Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families

If you are struggling to "keep the spark alive" with your loved one, you're not alone. Exhaustion, screen addiction, lack of time, resentment - all these issues (and more!) can lead to zero interest in nurturing intimacy. Today we share some surprising secrets to sustaining a strong sexual connection! (R) This episode originally aired 2/05/24. In this episode: Reasons for having zero interest in i...

Is it just me...or are sleepovers a really bad idea? (R) This episode originally aired 28/3/24. In this episode: Pros and cons of sleepovers Social development Memories Safety concerns Peer pressure/exclusion Screens Prearming your kids #926 Who Tops the List of Child Sexual Abusers? – Happy Families Being on the Outer – Happy Families Are Sleepovers OK? – Happy Families Find us on Facebook  or  T...

The meltdown out of nowhere, an angry and aggressive child, the emotionally flooded teen - kids of all ages have BIG emotions, and experience emotional dysregulation! Discover the tools and skills that will help you respond to your child with compassion and kindness - and build emotional awareness and regulation for you both. (R) This episode originally aired 17/10/23. Topics in this episode: No M...

Marriage is not just about the "happily ever after", but rather the real-world benefits of a life of meaning, joy, purpose, and growth. Keep your relationship strong by avoiding 5 things that harm marriage the most. [R] This episode originally aired on 7/3/24. In this episode: Damaging mindsets Commitment, trust, connection Intention vs action Divorce contagion Provocative statistics Get Married b...

* Content warning : parental discretion advised* Australia's e-Safety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant describes the fast-paced and aggressive tactics used by sexual extortionists targeting children and young adults. She gives clear directives to parents on how to prevent online harm, and what to do if your child experiences sexual extortion.  [R] This episode originally aired on 27/2/24. In this ep...

* Content warning : parental discretion advised* In a brave and vulnerable conversation, Jake and his mother Hayley talk about their 'honey trap' experience when Jake was 15, sharing just how quickly and easily this can happen to a child or adolescent.  (R) This episode originally aired 26/2/24. In this episode:  Honey traps and online safety Real-life experience of a 15-year-old boy Advice from H...

When your child wants to quit an activity, especially one they’re good at, it can be challenging to know the right thing to do! Should you encourage them to push through, knowing the long-term benefits, or let them move on to something new?  And then there's self-care—how do we even fit it into our hectic, overwhelming lives? It's so easy to let it fall by the wayside, especially for busy parents....

A lot of families love to "roast" or tease one another as a means of good-natured camaraderie. When done well (in the right circumstances, the right tone, and for the right reasons), this kind of humour can increase connection. However, when done wrong, it can be disastrous, particularly when children are involved, as they may not understand nuance and sarcasm and tend to internalise this style of...

Would you let your 9-year-old ride the NY subway alone or your 15-year-old son travel abroad with friends? For doing just that, one mother received the label of "world's worst mum," and another was reported to social services! In today's risk-averse society, our children lack adventure. We want resilient children, and yet we try to control them in the name of safety, preventing them from being too...

An anonymous listener shares their frustration and exhaustion with a husband who feels more like an additional child than a partner, offering little support with household and family responsibilities. Justin unpacks "weaponised incompetence" and the unfairness and resentment that build when one parent is left carrying the load and provides guidance on how to address the issue in a way that avoids...

In Australia, children below a certain age will be banned from social media as part of a national plan to counter its negative effects on youth. We discuss the government's commitments, the challenges this new legislation may face, and what parents can do now to protect their kids in a screen-saturated world. In this episode: 'National Social Media Age Limit' | A Current Affair Why 13+ is the curr...

Justin shares his disappointment in unwittingly missing out on the opportunity to share meaningful, heartfelt words with the people he loves after choosing to clean the kitchen during an extended family get-together rather than participating in a family activity.  We all have a need to belong. You can help your child to have a sense of who they are and how they belong by creating family traditions...

