It Takes A Village

Parents determined to protect their children from life's everyday challenges can inadvertently stifle their emotional development, says clinical psychologist and mother of two Jacqui Maguire. Parents determined to protect their children from life's everyday challenges can inadvertently stifle their emotional development, says clinical psychologist and mother-of-two Jacqui Maguire, "If we...

The newly developed Common Practice Model is going to inform how literacy and maths is taught in primary and secondary schools in the coming years. But what does that mean, and what are the teaching principles behind it? Work carried out by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research was used by the Ministry of Education to develop the common-practice model. Kathryn speaks to Mohamed Alansari...

As the school holidays near an end and term 2 is about to begin, many children have their friend groups sorted, others are still finding their feet. Today we're talking about loneliness at school and how to survive lunchtime. Ellie Gwilliam is a content editor and presenter for Parenting Place and the mother of three daughters. Parenting Place is a charity sharing resources for parents, and offeri...

Author and parenting coach Maggie Dent shares advice for parents who are wondering what to do when their child only wants them or your co-parent to do things for them. Does your toddler suddenly prefer your co-parent? It's not you, it's them, says parenting guru Maggie Dent. She says young children are only capable of holding a complete attachment to one person at a time and it's &q...

Advice for parents with children experiencing feeding challenges - when it's more than just "fussy eating". Rebecca Barnard is a Christchurch based Occupational Therapist whose private practice supports children who have a range of complications that impact their ability to eat, try new foods, and enjoy mealtimes. These could be phyiscal, sensory or psychological. How should parents identify they'...

Parents can help their teenage children avoid patterns of emotional overreaction, says psychologist Michael Hawton. His new book The Anxiety Coach is a guide for parents on how to help young people manage their emotions and develop resilience. Parents can guide their teenage children away from patterns of emotional overreaction, says psychologist Michael Hawton. His new book The Anxiety Coach is a...

The average Kiwi child first encounters internet porn at 12. To prevent the unsafe and unrealistic sex depicted in porn from being normalised for a child, therapist Jo Robertson recommends parents offer contrasting information a couple of years beforehand. When should parents start talking to kids about sex - and what do you actually say? With the average Kiwi child first seeing porn at 12, the ol...

What are parents or caregivers to do when there's not much left in the tank? Not being too hard on yourself is a good start, says clinical psychologist Karen Nimmo. What are parents or caregivers to do when there's not much left in the tank? Not being too hard on yourself is a good start, says clinical psychologist Karen Nimmo. Listen to the full conversation Parental exhaustion has been arou...

Motivated by the isolation many tamariki were feeling during the lockdown, child psychologists Sarika Rona and Lisa Cherrington wanted to write a book to help tamariki with the emotional challenges of separation. Their new picture book The Awhi Warrior is about Teina, a little boy who is upset that he can't visit his Nanny Mihi and give her an awhi, a hug, during lockdown. Together they explore th...

Upside Youth Mentoring has been operating for 16 years predominantly in the Auckland region. It runs programmes for at risk children aged 9 to 13 and matches them up with volunteer mentors. Jenny Horst is the CEO of Upside Youth Mentoring Aotearoa and she says the mentors help young people to navigate life's difficulties. Upside Youth Mentoring has been operating for 16 years predominantly in the...

Dr Jean Annan is an educational psychologist and has worked as a university lecturer, researcher and a teacher. Her new book is '7 Dimensions: Children's Emotional Well-being' which is a simple framework for adults to make sense of the abundance of information about young people's thoughts and feelings. There's been a number of challenges to children's wellbeing over the past few years -...

Tired parents hoping to train newborns to sleep through the night need to adjust their expectations, parenting expert and neuroscience educator Nathan Wallis says. Sleep training benefits parents more than babies and people should be wary of adopting rigid routines, according to neuroscience educator and parenting expert Nathan Wallis. Babies are expected to sleep through the night early for cultu...

