It Takes A Village

Neuroplasticity educator and parenting expert, Nathan Wallis talks to Kathryn about Covid lockdowns and getting children back to a normal routine and dealing with the anxiety of going back to school after the holidays. Neuroplasticity educator and parenting expert, Nathan Wallis talks to Kathryn about Covid lockdowns and getting children back to a normal routine and dealing with the anxiety of goi...

Clinical Psychologist Sarb Johal talks about why rates of anxiety in children have gone up so much recently. He answers listeners' questions about children and anxiety during lockdown. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

How much screen time should you let your children have? How and when do you talk about sex? What can you do when your kid throws a tantrum? Why should you let your children just play? Maggie Dent is the mother of four boys, a former teacher and counsellor who is one of Australia's foremost parenting experts, known as the "Queen of Commonsense". Her latest book is called Parental As Anything: Toddl...

New research from Massey University and New Zealand Council for Educational Research on learning from home shows children are experiencing some rich learning, while the Educational Review Office’s latest report suggests on-going issues for students include anxiety around returning to school, missing out on learning and attendance. For how parents and teachers can support childre...

Wellington speech and language therapist Christian Wright explains childhood apraxia of speech, where some children have difficulty putting sounds and syllables together. Wellington speech and language therapist Christian Wright explains childhood apraxia of speech, where some children have difficulty putting sounds and syllables together. The condition is very rare he told Kathryn Ryan. And has t...

Being a grandparent is a wonderful role. All care and no responsibility, as the saying goes. But these days many grandparents are involved in helping raise their grandchildren, to support working parents. Dr Tessa Grigg is the co-author of a new book for grandparents - a guide to helping bring up well rounded, emotionally balanced grandchildren - even if you only look after them a few hours a week...

Parenting tweens and teens can be difficult territory to navigate, even more so in a pandemic when a life lived online is accentuated. Clinical psychologist Jo Lamble and Family GP Ginni Mansberg are riding out Covid restrictions in New South Wales. They have combined their years of experience working with families to write a practical parenting guide - The New Teen Age - how to support today's tw...

As any parent of a new baby knows, sleep can be elusive and the abundance of advice about it can be overwhelming. Sleep specialist Dr Bronwyn Sweeney shares some insight. As any parent of a new baby knows, sleep can be elusive and the abundance of advice about it can be overwhelming. Sleep specialist Dr Bronwyn Sweeney shares some insight. Listen to the interview Parents put a lot of pressure on t...

Imaginary friends - why do kids have them and what do they mean? We're still not quite sure, psychologist Sarb Johal tells Kathryn Ryan, but it's very common and usually nothing parents should worry about. Imaginary friends - why do kids have them and what do they mean? We're still not quite sure, psychologist Sarb Johal tells Kathryn Ryan, but it's very common and usually nothing parent...

All kids have angry reactions, and most parents can largely accept these when they can see the cause. But some kids seem to explode for no apparent reason. What's going on? And how can parents and caregivers respond? Such kids are often feeling a painful ambivalence about love and attachment, says parenting coach and educator Joseph Driessen. Parents of these kids need to upskill on how to help th...

It's a trend on the rise around the world - in the UK research into the "boomerang" phenomenon found two thirds of childless single adults aged 20 - 34 had either never left or moved back into the family home due to a precarious job market and sky high rents. A Victoria University study last year into what happened during the main lockdown in New Zealand found 38 per cent of 18 - 24 year olds move...

Closed borders in the last year or so have forced many people to have enforced long periods away from loved ones living overseas. Researcher, writer and anthropologist Helen Ellis knows all about having geographically scattered relatives. Three of her four children, and five of her six grandchildren, live in America, England and Scotland. In non-Covid restricted times it would be a 16 to 30 hour f...

Research has underlined the importance of parents and teachers working together to help their children do well at school. The partnership is increasingly being emphasised in education policy, and by Māori, Pacific peoples, and parents of children who need learning support. Recent reports also show teachers want to connect more with parents, but lack the time and resources. Senior Researcher at the...

