Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families

Studies show that Australian kids aren’t doing enough active play and aren’t taking part in as much active transportation as they used to (eg. walking or riding a bike to school). The current obesity epidemic in Australia is just one symptom of this. In this podcast episode Dr Justin discusses the reasons why Aussie kids are not spending enough time outside, the detrimental effect that this has on their wellbeing and what we as parents can do about it. If you’re interested in learning more about a healthy digital diet for your children check out Dr Justin’s Super Solutions for Technology Troubles for Children from Toddlers to Teens and also his free Technology Tickets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When life puts you in a tight spot, don’t ask, ‘Why me?’ Instead, stand tall and say, ‘Try me!’ We’ve all heard the term ‘Post Traumatic Stress’ but what about ‘Post Traumatic Growth’? What if instead of letting life’s challenges and difficult times make us anxious and stressed, we focused on how the experience would strengthen us? This simple change in perspective can be extremely empowering as it allows us to look at adversity as an opportunity to build strength and character. It reminds us that we are who we are because of the challenges we have overcome. But how do we nurture this resilient mindset in our kids, and in ourselves? This episode explores the term ‘Post Traumatic Growth’ and explains how it can help us, and our kids, become more resilient. Post Traumatic Growth is explored further in the first chapter of my book 9 Ways to a Resilient Child.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you’re a parent who works full-time, or even part-time, how do you prioritise connection with your kids? Whether we work from home or outside the home, our children want us in their lives and we want to be in their lives. But of course, that’s not always possible. It’s not always practical to go to every school event and sports game. How do we know which ones matter most? And how do we overcome the guilt when we really can’t be there? Our children need to feel like they’re important in our lives. But how do we do that when we have so many competing priorities? Creating clear boundaries, getting creative and keeping communication open is key. And it doesn’t have to take long! This podcast provides some simple strategies for making sure your kids feel like they matter (because they do).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Think of the times that your parenting has been its best. Those times where you were unconditionally there for your child and it felt right. Show Notes When I ask parents to tell me about those times, these are the answers I hear: * Dinner time conversations * Holidays with no agendas * Weekends at the park or the beach * Playing games in the lounge room * Walking and talking * The last ten minutes each night when I tuck them in and we just chat It seems that time together, really focusing on one another, is the most profound and powerful way for us to build strong relationships and feel like great parents. No parent has ever told me they felt like they were being the best parent they could be while they did overtime at the office, snuck away for an anniversary weekend, or watched a late-night movie. While getting some ‘me-time’ or providing for the family can help us to be good parents, it seems that ‘we-time’, or time together has the potential to bring out the best in us and our kids. This podcast looks at five research-backed ways to help you be the best parent you can be, and also bring out the best in your children. In Ask Dr Justin we’ll look at guidance-based discipline for a little boy who won’t stop hitting mum. And information about how you can access a HUGE discount on the 21 Days to a Happier Family online video program.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this podcast we’re looking at how to make the Internet Invasion – the Screen Tsunami – less cumbersome, exhausting, and outright punishing on the entire family. Show Notes Screens are here to stay and our kids are all over them! They know more than us in many cases, and they want to be on there! And when I ask parents what their biggest challenge is with tech, the answer is almost universal – we just want them to turn it off! * 1:17 60 second psychology – what rules should parents have for tech… according to the kids? * 3:08 What’s the biggest issue that your children face with tech? * 4:48 How much are your children on devices and screens? * 5:40 How do you deal with children refusing to get off a screen? * 7:10 The Screen Tsunami * 7:45 Screens and Relationships * 13:25 Screens and Sleep * 16:01 Screens and Wellbeing * 17:45 Top Tips for having a Healthy Relationship with your Phone * 20:10 3 minute therapy – Oppositional Defiant Disorder * 23:58 3 minute therapy – Reward charts * 27:00 Five suggestions to help challenging children * 31:05 $50 Discount for the 21 Days to a Happier Family online programSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For episode 14 of the Happy Families podcast we’re looking into discipline. What is it? How is it working for you? What makes for the best kind of discipline? We’ll investigate the 7 reasons punishments don’t work, and take a close look at what great discipline is all about. Show Notes A new segment starts in this episode: 60 second psychology. Today’s research article looks at the impact of parenting style on teenagers decisions around prosocial