Kinderling Conversation

Most parents understand that it's unhelpful to tell a small boy not to cry. Or tell a little girl she's pretty. But what about other, more subtle, differences in the ways we speak to our boys and girls? Annabelle Lukin is an Associate Professor in Linguistics at Macquarie University. She says language is both powerful and complex, and it might surprise you how much the words you speak can shape a child's ideas about what it means to be a boy or a girl.You can find more of Annabelle's work at The Conversation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Helpline mothercraft nurse Chris Minogue addresses night weaning an 11-month-old, whether a bottle has the same effect as a breastfeed, night weaning and nap transitions for an eight-month-old, juggling sleeps between a ten-week-old and a three-year-old, toilet training a defiant three-and-a-half-year-old and day sleep patterns for a seven-month-old.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having children in the modern world often means trying to keep several balls in the air at once. Digital influencer Steph Adams and news reporter Samantha Brett decided to put together a book called The Juggle, Inspirational stories for mums juggling it all, profiling a stack of inspiring mums and their take on 'the juggle'. They talk about how they chose which mums to include in the list, and the sacrifice that comes with motherhood.For more information on the book, visit the Penguin website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once your child starts daycare or school, it's inevitable they will come into contact with some of the more common lurgies. Sarah Hunstead, CEO of CPR Kids, takes us through the most common ones you should look out for and how long you need to keep your child home. For a more comprehensive list of contagious diseases in kids, visit the NSW Government Health website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When parents are separating they can go through mediation, and if that doesn't work, they often end up in the Family Court. Zoe Durand is a nationally credited mediator with Mediation Answers, lawyer and author. She's worked with families at both mediation proceedings and in the courts. Her main message to parents is to stop using their children, and to put them front and centre of any separation process. She gives advice and points on what separating parents can do to make sure their kids will be alright.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nate Cooke is a life coach and owner of Gritboxx. He says that grit is something different to resilience, and it's something he believes is essential for a satisfying life. Nate explains what grit is, and how you can help your children develop it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has promised to boost wages by 20 percent and to increase subsidies to the child care rebate. The Coalition says the costs are prohibitive. But what are the Greens saying? And which party has the best interest of children at the heart of their policies? Samantha Page, CEO of Early Childhood Australia, breaks down the promises and what they really means for Australia's children.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having a baby changes your life. Not just your body, sleep and relationships, but also how you feel about work. You may feel like you want to go back straight away, or you may not want to go back at all. Kirsty Levin is a careers counsellor at The Parents Village. She explains how to work out what you want when your priorities have shifted, and how to take charge of a role that you love but the hours aren't right.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Helpline, mothercraft nurse Chris Minogue tackles: night weaning a 15-month-old co-sleeper, milk feeds for an eight-month-old, settling a 16-month-old night waker, winter sleep-wear for a three-year-old who doesn't use blankets and quilts, weaning a 16-month-old who is demand fed, helping an 18-week-old settle at night, the differing temperaments of four-month-old twins, to swaddle or not to swaddle? Questions for an 11-week-old.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Danielle Busby always wanted a big family, but when she and her husband, Adam, started trying for kids they struggled to fall pregnant. Five years after the birth of their first daughter, Blake, they decided to try again. Through assisted fertility techniques, Danielle fell pregnant with quintuplets. Now a show on Foxtel, Outdaughtered, follows the family's day-to-day life. Danielle explains how she felt when she discovered she was carrying five babies, and what life is really like living with five children who all the same age.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sarah Hunstead is the founder of CPR Kids. She was also a paediatric nurse in an emergency department for many years, which means she's seen what most commonly sends children to hospital. In this episode Sarah explains the most common things children choke on, and how you can avoid, or minimise the risk.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever had a child lash out in anger? Perhaps it's been over a fight with a sibling or when it's time to turn off the TV. Dr Vanessa Lapointe believes that it all comes down to connection, and that how you deal with the outburst is just as important as the outburst itself. She explains what's happening for children when they're angry, and how you can help them to calm down.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did you name your baby? Did you want a unique name? A traditional one? Perhaps you wanted to continue a family tradition and name them after a relative. Kimberley Linco is a demographer from McRindle. She's done all the number crunching and has the top names from 2018. She gives us her insight on why Australians choose the names they do.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fussy eating can mean a number of things. It might be your child has an aversion to just one type of food that they don't like (eg brussel sprouts). It could be that they are becoming picky as a way of testing their boundaries. Both of these reasons are normal and appropriate. But if a child gets too fussy, it can be a sign of other things. Susan Marden is a Senior Speech Pathologist at One on One Children's Therapy (oneoneonechildrenstherapy.com.au). She explains how to determine whether your child's fussy eating is something you need to investigate more, and ways to help very fussy eaters eat a wider variety of food.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you want to have your hands free for any small moment in time, a baby bouncer or rocker can be really helpful. These are the simple diagonal bouncers that you pop a baby into, and they happily bounce or rock on their feet. However the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission have issued a warning about the safety of this piece of equipment. Red Nose Australia Chief Midwife Jane Wiggill explains the recommendations and advises how they can be used safely.For more from Red Nose Australia check out their website rednoseaustralia.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's nothing like getting home from a long day at school or work, and realising you still need to sit down and do a reader. There aren't too many kids who actually like homework, and therein lies the problem. Dr Justin Coulson from Happy Families argues that children are inherently curious creatures, who can learn in more productive ways. He explains why he has a problem with homework, and how he has handled the topic with his children's teachers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mothercraft nurse Chris Minogue joins Shevonne Hunt to answer all your baby and toddler questions. In this episode Chris tackles: How much milk does a nine-month-old need? Setting up good sleep practices for a ten-week-old, helping a reluctant three-year-old to use the toilet, when a sick 12-month-old throws the sleep book out the window, is it possible to get a two-year-old to sleep until seven am and ditch the dummy? Getting an early rising 17-month-old (5am) to sleep longer, when a seven-year-old feels jealous about a new baby in the family, how to resettle a six-month-old without waking their sibling, managing long newborn feeds with an active toddler and toilet training a 27-month-old with a newborn babySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Hannah Dahlen is a midwife, lecturer, international researcher and speaker. She believes that "the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world". From her early life in Yemen, witnessing and aiding women in labour, to training in London (where her mum was one of the midwives later depicted in the BBC series Call the Midwife), Hannah explains how her passion for midwifery and women's rights in birthing came to be.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anzac Day is a national public holiday where many families stop to commemorate fallen soldiers. So how do you explain what it all means to a young child? Emma Cox is a teacher-librarian. She tells us the best books she's come across to help little minds get across some complex ideas. Here are Emma's top ideas for picture books for ages three to six: The ANZAC Tree by Catherine Booth, ANZAC Biscuits by Phil Cummings and Owen Swan, My Grandfather's War by Glyn Harper and Jenny Cooper, Alfred's War by Rachel Bin Sellah and Samantha Fry and ANZAC Ted by Belinda Landsberry. For older children: Lone Pine by Susie Brown, Margaret Warner and Sebastian Ciaffaglione, In Flanders Field by Norman Jorgensen and Brian Harrison-Lever.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you have a family, one parent often stays home. If that parent is no longer working, they can start to let their partner look after the finances. Georgina Dent is a finance journalist who is passionate about empowering women. As women are still overwhelmingly the stay-at-home carer for children, she says mums are more at risk of being financially vulnerable. Georgina explains how women can become more independent, even when they are not earning an income.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.