Kinderling Conversation

Most parents have had a moment (or several) when everything goes to pieces. Which is why a book of other people’s disasters is so therapeutic. Social researcher Rebecca Huntley and broadcaster Sarah MacDonald have compiled a list of stories in their book called The Full CatastropheThere are heart breaking stories and ones that will make you feel better about your own experience of when things have come apart at the seams. And there are lots of laughs as well. Rebecca and Sarah share their own run-ins with life’s more challenging moments, and why they’re still laughing at the end of it all.. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s strangely satisfying to see your baby start solids. Watching them experience different flavours and textures for the first time, seeing them tuck into a meal of pureed pumpkin. But with rising rates of food allergies in children, how should we start solids?According to the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy 10% of infants and 4-8% of children have a food allergy. Heidi Young from The Nest is a specialist in childhood allergy. She tells us the most up-to-date information about how to safely introduce solids, and what you should do if your child has an allergic reaction. Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia’s resource for parents, which Heidi refers to, is called Nip Allergies in the Bub.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Babies are curious creatures. How and why they do the things they do can baffle the most advanced mind (especially the ones that are sleep deprived). Mothercraft nurse Chris Minogue is here to help, by looking at the big picture and giving you tips on how to find the way through. Author of Bringing Baby Home, Chris has over 30 years of experience helping families tweak patterns and behaviours so that everyone is more content. On this episode of Helpline: What to expect from a nine-day-old baby's sleep patterns, sleep routines for a 14-week-old baby, a two-year-old possibly experiencing night terrors (you can find the previous Feed Play Love interview on night terrors here), cutting down on night bottles for nine-month-old twins, the best way to wean a one-month-old, whether you can get a 20-month-old to sleep longer than one hour during the day, introducing a comforter to a five-month-old, a 19-month-old waking through the night.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to telling it how it is, Lauren Dubois is hilarious and spot on. A former political reporter, now a blogger with a hoard of followers, Lauren delights her audience with her witty insights into raising children. Now she's released a book You Will (Probably) Survive- and other things they don't tell you about motherhood. It's for every woman who just wanted a friend to tell her the truth, and make her laugh at the same time. Lauren talks about swapping the halls of power for changing nappies, and the crazy, crazy dreams you can have when you're pregnant. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you live in a city, chances are the only time your kids get to see where their food comes from is when they visit a farm stay. Simone Kain and her business partner Ben Hood wanted children across Australia to understand more about farm life, regardless of where they live. Together they created George the Farmer, a character who is teaching children about the journey food takes from paddock to plate. Simone tells us where you can find George, and why it's important to connect the town and country this way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Life can be like a bath full of water. The more you put in the bath, the higher the water rises. Until, at one point, it overflows and ruins the hallway carpet. When you have children and you work, you can feel like you're being pulled in several directions, yet you're still not doing anything right. Gemma Cribb is a psychologist with Equilibrium Psychology. She explains how you can create effective boundaries and stop 'the juggle' from getting you down. The Equilibrium Collective event The Motherload is on Tuesday 10th, 17th and 27th of September. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is nothing quite as terrifying as a child who is having problems breathing. It could be that they've had a bad flu, or maybe there has been a dust storm outside. Sarah Hunstead from CPR Kids explains the difference between uncomfortable wheezing and when it's a real struggle to breathe. She explains what to look for - from the way they breathe to the colour of their lips. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parenting can focus your life's ambitions down to the size of the small child you are nursing in your arms. It is a time of intense love and bonding, but it can also be confusing and scary. Lenore Pearson is a life coach and author of Self Ashored, Navigating Your Way on Life's Voyage. She gives tips on how to find some perspective even when you're focused on just getting through the day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever thought about what drives your parenting decisions? Why you have chosen to co-sleep (or not)? Why you believe children need discipline and how you implement it? Dr Vanessa Lapointe says the way we parent today is based on the past, and not just the way you were parented. Vanessa talks about the influence of historical approaches to parenting as well as how to avoid fear-based approaches to raising your child. Vanessa's latest book is called Parenting Right From the Start. