Life Matters - Full program podcast Parenting advice from Dr Billy Garvey and how to uninvite a friend's four-legged plus-one
Apr 2, 2026
Dr Billy Garvey, developmental paediatrician and parenting podcaster, offers practical parenting wisdom on emotional regulation, co-regulation and setting boundaries. Short segments cover behaviour detective work, stepping through car-seat meltdowns with plan A and plan B, and navigating stepfamily and grandparent tensions. A lighthearted bit helps someone uninvite a friend's four-legged plus-one.
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Behaviour Signals Missing Skills Not Malice
- Assess a child's needs by reconstructing their story from pregnancy to present to find which skill they're missing.
- Don't assume age equals competence; teach emotional skills like you teach riding a bike with support.
Validate Parents Before Prescribing Change
- Validate parents' efforts and use self-disclosure to normalise struggle instead of shaming.
- Shift energy from blaming to dropping unrealistic demands and increasing support for sustainable change.
Praise Progress Not Just Rewards
- Extrinsic motivators like sticker charts work but can undermine intrinsic growth.
- Praise effort and progress (I can see you're getting better at riding the bike) to build internal motivation.
