Kinderling Conversation

Sean Szeps is the father of twin toddlers. He and his husband have had a very thoughtful journey to becoming parents. When it comes to how he makes their relationship successful, Sean says it's all down to having been great talkers before and after kids. He tells us what makes his relationship work after the toddlers crash-landed (with love) into their lives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sleep apnoea is a condition that can create a lot of problems for kids. Sometimes it's accompanied by snoring. Paediatric Sleep Specialist Sarah Blunden from The Sleep Health Foundation explains what sleep apnoea is and how you can tell your child might have it. She takes us through the steps to treating sleep apnoea in young children. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shona Innes is a clinical psychologist who has written a series of picture books to help children understand relationships and emotions. In her book, Family is like a cake she explains all the different things that make a family. In this episode of Feed Play Love, she talks about the main qualities all families need to have to be happy and functioning, and why the metaphor of a cake works so well. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the weather cools down, heaters, fireplaces, bonfires and fire pits across Australia get used more often. It's also a time when children present at emergency with more burn injuries. Sarah Hunstead is a former emergency paediatric nurse and the CEO of CPR Kids. She takes us through what we should be aware of this winter, and what to do if our child gets burnt. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When your baby walks for the first time, it is a proud moment. It's natural for parents to feel chuffed about their baby's development. Sometimes, however, boasting can turn into competitive parenting. Michael Grose is a parenting educator and founder of Parenting Ideas, a resource for families. Michael says that there is a line between being proud, and making other people feel inadequate. He explains how to find that line, and what to do if you find other people crossing it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the first year of life, babies develop a lot, but they remain dependent and fragile. Fragile enough that the concept of surgery can be terrifying. Associate Professor Sebastian King is a paediatric surgeon at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. He explains the process of surgery for babies and what parents can expect if their little one needs an operation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before you become a parent, everyone tells you to get a lot of sleep. While it's very normal for babies to wake during the night, sometimes they wake more than they need to. Mothercraft nurse Chris Minogue knows how to help when things get a little tough. Her book Bringing Baby Home has helped a lot of families, but sometimes you need some tailored advice. On this episode Chris helps parents with the following concerns:A ten-and-a-half-month-old who wakes crying through the night, a seven-and-a-half-month-old who wakes and feeds all night, a three-year-old who is not enjoying summer camp, a nine-month-old not sleeping through the night, a four-month-old who only has a bowel movement every seven-14 days and possible low milk supply relating to a wakeful nine-month-old.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did you welcome your baby to the world? You may have had a Christening, a baby shower or even a celebratory piece of sushi. Different cultures have different ways of celebrating the birth of a baby. Jasmine Seymour is a Darug woman and primary school teacher. She's written a book called Baby Business, all about a baby smoking ceremony. It's sprinkled with Darug words and a strong sense of history and place. Jasmine explains how smoking ceremonies work for babies work and why it's good for the whole community. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prince Harry, David Beckham, The Rock - all famous dads who have been publicly shamed. The dad-judgment is as alive and well as any criticisms flung at mothers. Sometimes it's mums who do the shaming. Sean Szeps from Bringing up Gaybies is a dad with twin toddlers, and he's heard his fair share of things that people probably should have kept to themselves. He tells us the typical things he hears as a dad, and why it makes his blood boil. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many couples are told not to tell everyone they are pregnant until they are 12 weeks in because miscarriage is common. But Samantha Payne from The Pink Elephants Support Network says that needs to change. New research has shown that women are not being adequately supported after a miscarriage. She explains why sharing a pregnancy early can help change how people deal with miscarriage, and what needs to change in how women, in particular, are supported by doctors and nurses.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's fair to say that maternity leave is not a holiday. However, going back to work isn't always as easy as you might think. Sure you get to have adult conversations and drink a hot coffee, but you can also have feelings of guilt, and also a desire to stay with your baby or child. Gemma Cribb is a psychologist at the Equilibrium Collective who helps parents return to work. She gives us some tips on how to navigate the conflicting emotions when you return to work after having a baby. The Equilibrium Collective's event for working mums is in September in Sydney. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anna Machin is an evolutionary anthropologist who says that it's time western society acknowledged that dads are co-parents too. While advertisements may have us believe that dads are hopeless creatures who can't change a nappy or turn on a washing machine, Anna argues that men have an evolutionary drive to be engaged fathers. Anna explains how hormones change in men when they become dads, and why they are vitally important to the survival of our species. Anna is the author of The Life of Dad, the making of the modern father. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all know that breast is best, but it's not always going to work for everyone. There are plenty of reasons why a mum can't or doesn't want to breastfeed, and many mums who make this choice are left feeling ashamed and alone. Terri Smith is the Chief Executive of Peri-natal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA) She explains how the message that "breast is best" can lead to negative mental health outcomes for some women, and what we can do about it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Self-kindness is a fabulous concept, but one that is difficult to put into practice. Particularly when you're a parent trying to keep all the balls in the air, and you keep dropping them. Rebecca Ray is a clinical psychologist and author of The Art of Self-Kindness. She explains why most people find it hard to be kind to themselves, and how it's something we can practice every day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Working out what's going on with your baby or small child can be challenging. Why won't they sleep through the night? How do I stop them cat-napping during the day? Is head butting furniture normal? Mothercraft nurse Chris Minogue has been answering these questions for over thirty years, and every week on Feed Play Love she is in the studio, just for you.On this episode of Helpline she tackles: Lengthening day sleeps for a 19-month-old, getting a two-year-old to sleep through the night in their own bed, a 15-month-old who is teething and hitting their head, when to swap the bottle for breakfast first for a 13-month-old, how to stop a two-year-old tantruming toddler from hurting themselves, a 14-month-old who wakes up at 4.30am and a 15-month old who has three bottles of milk through the night.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not many parents get the opportunity to sit down with their friends and have an uninterrupted conversation. Kerry Cue and Doris Brett want you to seriously consider making time for a salon. Modelled on those that took place in France in the early 18th Century, the salons of 2019 involve more intimate topics than politics and philosophy. In their book, The Sunday Story Club, they retell stories that were shared in their salons. Kerry and Doris explain why salons are the cure for a society wrapped up in online interactions and disconnected from their fellow humans. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sean Szeps is not your average dad. Along with his partner Josh, he had twins (a boy and a girl) via surrogacy in the United States. As a man who likes to think deeply, he had thought long and hard about what it would mean raising a girl. In this episode, he takes us through his fears about raising a daughter, the ones he's overcome and the ones he's still waiting to deal with. Read more from Sean Szeps at Bringing up Gaybies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Working out what is healthy and what's actually full of sugar can be really difficult. Now CHOICE is calling for the Government to update its Health Star Ratings to more realistically reflect added sugars in foods. Senior Journalist Rachel Clemons talks us through what the current star system covers, and how a new approach would make it easier for parents everywhere. Find out why Nutri-Grain and Milo Cereal would lose stars under the new system. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Children under five are adorable, adventurous and unbelievably challenging. They are developing and growing at a fast rate, and sometimes their brain development is not quite up to all that's going on around them. It can be challenging to know how to manage our children so that they have both the boundaries and the compassion they need. Psychologist Dr Vanessa Lapointe and educator Maggie Dent join forces to help us all understand what's happening, and how we can help our children when times are challenging.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In her latest book, The Yield, Tara June Winch winds the Wiradjuri language throughout a tale of loss, longing and discovery. From growing up as a First Nations child in Australia, to travelling across the world and writing award-winning books, to being a single mum in the bustling city of Paris, Tara has lived a life of contrasts. In this interview, she talks about how her wandering spirit deals with living far from the country, and why language is such an important and powerful tool. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.