Kinderling Conversation

The first year of your baby's life is full of big changes. Dr Deb Levy is a paediatrician and Sarah Hunstead is the CEO of CPR Kids. Together they go through the main developmental milestones and the corresponding safety issues that can come with the ability to roll, sit, crawl and walk. In this interview Deb and Sarah mention: Red Nose AustraliaKidsafeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mothercraft nurse Chris Minogue has been helping parents and carers with their babies and toddler for thirty years. In that time she's seen an increase in everything from the types of strollers available to information online. Following the recent lockdown Chris has been reflecting on how much parenting has changed over the years she's been helping parents. Chris talks about the changes: both good and bad, and the top piece of advice she thinks parents need to know today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to discussions around how we give birth, women who have cesareans are not often included in the conversation. There remains an amount of judgment around the way we give birth. Some of those judgments come from an understanding of what is best for the baby. Now research from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute has found that one theory - that an increase in childhood allergy was linked to an increase in the rate of cesareans- has been disproved. Associate Professor Rachel Peters was the lead researcher on the project. She explains what they found and why this particular theory about cesareans has been proved wrong.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Toddlers can have some big emotions but should we really expect them to be able to manage them? Dr Laura Jana is a paediatrician and the author of The Toddler Brain. Laura explains what toddlers are capable of when it comes to emotional self-regulation, and how we can start to teach them some of the basics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you feel about terms like "body with a vagina" instead of using the word "woman"? Or "chest feeding" instead of "breast feeding"? The medical world is grappling with these terms as they seek to become more inclusive of transgender and non-binary people. However a new paper compiled by experts in the field of pregnancy and birth say that changing the language for everyone may end up doing more harm than good. Dr Karleen Gribble is an Adjunct Associate Professor in Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Western Sydney. She contributed to the article and explains how taking sexed language out of pregnancy and birth would be bad for both women and the transgender community.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trying to combine motherhood with all the things modern life demands of us can be challenging. Particularly if one of those things involves returning to the work place. For chiropractor Ali Young, returning to work ended up in burnout. Following on from her recovery she wanted to help other mums avoid a similar experience. Her book Work. Mama. Life is the result of all she learnt. Ali talks about what led to her burn out and how we can all learn to make this period of our lives work for us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anxiety in children is the second most common disorder in Australian children aged 5-14 and the most common disorder amongst girls. That's according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. And if you are a parent of an anxious child you'll know just how hard and heartbreaking it can be. Dr Kayleen Henderson is a child psychiatrist and mum of three. She explains how we can help our children manage their anxiety.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

And if we can't, how can we make our children more comfortable? Paediatrician Deb Levy and former emergency nurse Sarah Hunstead from CPR Kids join us to talk about how we can try to dodge the dreaded lurgy this winter, and what to do if we get hit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How should we talk to our kids about Australia's history? How much do we share about the dark and tragic events that came with colonialism for the First Nations of Australia? Anita Heiss is a member of the Wiradjuri Nation of Central NSW and a prolific author. Her latest book is Am I Black Enough For You- re-released after 10 years. Anita explains how parents can explain our history to kids, including the parts we should celebrate. In this interview Anita talks about Magabala books. Individual books that are reference include: Alfred's WarCharlie's SwimDown the HoleBush Games and Knuckle BonesA Letter for SimonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the lockdowns of the past few years children used technology even more to stay connected with their friends. Now that they are back at school, you may have noticed that they're texting each other more than ever before. Texting can be a very nuanced medium, and not one that tweens really understand. Dana Kerford is the founder of URSTRONG, an organisation that helps educate children about healthy friendships. Dana shares her insight to how kids communicate through text and how we as parents can help to guide them.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's your most awkward parenting moment? Perhaps you were out to dinner when your toddler decided it was a good time to play with themselves. Adults can find it uncomfortable when our children start to explore their bodies, but Vanessa Hamilton says it's all developmentally appropriate. Vanessa is the Founder of Talking the Talk Healthy Sexuality Education. Vanessa explains why kids play with themselves and how parents can handle their own emotional response. In this episode Vanessa talks about the five body safety tips that can be found on Jayneen Sanders website Educate2Empower.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you're thinking about where you'll give birth, chances are you're not thinking of fluorescent lights, beeping noises and lots of metal surfaces. Janet Purcell is a registered nurse and positive birth advocate. Janet believes that whether you're having a vaginal birth in a birthing suiteor a planned or emergency caesarean, there are ways you can make the experience a more positive one. Janet runs through the ways you can make a hospital feel more like home, ever when your birth hasn't gone to plan. For more information about Janet check out her website Birthplace.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Melanie Corlett had a toddler and a baby on the way when she decided that something needed to be done about the kind of support being offered to new mums. So in the thick of the 2020 lockdown she started to develop the app Mumli a place where new mums can collate the information most relevant to them. Melanie talks about raising a business and a baby at the same time and why she thinks this app will make things easier for mums.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even as we head towards greater choice when it comes to having children, there is one group of people who are still fighting against prejudice when it comes to having children. Eliza Hull is a contemporary musician, disability advocate and the editor of We've Got This, Stories by Disabled Parents. Eliza says that despite the judgments parents with a disability often get from those around them, they're actually really well equipped to raise children. She debunks some myths about parents with disability and explains how we can all be better allies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a lot of advice out there on how to deal with bullies. But when you're confronted with the experience in real life it can feel incredibly nuanced and even awkward. Dr Vanessa Lapointe is a psychologist and author who leads from the heart. In this interview she gives us some excellent advice on how to identify if you child is being bullied, how to respond appropriately, and what to do if your child is the bully.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our priorities around work can shift a lot after having a baby. Which is not to say that our jobs are no longer important, just that they may no longer have top billing. And even if they do remain high on the priority list, the question of how to manage work with sleep deprivation can be a tricky one to solve. Chelsea Pottenger is the founder and director of EQ Minds, a company that helps businesses address mental wellbeing for their workforces. Chelsea talks about how we can cope with sleep deprivation, and also bring mindfulness to the work we do after we have kids. The meditations for kids referred to in this episode include: CalmBedtime ExplorersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine not knowing you're pregnant until you go into labour. For many women that seems impossible, but it's a rare phenomenon that does happen.  These types of pregnancies are referred to as hidden, concealed or cryptic pregnancies. Hannah Dahlen is a Professor of Midwifery at Western Sydney University. She attended a labour of a hidden pregnancy, and talks about how women can go through nine months without knowing they are pregnant.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kerri Sackville is on a mission. The author and journalist wants women everywhere to know that allowing some mess and clutter might just be the secret to a happy life. Her latest book is called The Lifechanging Magic of a Little Bit of Mess. Kerri talks about why no self-respecting parent should have a white lounge, and the joy of collecting (and keeping) little cows.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Becoming a parent can be a mixture of big feelings - both joy and sorrow. It can also be physically demanding attending to a newborn's needs. Sharlene Vlahos is the Director of Education at Karitane, a non-profit organisation supporting parents raising children. Sharlene gives us her top tips on transitioning to parenthood. Additional resources if you're struggling: PANDACOPEThe Gidget FoundationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jess Moore ended up travelling halfway around the world in order to have a baby, but along the way she went through over ten rounds of IVF and attempted to use eggs from a friend. After several years and a lot of heartache she finally fell pregnant with her little boy at 45 years of age. Jess talks about her experience, including how she was able to keep going after so many set backs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.