Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families

Evidence suggests that META and other big tech companies are purposefully hurting kids through their lack of content moderation and their choice of harmful persuasive design features. Justin and Kylie discuss how you can protect your children from online exploitation and manipulation by giving them a play-based childhood. Join the village, sign the pledge to delay smartphones and social media, and...

Family life is a constant challenge of working out where your priorities are at any moment: Justin and Kylie must choose between a quick weekend getaway and tackling their to-do list! Plus, the flow-on effect of reducing screen time usage, removing the family TV and cancelling Netflix has been revolutionary - but how did the Coulsons get all the kids on board? In this episode: A weekend of chores...

This Week in Parenting: Perhaps the most polarising Paris Olympic story was that of Aussie Olympic breakdancer Rachel Gunn. International meme fodder, or pure gold for sparking meaningful conversations with our kids, encouraging critical thinking, and creating empathy? A beautiful example of understanding and compassion in the workplace and from the world at large occurred after ABC presenter Nate...

Today, I had an insightful interview with Dany Elachi, founder of The Heads Up Alliance, examining the No Phones policy that every school in the country should be implementing—the benefits, the evidence, and the challenges. Dany shares how community is the solution to an issue that so many parents feel they are facing alone—how to say "not yet" to a smartphone and/or social media. In this episode:...

If your family was invited to participate in a reality TV show would it be an easy "yes!", a "no way!", or would you deliberate? Alan, from the USA, asks Dr Justin for his opinion. Kirsty questions if she should be worried about her 5 year old son, with teachers concerned he is not conforming at preschool, and wants to know how she can help him. Is preschool a time and place where conformity shoul...

The 2024 NAPLAN results have shown that one in three students are below educational standards, with almost 400,000 students requiring catch up tutoring. The results also show that around a quarter of the over 1 million students tested are said to be 'developing' - which just means they're failing to pass the minimum standards required. What's gone wrong with education in Australia?  Natasha Bita i...

Parenting and family life is a continuous striving to get the balance right. Family meetings can help with this struggle, providing guideposts so that everyone is on the same page. Inviting kids to be part of this process keeps everyone accountable and moving in the same direction. In this episode: Parenting teenagers Reducing screen use Family meetings Accountability Getting on the same page Supe...

The reality is that our children can hear. They are listening. They just won't do as they are asked! We share five things you can do to make your kids WANT to listen, building stronger relationships with them along the way. In this episode: Free hearing test Carefactor = zero 5 reasons kids aren't listening Egocentric Attentional capacity Silence and refusal Immediate compliance Connection vs corr...

Justin is answering two listener questions in this episode. Christina from the United States is wondering how she can get a less than cooperative teenager to put away the screens and get to bed, even though she has already compromised on them staying up later than she would like. Kate is wondering why her five year old's behaviour is so different between school and home.  How can a 'model student'...

Does "risky play" make you excited or very nervous? The research is clear regarding the many benefits to children who engage in risky play. With it becoming increasingly hard to find public spaces that allow for risky play, we share ideas and tips for how parents can encourage and support their children to engage in risky play at home. In this episode: Old-school playgrounds What is risky play? He...

Saying goodbye to loved ones has been the cause for much reflection for Justin, including the acknowledgment that owning our own mortality allows us to invest more fully in life. Kylie describes a recent family meeting, and how the buy in that comes when everybody takes accountability for the part they play in how a family feels and functions can be life-changing. In this episode: Losing loved one...

From the Doctor's Desk today we unpack three studies relevant to parents and families. First, an intervention that could decrease the likelihood of developing a peanut allergy by 71% (N.B. we are not sharing medical advice!). The second study - another intervention involving a 2 week screen-free media reduction for participants, with fantastic results! And the third, a study looking at differences...

A conversation with Adam Voigt, Founder and CEO of Real Schools on the importance of student engagement, how parents can support and advocate for teachers, and why we need to make schools a diverse environment - where all children can come together to learn.  In this episode: Teacher stress Additional needs Supporting teachers Schools and parents working together Student engagement The Anxious Gen...