behaviour, friendship choices, alcohol and other drug use, and academic efforts… and the results may surprise you. And in my 3-minute therapy session a mum asks how to stop the cycle of abuse in her home. It’s an important and challenging question. * 1:43 60 second psychology * 3:55 Punishment as discipline * 4:22 YOUR SAY: What do you think of when you hear the word, discipline? * 5:29 YOUR SAY: What kinds of discipline do most parents rely on? * 6:58 The really unusual response * 7:18 What is punishment? * 7:28 What is discipline? * 7:58 7 reasons punishment is bad for our kids * 11:58 YOUR SAY: How long does punishment work for? * 12:58 YOUR SAY: How does your family feel when you use punishment? * 14:00 What to do for discipline * 18:40 Three minute therapy – stopping the cycle of abuseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s podcast: Innocence lost. We’re talking about the public health crisis that is pornography and the way that it’s affecting our children. Note – In this podcast I’ll be discussing content that is of a highly sensitive nature. In the past few weeks I attended a conference about pornography and the way it harms young people. On Tuesday February 9, activist group Collective Shout hosted Australia’s first symposium on the harm that pornography does to children. Experts from all backgrounds agree: pornography is hurting our children. I’m going to spend some time sharing things that were reinforced at the conference that EVERY parent needs to know about – because the reality is that your children WILL see pornography. And in today’s podcast, specific tips for every parent for how to deal with pornography in your children’s lives. Show Notes The following resources and people can provide additional information for people who are interested in this topic:Basically… porn is everywhere. A report from the UK Children’s Commissioner. Website: It’s time we talked.Maree Crabbe– Reality and RiskMelinda Tankard Reist * 2:40 Am I the only parent worried about this? * 6:45 How old are children when first see pornography? * 7:45 How children see pornography at school * 12:45 Children are seeing pornography BEFORE they’ve ever held someone’s hand * 18:30 How old should your children be before you talk about pornography? * 19:20 What does pornography teach our children? * 26:50 How does a 14 year-old girl get convinced to send nude images to a boy at school? * 31:15 How do we talk to a child about pornography? * 34:30 A sample conversation about pornography with your child * 40:25 Wrap up Save $40 on 21 Days to a Happier Family online program – This is a special offer ONLY for Newsletter and Podcast subscribers. This week only, save $40 on 21 Days to a Happier Family – the online program – by using the code “giveme40” at the checkout. Make your family happier, and save!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Show Notes I speak to people almost every day who are struggling with their family relationships. Parents are tired of their children’s challenging behaviour. Children are stressed and struggling to live up to the perfection their parents demand. And frankly, some of the families I deal with are in real trouble… I remember one parent of a teenager who was tremendously aggressive, and I could not do or say anything that could convince him to consider that his attitude was toxic to his relationship with his daughter. It was all her fault. He wasn’t doing anything wrong… but the sad truth is he barely registered just how much trouble their relationship was in. In this podcast, we’ll review 5 ways we can know that our relationship is in trouble. * 0:00 Intro * 2:47 5 Ways to Know Your Relationship With Your Children is in Trouble * 10:20 Three minute therapy: How to handle angry children * 18:34 Are parents servants?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week’s podcast – Do you know someone who is always right? They can’t be convinced otherwise, even when they’re absolutely wrong. Show notes To start off this podcast, we’re going to get a little deep, and investigate how we do this as parents, and what it does to our children. I hope you’re open to exploring a little inside yourself, and considering how you see the world… because this is going to be a challenging thing to consider. And do you ever find yourself telling porky pies – little lies – to your children? One mum has told her daughter a BIG ONE… and she’s asked me for some advice in Dr Justin’s three minute therapy. * 2:24 – People who are always right * 11:12 – Three minute therapy – is it ok to lie to children? * 17:37 – Tips for a happy familySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is there a way to be happy that feels best for you? Do you seek happiness in the same predictable patterns? Over recent decades, researchers have considered the different ways we might be oriented to happiness. They’ve developed a model of 3 orientations – or pathways – to happiness and we’ll explore them briefly in today’s podcast. Show notes I think it’s fair to say that we all want to be happy… and perhaps even “happy – er”. But how do we get there? What can we do to make ourselves lastingly happier? Is it even possible. Today, we explore 3 orientations to happiness – or perhaps we might call them pathways. These pathways are: * Hedonic Happiness * Engagement/Flow * Eudaimonic Happiness Throughout this podcast we’ll take a close look at each of these ways of being happy, and explore some simple things you can do to implement them more into your daily life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.