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having a child can set you back financially. Not just through the outlay of equipment and clothes, but also through the loss of income of a stay-at-home carer (or the costs of childcare). Sometimes it can feel impossible to manage. But financial planner Canna Campbell (AKA SugarMama) believes that with a few simple techniques you can get ahead. She explains how to be mindful about money and the best ways to manage your accounts. Canna's book is called Mindful Money. You can find Canna on Twitter @cannaSASS and on Facebook at SugarMamma.TV See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are many places you can go to get advice on how to raise your baby, but on Helpline, you can ask an experienced mothercraft nurse your specific question. Chris Minogue is the author of Bringing Baby Home and has over 30 years of helping families across Australia. On this episode of Helpline, she helps families with the following challenges: A 16-month-old waking through the night and only settling with a bottle, keeping a 13-month-old warm through the cold winter nights, a seven-month-old who is refusing solids, a two-year-old who refuses to sit down at the dinner table, a biting 10-month-old, a 19-month-old who hates his high chair and an 18-month-old who is biting her dad.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Corey White came to prominence for his dark humour, mining his traumatic childhood for material. Now he's written a memoir of his life, and while he is still young, he's lived many extremes already. From a family life full of domestic violence and drugs, to a traumatic experience in the foster care system, to private school and the heady success of a career in comedy. But The Prettiest Horse in the Glue Factory is not all grim. In this interview, Corey explains how he lives with his past and shares his thoughts on the nature of evil. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sirine Demachkie is a second-generation Lebanese Australian with a passion for all the colourful cultures and languages that make up our country. In a new podcast called Mother Tongue for Kinderling Kids Radio, Sirine introduces children to everything from Arabic to Samoan and Cantonese. Sirine tells us what we will find in the podcast, and how her own bilingual background feeds her passion for this project. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you suspect your child has a sleep disorder, you may find yourself with a referral to visit a sleep clinic. But what exactly happens in a sleep clinic? Professor Sarah Blunden is a paediatric sleep specialist with the Sleep Health Foundation. She explains what you can expect from a night's stay at a sleep clinic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learning to read is a tough gig that many parents have probably forgotten. But not Mick Elliott. A former Nickelodeon producer, current ambassador for Australian Reading Hour and author of Squidge Dibley Destroys the School, Mick knows better than most about how to get inside a child's imagination. This, he says, is the key to getting kids to love reading. Mick talks about understanding a child's sense of humour and why parents should read to their kids for as long as they let them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When your kids are sick with the dreaded lurgy there's not a lot you can do. You give them lots of water to keep their fluids up, make chicken soup and sometimes get out the essential oils. But Sarah Hunstead from CPR Kids says that parents don't always understand how dangerous essential oils can be. She explains what oils are the most dangerous, and how you can keep your child comfortable when they're unwell. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parents love to warn each other about the next difficult phase to come, and nothing is quite as challenging as a small human who is testing your boundaries. But there's a lot going on behind that crumpled up red face, that defiant "no!" and the endless tears. Dr Laura Jana is a paediatrician and author of The Toddler Brain. She tells us what's going on inside our toddlers' heads, and how to decipher it so we can handle the more challenging moments better. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They say that knowledge is power, and when it comes to childbirth there are many things to know. But what is better when it comes to the final stages of labour? Is an episiotomy better for women, or a natural tear? Is there even time to decide? David Addenbrooke is an obstetrician and co-author of 9 months, The Essential Australian Guide to Pregnancy. He takes us through when an episiotomy is necessary and why natural tears aren't always something to be afraid of. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Babies and small children can be curious creatures. One day they're doing one thing (like sleeping through the night) the next it's another (like waking up every two hours). Mothercraft nurse Chris Minogue has been helping families for over thirty years. She can step back and explain the bigger picture, with tips to help you get things back on track. On this episode of Helpline this includes: A 16-month-old who cat naps during the day, breastfeeding challenges and an unsettled premmie baby, a seven-month-old who is not taking bottles, getting a 13-month-old to fall asleep in their cot (and not in their mother's arms), whether breastfed babies need water, toilet training a two-year-old boy, a 22-month-old who is struggling with daycare and a three-year-old who is acting out now there is another baby in the house.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Marsden has spent most of his adult life engaged with young minds. He is best known for his popular youth fiction series Tomorrow, he's the principal of two schools and the step-father to six boys. Now he's turned his hand to a problem he sees around him: the impact of toxic parenting. In his book, The Art of Growing up John says our children are being brought up without freedom and fear, and that this is having a lasting, negative impact on kids. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.