Stuttering is a normal part of learning to speak, particularly when a pre-schooler's language abilities can't keep up with what they want to say. Most children outgrow this phase but for some, the struggle to get words out continues. Wellington Speech and Language Therapist Christian Wright has advice for parents and teachers. Stuttering is a normal part of learning to speak, particularly when a p...

How and when do children become left handers or right handers? Christchurch based educator, speaker, author and founder of Moving Smart, Gill Connell, says coordination in learning is vital to how the brain develops, determining how children think, feel, behave and learn. She talks to Kathryn about the physical activities that can help with coordination. How and when do children become left hander...

When Jo Hayes came to New Zealand from the United Kingdom 18 years ago, she didn't intend to stay. But fast-forward a few years and she found herself living north of Auckland with two pre-schoolers and missing her family back home desperately. By chance she met Susan at her daughter's daycare - she was there picking up her grandson. The pair became friends, and Susan became "Granny Susan" to Jo's...

Katie Fitzpatrick is an associate professor of education at the University of Auckland and the lead writer of relationship and sexuality education curriculum policy. She says more emphasis and time needs to be devoted to the mental health, sexuality and wellbeing of students from primary to high school. Dr Fitzpatrick talks to Kathryn about why health education is the poor cousin of numeracy and l...

Kathryn checks in on a parenting programme pilot in Nelson set up to help new fathers. The free 10 week course is available to all new dads, step dads and also includes men awaiting the birth of their first child. It is part of a Ministry of Social Development WhÄnau Resilience programme and is run by family violence specialists SVS - Living Safe in partnership with Perinatal Support Nelson. Aaron...

Kathryn speaks with Dr Maysoon Salama, whose storybook for children Aya and the Butterfly is a new picture book to help young children come to terms with grief, cope with change, and build resilience. Dr Salama lost her son Atta Elayyan in the Al Noor mosque attack in Christchurch a little over two years ago. Dr Maysoon Salama lost her son Atta Elayyan in the Al Noor mosque attack in Christchurch...

Parenting coach and educator Joseph Driessen with guidance on how to build a secure attachment relationship with your child. He says a well functioning trusting bond between a primary caregiver and child is essential to healthy development. Children need emotional security before they can learn and a secure relationship with a reliable primary caregiver is the foundation of this, says parenting co...

Sue Blair has been working with families for nearly 20 years as a family coach and parenting skills educator and she is also the author of The Personality Puzzles. Her particular specialisation is understanding the personality dynamics within a family. This includes how siblings with the same upbringing can be vastly different to each other and react differently to situations. Lack of understandin...

Parents of teenagers often wonder what has happened to their child's brain. They may be moody, not understanding or appearing to care about consequences, they may struggle to maintain focus, and may be very self-absorbed! Neuroscience educator and parenting expert, Nathan Wallis says during adolescence, parts of the teenage brain are "shut for renovations". He says understanding the changes that a...

The best way to empower young people is to give them tools to manage their own emotions says clinical psychologist Jacqui Maguire. She's written a children's book When the Wind Blew, which introduces a series of home-based, practical psychological tools designed to "turn down the dial on the fight or flight response". Emotional self-regulation has been recognised by scientists and academics as the...

Senior Researcher at the New Zealand Council for Educational Research Mohamed Alansari tells Lynn Freeman about a survey and research to support rainbow students and communities. As we come to the end of the Pride season with events around the country, Nine to Noon takes a look at how parents can better support LGBTQI children. Senior Researcher at the New Zealand Council for Educational Research...

As a society, we expect any meal served to automatically be eaten. But that's not logical to a child with any sort of sensory discomfort around food, says nutritional therapist Judith Yeabsley. As a society, we expect any meal served to automatically be eaten. But that's not logical to a child with any sort of sensory discomfort around food, says nutritional therapist Judith Yeabsley. The sel...