Wellbeing and emotions facilitator Cat Levine talks to Kathryn about recognising and dealing with children with back to school anxiety . Also the impact the Auckland flooding has had on thousands of pupils and students. no caption Wellbeing and emotions facilitator Cat Levine talks to Kathryn about recognising and dealing with children with back to school anxiety . Also the impact the Auckland flo...

Perfectionism can prevent children from taking risks but parents can help relieve the pressure, says Australian parenting expert Justin Coulson. Perfectionism can prevent children from taking risks but parents can help relieve the pressure, says Justin Coulson. "We become more perfect through our failures," the Australian parenting expert tells Kathryn Ryan. Listen to the full conversati...

US psychologist, Dr Becky Kennedy and author of Good Inside trouble shoots a range of scenarios facing parents, including sibling rivalry, separation anxiety and tantrums. She has 1.6 million followers on Instagram @drbeckyatgoodinside We've been fed a model of parenting that feels awful and doesn't work, says a US psychologist. Dr Becky Kennedy is the author of Good Inside which looks a...

The National Survey of Schools' latest findings show teachers are happiest working in schools that support their growth and development. It also highlights the importance of continuing to improve digital resources and facilities in schools. It's all part of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research's Te Pae Tawhiti programme of research. Kathryn is joined by senior researcher Mohamed Alansa...

Kathryn talks with parenting coach and education consultant Joseph Driessen about how to protect teenagers from the dangers of using drugs and excess alcohol. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

How do children develop social skills and how best can parents support this? Wellington speech and language therapist Christian Wright has some strategies and he'll take your questions Social skills such as turn-taking and eye contact are an important part of learning to communicate. How can parents best support their kids to develop them? Wellington speech and language therapist Christian Wright...

Neuroplasticity educator and parenting expert Nathan Wallis talks with Susie about different parenting styles. Are you a brick wall, jellyfish or a backbone parent? And what is best for children, according to the research. Neuroplasticity educator and parenting expert Nathan Wallis talks with Susie about different parenting styles. Are you a brick wall, jellyfish or a backbone parent? And what is...

Counsellor Cat Levine talks about the risk factors that predispose children to anxiety - and what parents can do to help. Many New Zealand kids are anxious and teachers are calling for more training on how to support them. Counsellor Cat Levine runs online workshops for teachers about the risk factors for anxiety and how to help kids become more resilient to it. Listen to the full interview Cat Le...

For many new parents, getting out of the house can be a mission with nappies, change of clothes, food, buggy or front pack. Ceana Priest says - don't be daunted by that. She's mum to six year old Finn, and she's been taking him on adventures since he was a baby. Ceana Priest spent her summers in rivers and the beach forest near Mt Ruapehu and wanted her son Finn to experience the same kind of adve...

According to the World Health Organisation, children under 5 need 180 minutes of physical activity every day. To help early childhood teachers give pre-schoolers the physical activity they need to succeed, health science researcher Wendy Pirie has developed a programme called MAPP - Movement Active Physical Play. According to the World Health Organisation, children under 5 need to be active for 18...

The teenage years are difficult enough, without adding the challenges of social media and the impact it has on growing brains. We put a fence children when they're toddlers, so do we need to put a virtual fence around teens' social media use? Kathryn is joined by Kathryn Gray, Head of Middle School at St Margaret's College. The teenage years are difficult enough, without adding the challenges of s...

Registered nutritionist and specialist in infant, child and maternal nourishment, Vanessa A Clarkson's new book Motherfood has over 40 recipes to help expectant and new mums rise to the task. They're plant-based, wholefood recipes for drinks, meals, breakfasts, snacks, and desserts (all low in refined sugars). Vanessa is an advocate for healthier food systems. She has worked with Australian superm...

Teacher, author, public speaker and CEO of Spectrum Education Karen Boyes says study skills can also teach life skills. She shares tips for students and parents. NCEA students up and down the country are in study mode right now - with final assignments looming after the school holidays, then into the exam period. Teacher, author, public speaker and CEO of Spectrum Education Karen Boyes says study...