Safety with Julie Inman Grant from the e-Safety Commission Why It's Not Ok To Smack Your Kids - a great list of resources for what to do instead . Find us on Facebook or TikTok Subscribe to the Happy Families newsletter Leave a voice memo here or email your questions/comments to podcasts@happyfamilies.com.au Find out more about joining THE QUEST at our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Journalist and author Susie O'Brien chats with Justin about the current situation in schools regarding student behaviour and classroom management, with a recent senate inquiry suggesting that it's time to go back to basics and teach children how to behave at school. In this episode: A Senate Inquiry is Calling For a New 'Behaviour Curriculum' to Tackle Classroom Disruptions | Monash University Getting back to basics with classroom behaviour Explicit Teaching Push in New Behaviour Curriculum | Education Review What do teachers want? Lack of support from principals and parents Regressive or progressive?  Related links: The Calm Classroom [Webinar] One-Minute Wellbeing: 50 Quick Tips for Educators [Free Download] Boys, Girls, Brains, & Behaviour in the Classroom Find us on Facebook or TikTok Subscribe to the Happy Families newsletter Leave a voice memo here or email your questions/comments to podcasts@happyfamilies.com.au Find out more about joining THE QUEST at our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three-year-olds are exhausting! Energetic, emotionally reactive, and uninhibited—all the things that can make a parent begin to question if their child has ADHD! Today, Dr Justin looks at the developmentally normal behaviours of a three-year-old and shares four things they need in order to learn, grow, and thrive. Plus, three tips for neurodivergent parents trying to hold it all together while navigating the chaos of family life and struggling with their own ADHD. In this episode: ADHD, ODD, or just three? Developmental Milestones - Preschoolers Little People, Big Feelings (Webinar) What Your Child Needs From You Why saying "use your words" isn't helpful Theory of mind Diagnosing ADHD What 3-year-olds need Neurodivergent parents Challenges of ADHD as an adult Help For the ADHD Parent - from the Happy Families team . Related links: Parenting an ADHD Child Women in Australia with ADHD - FB support group ADHD Mums - Australian resource and podcast . Find us on Facebook or TikTok Subscribe to the Happy Families newsletter Leave a voice memo here or email your questions/comments to podcasts@happyfamilies.com.au Find out more about joining THE QUEST at our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you overthinking family meals? Do you want a little more peace and a lot less chaos at the dinner table? How can a family dinner fit in amongst work commitments and extra-curricular activities? We take a look at the research behind what was once considered the norm - family dinners, and share some tips to ease the pressure. In this episode:  San Remo market research Chaos of mealtimes YOYO (You're On Your Own) night Screens and mealtimes Extra-curricular activities for kids AND parents are impacting family meals 5 tips to ease the pressure Are we overthinking family meals? 5 realistic tips to ease the pressure | The Conversation  Rituals of connection Related links: Eat Right Without a Fight - E-Book How do I Get My Child to Eat Healthy Food Without the Power Struggles? How to Banish Tech and Make Mealtimes Matter Menu Planner [Free Download] . Find us on Facebook or TikTok Subscribe to the Happy Families newsletter Leave a voice memo here or email your questions/comments to podcasts@happyfamilies.com.au Find out more about joining THE QUEST at our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We know that giving children access to social media and devices is not in their best interests. Our children deserve—and need—a play-based childhood. Join the village today and “Unplug Childhood” with us!​  In this episode: "It was the damn phones" by Kori Jane | Instagram The “Unplug Childhood” movement The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, by Jonathan Haidt Make some noise and get on board! Why this matters No social media before age 13 Give kids a play-based childhood Make the pledge today Related links: Our Phones Are Wrecking Us Kids Need Smart Parents Not Smart Phones . Find us on Facebook or TikTok Subscribe to the Happy Families newsletter Leave a voice memo here or email your questions/comments to podcasts@happyfamilies.com.au Find out more about joining THE QUEST at our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In between homeschooling, 7 seasons of House, and a lot of travel, Justin and Kylie still managed to do some reading this month. Listen in to hear reviews of a classic children's book, a terrifying, heartbreaking YA novel, a disappointing flop filled with falsehoods, a warts and all memoir, and a contender for book of the year! Kylie's books: This Is Where it Ends, by Marieke Nijkamp 4.5/5 Charlotte’s Web, by E.B White 5/5 Justin's books: Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up, by Abigail Shrier 3/5 Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class, by Rob Henderson 5/5 Time to Think: The Inside Story of the Collapse of the Tavistock's Gender Service for Children, by Hannah Barnes 75/5 . Find us on Facebook or TikTok Subscribe to the Happy Families newsletter Leave a voice memo here or email your questions/comments to podcasts@happyfamilies.com.au Find out more about joining THE QUEST at our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.