Kinderling Conversation

Having twins can feel daunting, but if you get the right advice on how to prepare, it can make life a lot easier when you bring your babies home. Mothercraft nurse Chris Minogue has spent many hours with the parents of twins, helping them make sure their home is set up for the arrival of twins. She explains how you can set up where your babies sleep and the best way to feed twins.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you want to be more present with your children? Less reactive, more responsive to where they are at as kids? Conscious parenting is a movement that encourages parents to understand their past so they can parent in the present moment. It means understanding your own patterns and behaviours and how they impact your child. Dr Shefali is a clinical psychologist and author of The Conscious Parent, Transforming Ourselves, Empowering Our Children. Dr Shefali explains the difference conscious parenting can make in a child's life and how to do it well. Dr Shefali is in Australia for a limited time. If you're keen to catch her live check out her event dates here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should toddlers be able to recognise numbers and letters? Do we, as parents, need to be teaching them these skills before they enter preschool or kindergarten? Dr Laura Jana is a paediatrician and the author of The Toddler Brain. She gives us some insight into what the toddler brain is capable of and how we might help them acquire new skills.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For many years parents have been told we are our kids' first teacher, but Kyle and John Hattie say this is misleading. Their book 10 Steps to Develop Great Learners outlines how we can foster curiosity in our kids and a love of learning. Kyle talks about exactly what it is our kids need from us as they enter into the world of education, and how it's probably very different to what you thought it was.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gina Rushton is a journalist and millennial who experienced a medical emergency that forced her to confront her decision not to have kids. This lead her to research everything from the impact of climate change to the distribution of domestic labour - all to try and work out whether she could definitively decide never to have children. The result is her book The Most Important Job in the World. Gina talks about the kinds of conversations she's having with her friends and why the feminism she grew up with doesn't serve mothers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Needing to find some calm amongst the chaos of parenting? Perhaps you're trying to be a good leader in your home during uncertain times. Mindfulness might just be the key to your sanity. Dr Elise Bialylew is the founder of Mindful in May. She's also a mum of two young girls. Elise explains why she can't live without her mindful practice and how you can incorporate it into your life in just 10 minutes every day. The books Elise mentions in this interview include: The Mindful Child by Susan Kaiser GreenlandThe Happiness Plan by Elise BialylewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What would make your life easier? How about a year of shared paid parental leave and universal access to early education and childcare and out-of-school care? This would mean that you could share the first year with your new baby with your partner and that child care would be like primary school; almost free and easily accessible. Georgie Dent is the Executive Director of The Parenthood. She's lobbying for these changes and believes that this election is the time that we could change the way we raise kids in Australia. Mentioned in this interview: The Parenthood on Instagram - get up-to-date information about how the parties are going with policies that are pro-familiesKindi Care - find out which party will make the biggest difference to your childcare paymentsThrive by Five - a lobby group trying to get universal access to childcareSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do your parents understand why you want your baby to feed themselves? Do they follow your guidelines for sleep and settling? Mike Williams and his parents Carol and Greg do things differently - but they have a lot of fun along the way. In this interview they talk about how much parenting has changed over the years, and why we shouldn't always let grandparents explain the ways of the world. Guest appearance by Daphne Williams.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While separation can be painful the best evidence says that if you can put your kids first in a separation, they will be okay. But what happens when your ex-partner is more concerned with 'getting even' or exploring their new single life than they are being their for their kids? Dr Vanessa Lapointe is a psychologist, author and mum of two who has been through separation. She explains why it only takes one parent to show up for their kids, and how you can do it well.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At six weeks new mums will have a check up with their health care professional - an obstetrician, midwife or GP. But these checks don't have the capacity to include a comprehensive check of a woman's pelvic floor. Lyz Evans is a women's physiotherapist who believes that a 6 week post birth checkup with a women's physio is vital to a woman's long term health and wellbeing. Lyz explains what a 6-week pelvic floor check involves and why it's so crucial to a woman's overall health. The program Lyz discusses in this episode is called Empowered Motherhood. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Enrolling your baby or child into day care the first time can be daunting. It's possibly the first time you've left them with someone other than friends or family. So what do you need to know about starting day care? Sharlene Vlahos is the Director of Education at Karitane. She explains the various things parents need to consider before starting at day care, and how parents can handle drop offs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The working world is not set up to accommodate child rearing. Which is why every school holiday can feel like a monumental headache for working parents. Annual leave doesn't equate to the amount of weeks schools are on a break. So how do parents manage the juggle of work and holidays, and what could make that juggle easier? Candice Harris is a Professor of Management at Auckland University of Technology. She's researched the impact of holidays on working parents, and how the pandemic lockdowns may have changed the way we do things.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No one enjoys contemplating their own mortality. But when Ella Ward was diagnosed with a rare cancer her daughter was only six it made her think about what she would leave behind. She realised that she had a legacy of words not only from herself, but also lessons from her great-grandfather and her grandmother. Ella talks about the incredible written history created by her family, and how she managed to shape them into a series of letters for her daughter. Ella's book is called 27 Letters to My Daughter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the start of the pandemic parents have been told that not only are children unlikely to get Covid, but if they do get it they are unlikely to be very sick. In the last few weeks children have been falling like flies. Some kids have been very unwell - and others have had a few off days then bounced back. So what's going on? And what do we need to be aware of as we head into flu season? Dr Norman Swan is the co-host of the Coronacast podcast and author of So You Think You Know What's Good for You? Norman explains why so many children are catching Covid now, and how we might prepare for winter. For more information from Norman Swan check out https://linktr.ee/DrNormanSwan See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seeing your baby's first pearly white pop through can be a moment of joy. Like all the little changes they go through, it's another sign of their development and growth. It can also be a time when your little one is unsettled and uncomfortable. Paediatrician Dr Deb Levy goes through when babies are most likely to cut their teeth, how to tell whether it's teething (or something else) that is making them unsettled and how to manage their pain.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Posting pics of your beautiful baby can feel like the most natural thing in the world. After all, who's not in love with their own child? But wellbeing digital expert Dr Kristy Goodwin says that posting images online comes with a host of problems. Kristy explains why parents should think twice about uploading all those baby pics and the key things parents should be aware of when they share images online.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to getting fussy kids to start enjoying a wider range of foods, getting them cooking can be a great option. That's according to Annabel Karmel, nutritionist and cook book author. Her latest book is called Annabel Karmel's Fun Fast and Easy Children's Cookbook. Annabel talks about why cooking is so great for kids and shares a few of her favourite recipes from the book. You can also find Annabel on Instagram @annabelkarmelSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sean Szeps is an influencer, podcaster and queer parenting advocate. Having grown up believing that parenthood was only for straight people, he is now a husband and father of twins. Sean talks about how he came to be a parent and what it's like being "the only gay in the playground". The new season of Come Out Wherever You Are is available now in the LiSTNR app or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Children diagnosed with Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) can be challenging children to be around. They might have loud and aggressive tantrums and come across as rude and anti-social. Caroline Moul is a Professor of Psychology at Sydney University. She has a research interest in ODD and says that while parenting strategies are a way to treat ODD, this doesn't mean that parents are to blame for the condition itself. Caroline explains what ODD is and how to support children with this disorder.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many parents are traveling overseas to visit family for the first time since having their babies. Mothercraft nurse Chris Minogue has been helping families with this kind of travel for over 30 years. Chris shares her experience on what works best for babies and toddlers (hint: it's very different!)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.