A recent study has shown that parents who use humour have better relationships with their kids. But does all humour work in the same way? Are Dad jokes ok? Can sarcasm or roasting your child play a a positive role in parenting? And what are the consequences for our children when humour goes wrong?  In a large-scale Denmark study, data from 1.1 million people has shown associations between moving h...

Have you ever wondered if becoming a foster carer is something you could do? Our guest today, Belinda Baxter, has 13 children (6 biological, 7 foster) and joins us for an important conversation about foster care: what it looks like for her family, the challenges and the rewards, and what you can do to get the process started. This week, communities across Australia come together to celebrate Foste...

This episode originally appeared as episode #1013. 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 inf...

Dr Hannah Brown, Campaign Manager for Education and Young People for RU OK? , is working to decrease the stigma of mental health and to provide Australians with the skills and confidence to check in with one another EVERY day, and not just RU OK? day. Hannah shares advice for parents who may be dealing with a child who is not ok—how to have this conversation with them and support them through thei...

'I'll Do Better Tomorrow' is a review of the week that was. With more work-related travel than ever before, Justin still managed to make it home for Father's Day—his best one yet with a peak "life moment" involving son-in-law Jared! Listen in to hear how their relationship has moved from reluctant acceptance to that of deep friendship because of a conscious decision to love unconditionally. Plus,...

Journalist Angela Mollard writes that "[a]n age of confession and vulnerability has seen parenting rebranded as a challenging, joyless, expensive, and freedom-sapping decision. They forgot the awesome bits." On the podcast today, Angela chats with Justing about finding the joy in parenting, the importance of perspective and gratitude, and why we must speak of the great parts of parenthood—because...

It's National Child Protection Week! Today's conversation is with author, publisher, mother, and educator Janeen Sanders , a strong public advocate for children’s safety, education, and empowerment. Jayneen joins Dr Justin to speak on the importance of teaching consent and body safety to children of all ages and how parents can do this in age-appropriate ways. This is an essential skill for every...

Robert asks, What can you do when your teenager won’t go to school? Throw in the complexity of neurodivergence, and this becomes a tough situation! Plus, a question from Sian about managing the inconsistency between a reward/token system at school and what is going on at home. Can two very different structures coexist and work for your child? In this episode: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Emotion...

Is cleaning your teenage son's room every day reinforcing outdated gender roles and enabling a future of entitlement? Or is it an act of love, showing care and understanding for a busy, tired teenager? No matter where you stand, Justin and Kylie delve into what truly matters in a thoughtful discussion about kids, chores, and their role in contributing to the household. In this episode: Mom tidies...

Got a tech-savvy teen who dodges screen-time limits or constantly craves social media validation? Justin and Kylie share how their weekly family meetings provide time and space for ongoing conversations about screen use, leading to personal accountability and self-evaluation, with increased buy-in from the whole family!  In this episode: 'Word of the year' review Why Grandparents matter Developmen...

With Father's Day just around the corner, Justin & Kylie go head to head in a battle for gold in the UFC (Ultimate Father Comedy) before stepping back in time to discover the origins of the comedy equivalent of comfort food: the "Dad Joke"!  Humour can be a quick and easy way to build connection with your kids; but don't just rely on a good dad joke to get the fun flowing! Learn what else you...

The ADHD experience is increasingly common and most people with a diagnosis (or seeking one), or who are parenting ADHD children are struggling in some way. Jane McFadden, host of the Australian podcast " ADHD Mums ," shares her lived experience of receiving a shock adult ADHD diagnosis following a period of burnout, overwhelm, and mental health struggles, and the unique challenges she faces as a...

You know the feeling - it's the middle of the night and a small human wakes you from your slumber and takes up residence in your bed. Caroline wants to know if it's normal for a nine year old to continue wanting to sleep in her bed, and what (if anything), she should do about it. Kate has discovered that her five year old has a tendency for being light fingered and stealing things from her purse....