Parenting Unpacked

In this episode of Parenting Unpacked we chat with Jess Guy @infantsleepscientist about, well, infant sleep! We talk with Jess about the differences between sleep trainers and 'not' sleep trainers and the red flags on social media that may help you spot sleep trainers in disguise.  In this episode, we also discuss the trouble with not being able to rate businesses on Instagram and how kids le...

Welcome back to Parenting Unpacked! In this week's episode, we take a trip back in time. We discuss the historical context behind some of the weird and (not so) wonderful parenting practices still common today. We start by chatting about how parenting changed (in Western culture) during the Industrial Revolution; when we started to lose the 'village' and the community support that went with it. We...

In this episode, we ask Dr. Jess Paynter the hard questions about Autism. Jess is an expert in Autism as both a clinician and a researcher in the area from Griffith University. We discuss with her the prevalence of Autism, parenting children with autism versus neurotypicals, her research around reading and Autism, and touch on the controversy around ABA (Applied Behavioural Analysis) Therapy. Befo...

Disclaimer: Siobhan's audio cuts in and out a bit for around the 8-minute mark - but what she has to say (if you can make it out!) is so good we've decided to leave it in. But feel free to jump ahead to about 9 minutes if it annoys you! In today's episode, we're talking sleep and 'regressions'. We discuss the research on infant sleep supports (extinction vs gentle sleep approaches) and how it can...

In this episode, we talk about time out and time in - what they are, whether they work, and when they might be useful.

Welcome back to parenting unpacked! In this episode we chat about our unplanned Season 1 Wrap  and what has been happening since then in our lives as parents. From our kids asking for a younger sibling (yikes!), to toilet training, weaning and much, much more, we give an overview of some of the topics we’ll be diving into later in the series.

Helloooo parenting unpacked crew and welcome back. This week we talk about a bunch of the science behind spanking. Specifically whether there is any scientific support for spanking. To cut to the chase... yes, there is. But it's not that simple. And there is a very big reason why it is now illegal in over 50 countries. Listen along and hear all about the science. 

TW: Termination of Pregnancy, Childhood Sexual Assault and General Crime Hello and welcome back to parenting unpacked! Today we cover our new research currently in preparation, whether science be all end all of parenting (hint: it’s not) and another round of good old TikTok drama raising some seriously concerning questions about gentle parenting, minor attracted people and the issue of consent. Ha...

Welcome back crew! This week we chat about yelling at our kids. Is all yelling equally bad? Is some yelling worse than other yelling. Stay tuned to find out! 

Helloooo and welcome back to parenting unpacked. This week we chat all about skin to skin contact, why its the best thing ever to hold your baby and it won't ruin them. We've also got a new segment called recommendations because parents deserve to consume recreational media that has nothing to do with their kids sometimes and that's what we're bringing you. 

Welcome back! We accidentally had easter off because Kristyn got lost to the joy of taking a break and forgot to put an episode up (sorry!) so we're back with a vengeance for a super cool episode (in our opinion). We chat how to raise gender positive kids with a cameo from Molly Speechly, a PhD student at Griffith University currently research the development of gender diverse identity. We also ta...

Welcome back to parenting unpacked! This week we tackle the worst parenting debates of all time, sensationalised by none other than social media (cue massive eye roll). We set the record straight with no small amount of sass and a decent amount of swearing, so little ears should be warned. Have you heard any of these awful myths touted as facts designed to make other parents feel inferior? 

Welcome back to parenting unpacked! This week we're talking about a topic that is a little bit different. We're talking about religion, child development and parenting. We'll bring some research in, talk about different religions, how religion emerges in geographically isolated places and why it is pervasive across many generations. This is a topic that we talk about from a unbiased perspective. I...

Welcome back to parenting unpacked! This week we do Kristyn's favourite thing which is talk about contentious topics with no filter while marvelling at Siobhan's well balanced and level headed answers. Kristyn's... not so much, but she's learning so we'll take it. We hit all those chaotic, guilt inducing, social media viral, judgemental parent topics that you've probably always been curious about...

Well, as per usual, Kristyn speaks before she thinks through things too thoroughly (to be fair... I get excited about things I'm passionate about and don't always evaluate every single implication of such things). Recently Kristyn made all her content free and kept banging on about how she doesn't believe parenting should be paywalled, completely ignoring the fact that her co-host, Siobhan Kennedy...

Welcome back to parenting unpacked! We're tackling a topic that is the source of infinite mum guilt, screen time. We're talking all things cocomelon and whether it's addictive, what harm befalls your child by letting them watch TV and whether children can actually learn anything from what they watch.  We hope you enjoy this weeks episode! 

Welcome back to parenting unpacked! This week we're digging into one of the fundamental theories around raising children. Attachment! Attachment theory, attachment parenting, circle of security, secure attachment, insecure attachment. We hit that many buzz words in this episodes because this is one of our longest episodes to date and we still didn't cover everything we could have. Listen in as we...

Welcome back to Parenting Unpacked! This week we interviewed Candace St John. Candace St. John is a mom of one and a public health practitioner who studies the effects of equity, social determinants of health, & adverse childhood experiences and trauma on lifetime health. Upon having a baby in June 2020, she was taken aback by the unsubstantiated evidence behind most mainstream parenting ideal...

This week's episode is designed to help you breathe easier and know that you are an exceptional parent despite the little things that go wrong and the big things that overwhelm you. This week we touch on the idea of the good enough parent and how this permeates everyone's lives (yes, even the insta-perfect mums).  We also tackle tantrums for the very first (but not last!) time and we talk abo...

Welcome back to another episode of parenting unpacked where Dr. Siobhan Kennedy-Costantini and Dr. Kristyn Sommer (PhDs in child development) chat all things parenthood and child development. This weeks episode follows episode 3 and 4 which touched on both Kristyn and Siobhan's Postnatal Anxiety and Depression journeys and ties up the 3 episode series with information on how we recovered, and not...

Welcome back to parenting unpacked. This week's episode comes with a trigger warning. Siobhan goes in depth into her experience with perinatal anxiety and depression during the first year of her son's life. Siobhan details her experience having a baby with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) whom struggled considerably with sleep for the first 10 months of his life. Siobhan touches on some very...

Welcome back to parenting unpacked where you're guaranteed to find evidence, empathy and common sense. This week's episode is heavy on the empathy side but also comes with a trigger warning. Kristyn goes in depth into her experience with perinatal anxiety and depression, both during pregnancy and in the first year after birth. This episode has a lot of hard moments, but also a shining light at the...

Welcome to Parenting Unpacked. A podcast for parents seeking evidence, empathy and common sense. Hosted by Child Development PhDs Dr. Siobhan Kennedy-Costantini and Dr. Kristyn Sommer . As experts in children’s cognitive, social and emotional development, we understand how children learn and grow. We're here to help you unpack the science of parenting and to find the beauty in the grey. In this ep...

Welcome to Parenting Unpacked. A podcast for parents seeking evidence, empathy and kindness. Hosted by Child Development PhDs Dr. Siobhan Kennedy-Costantini and Dr. Kristyn Sommer .  As mums we know how hard parenting is. We also know how much conflicting information exists out there in the parenting space. As experts in children's cognitive, social and emotional development we're here to hel...