It Takes A Village

Many listeners may already have had time at home with Covid and other winter ills. So what's the best way to get through the time together? Ellie Gwilliam is with the Parenting Place, and has just gone through it with her family. She joins Kathryn to talk survival tips. Many listeners may already have had time at home with Covid and other winter ills, and some may be having to do isolation with th...

Neuroplasticity educator and parenting expert Nathan Wallis talks with Kathryn about the advantages of children starting school at six years old. He says while it goes against the norm in New Zealand, in most countries across the world, the starting age is six, often seven. He says those children who start school when they are older than five may be doubly advantaged - by having more free play whe...

Engaging with a baby in their first three years of life can help set them up with communication skills, says speech-language therapist Emma Quigan. Once you trust that very young children are learning from every interaction, you see time spent with them as a significant opportunity, she tells Kathryn Ryan. Engaging with a baby in their first three years of life can help set them up with communicat...

New research from the New Zealand Council for Educational Research looks at what gives Maori and Pasifika students the best chance of success at school. Through four studies, the Conceptualising Maori and Pasifika Aspirations and Striving for Success COMPASS project has identified critical factors that serve as important punga/anchors in the educational journeys of akonga/students. Senior Research...

Clinical psychologist Jacqui Maguire first spoke Nine to Noon about highly sensitive children back in March. In part two of the conversation, she tells Kathryn Ryan these children are more prone to feeling guilt and shame - and parents should keep this in mind. Clinical psychologist Jacqui Maguire first spoke Nine to Noon about highly sensitive children back in March. In part two of the conversati...

Neuroscience educator Deb Rewiri says it has never been so important to get on board with traditional Māori parenting practices. Help is at hand to take whanau back to when a village raised the children. Deb tells Kathryn about a whanau support initiative called Tākai which embraces mātauranga Māori and indigenous parenting approaches. It has never been so important to get on board with traditiona...

Kathryn talks with parenting coach and education consultant Joseph Driessen about parenting skills for blended families. When a marriage or partnership breaks up, many families consist of a recombination of two different families with two sets of children living with parents. While these families can be happy and thriving, some parents find the situation difficult to navigate with different family...

Lynn speaks to Garth Wynne, who's been involved in educating teenage boys for decades and is now executive principal of Christ's College in Christchurch. Being a teenager is hard enough, even before the problems of the modern era are thrown into the mix. Lynn speaks to Garth Wynne, who's been involved in educating teenage boys for decades and is now executive principal of Christ's Colleg...

Primary school teacher-turned writer Aaron Topp talks about his latest Young Adult book and shares tips on how to coax reluctant readers to pick up a book. Primary school teacher-turned writer Aaron Topp talks about his latest Young Adult novel and shares tips on how to coax reluctant readers to pick up a book. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

How can parents best develop their children to become great learners? Kathryn speaks with father and son educators John and Kyle Hattie, who've co-authored a book setting out ten steps for encouraging curiosity and intellectual ambition. They say it all starts with parents demonstrating to their child an openness to new ideas and thinking - and not to be afraid of failure. How can parents best dev...

How often do you hear your mum or dad's words come out of your mouth when you talk to (or shout at) your kids? Words you swore you would never say to your own child. One of Australia's foremost parenting experts, Maggie Dent says no matter how many parenting books you read, the biggest influence on your parenting style will be your own upbringing. Maggie is the mother of four boys, a former teache...

Russia's war in Ukraine is dominating the headlines, so what can parents, grandparents or educators do to help children understand what they're seeing? And how can that message be delivered in an appropriate way to various age groups - from pre-schoolers to teenagers? Lynn is joined by Dr Nicole Racine, a clinical pyschologist and expert in paediatric mental health based at the Centre for Addictio...

Speech and Language Therapist Christian Wright talks with Lynn Freeman about the language skills new entrants need to have a successful start to school. Speech and Language Therapist Christian Wright talks with Lynn Freeman about the language skills new entrants need to have a successful start to school. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Kathryn chats with Clinical Psychologist Jacqui Maguire about how to help highly sensitive children manage their emotions. These might be children who have large empathy for others, who are deeply reflective, or can be easily overstimulated or overwhelmed. Jacqui says highly sensitive children make up 20 per cent of all children. Kathryn chats with Jacqui Maguire about how to help highly sensitive...

Neuroplasticity educator and parenting expert, Nathan Wallis discusses children and Covid. What is the impact on children of having to wear face masks at school? And what are the common features we would expect to see in children who are resilient and not negatively impacted by covid? As Omicron spreads around the country, how can we minimise risk and maximise resilience among our children? It&#x2...

The "middle years" of 11 to 15 year-olds can be a bit of a muddle, when children are stepping away from the influence of their parents and into that of their peers - and social media influencers. Kathryn Gray is head of Middle School at St Margaret's College in Christchurch and recently received an honours award from Independent Schools NZ for her work in Middle School Education. She joins Kathryn...

Clear boundaries help children mature and families work well, says parenting coach Joseph Driessen. He tells Kathryn Ryan what strong leadership looks like from a parent. Clear boundaries help children mature and families work well, says parenting coach Joseph Driessen. He tells Kathryn Ryan what strong leadership looks like from a parent. Listen to the interview Some parents are very strict and d...

Children aged 5-11 are now eligible for the Covid vaccine, and the first week and a half of the immunisation programme has seen strong demand. But not all children will be jumping at the chance - so what if your child is scared of needles or feeling anxious about vaccine? Kathryn gets some tips from Dr Jin Russell, a community and developmental paediatrician at Starship Hospital, about how to best...

Christmas Day is a time for families to get together - but also a time when families can fall apart. There's no magic cure for making Christmas less emotionally challenging, but we can rehearse 'positive coping', says psychologist Kirsty Ross. Christmas Day is a time for families to get together - but also a time when families can fall apart. There's no magic cure for making Christmas less em...

Happiness and a sense of belonging at school is key for children's progress and good health. Kathryn is joined by Mohamed Alansari, senior researcher at the New Zealand Council for Educational Research, where they have recently looked into the key influences on student well-being, particularly that of MÄori students. no caption Happiness and a sense of belonging at school is key for children&...

Educator and parenting expert Nathan Wallis talks to Kathryn about the things that kiwi parents worry about the most. They're revealed in a nationwide survey of 1200 parents by the health insurer nib New Zealand. The amount of time children spend on screens , their mental health and balancing work and family are among the top concerns. The amount of time children spend on screens , their mental he...

As youth mental health issues escalate here and globally, a clinical psychologist says it's imperative to listen young people about what services would best help them. Kerry Gibson is an Associate Professor from the University of Auckland and has done extensive research on the matter, including asking young people where they'd like to go for support. The result is her book What Young People Want f...

It's easy for parents to become angry when children fight repeatedly but a strategic approach is needed to help restore the peace, says parenting coach Joseph Dreissen. It's easy for parents to become angry when children fight repeatedly but a strategic approach is needed to help restore the peace, says parenting coach Joseph Dreissen. Some disruptive episodes are to be expected between sibli...

Australian author and educator John Marsden joins Nine to Noon again to talk about why he thinks kids need to take more risks. It's a philosophy he's had throughout his career as an educator and author, and has been a motto at Candlebark, one of the two schools he's founded in his home state of Victoria in Australia. We need to let kids take more risks, says Australian author and educator John Mar...

Parents who turn off audible notifications on their devices have the best chance of expanding their child's vocabulary, according to a new study by the University of Auckland's School of Psychology. Parents who turn off audible notifications on their devices have the best chance of expanding their child's vocabulary, according to a new study by the University of Auckland's School of Psyc...