Amy from Melbourne has been trying to boost her families wellbeing, and while she's been doing all of the tried and traditional methods, she is wondering what the benefits of indoor plants are for her family. Jenny from West Australia is seeking some advice around grandparents looking after her three year old, despite some of their parenting styles being quite different to hers. Related links:  Ch...

If you have a child with a natural talent or a burning desire to succeed in a sport or other activity, how do you cultivate a successful (perhaps even elite) level of performance and raise them to have perspective? Justin and Kylie offer four ideas to help your children be engaged in their athletic and competitive pursuits in healthy, balanced ways.  In this episode: US Gymnast Alexandra Raismen -...

There are times when a parent's relationship with their child feels strained and difficult. Kylie shares what it can look like to cultivate these challenging relationships, giving hope to any parent deep in the trenches of raising hard kids. More often than not, when we lose the plot as adults, it is because of unmet expectations. A games night in the Coulson household did NOT meet Justin's expect...

Book Club - the episode where Justin and Kylie forget about the parenting stuff and share what they have been reading. Today, a book review from a very special guest: their 10-year-old daughter Emilie. In this episode: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt | Penguin Books (4.5 stars) Unplug Childhood - Join the village! The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien | Abbeys (5 stars) James and the Gia...

Building strong, lasting family relationships is a long-term process. When done well, regular family meetings can completely change how your family feels and functions now and in the future Justin and Kylie share six practical tips for family meetings that will help your family relationships flourish, ensuring that everyone feels seen, heard, and valued along the way.  In this episode: Could famil...

Bec, from Sydney, has a 2-year-old who keeps running towards the road when out at parks, playgrounds, and shops. Running away is developmentally normal: little kids love to explore. But it's also very scary! There are four things parents can do to keep their "runner" safe when out and about. Karen, from Brisbane, asks how to navigate the ongoing challenge of school refusal. Ongoing conversations w...

Should we be making our children apologise when they do the wrong thing? What does a sincere apology look like? In this episode: Parental Guidance (S1) : “Forcing children to apologise is teaching children to lie” Victim mentality People pleasing Ruptured relationships The Parenting Revolution , by Dr Justin Coulson Motivation Continuum - extrinsic, introjected, identified, integrated, intrinsic I...

It has been 9 months of homeschooling for the Coulson crew, with plenty of ups and downs and many lessons learned. One of those lessons is that homeschool is not and cannot just be "school at home". When a child is struggling in a school setting, taking them out of that environment only to set up the same structures and lessons at home doesn't change the challenges that your child is experiencing!...

Devices can calm our emotional children - but does a screen actually help them to emotionally regulate or is it just distracting them from their emotions in the heat of the moment? Are there long term consequences to letting screens "manage" a child's emotions? We also talk about a controversial topic - using "screen-time" as a reward! There is an important connection between screen use and childr...

Our goal as parents is to raise good humans, but sometimes we actually get in the way of doing that! Beck Delahoy shares three things parents can do to move away from centuries of unhelpful patterns to a better way of parenting. In this episode: Lessons Learned | Beck Delahoy | Substack John B. Watson - 1920's behaviourist What do we want to do as parents to raise good humans? teaching thoughts, v...

Two questions from listeners: Emma asks for advice on helping her 10 year old son who is struggling with being at school, withdrawing from friends, and feeling sad. And Kari, a homeschooling mum of 3 little boys, has requested an update on the Coulson's Homeschooling experience! In this episode: The 3 basic psychological needs Supporting children at school 'School Can't' Building frustration toler...

A conversation about what it means to be emotionally regulated or dysregulated, with five quick ideas for parents to help their children regulate well. In this episode: What are emotions? Maladaptive responses Etymology of 'emotion' French: to excite Latin: to move Emotional regulation: The ability to control your emotional state.  Emotional dysregulation: When your emotions are stronger than your...