The Parenting Couch Rachel Chappell and Sarah Levett

We all want to be the best parents we can for our kids... but nobody is perfect, and we can always learn new tips to help our kids thrive! From setting high expectations and comparing our kids to others, to being a little bit "too" gentle in our parenting, Dr Justin Coulson outlines the biggest mistakes parents make... and shares his expert guidance to help us get out of these traps. 

About Dr Justin Coulson

Dr Justin Coulson is the co-host and parenting expert on Channel Nine’s “Parental Guidance” and the founder of happyfamilies.com.au. He holds a PhD in Psychology and is one of Australia’s most trusted parenting experts.

Over the past decade he has helped innumerable families with his 9 books about raising children, his hundreds of media appearances (including all of Australia’s major news outlets, and even the Washington Post and the New York Times), and two viral videos that have been viewed a combined 80 million times!

Justin earned his PhD in Psychology from the University of Wollongong. He and his wife Kylie have been married since the late 90s and are the parents of 6 daughters and the grandparents of 1 granddaughter.

Justin is also a sought-after keynote speaker, helping organisations and schools boost wellbeing and improve relationships.


Justin's new book, The Parenting Revolution

In The Parenting Revolution, Dr Justin Coulson also digs deep into the practical applications of this revolutionary new approach to parenting, looking in depth at a range of tricky parenting challenges including school refusal, homework, screen time, saying no, the morning rush, when your children don’t listen and how to parent on the same page. Buy a copy online now!

Essential Details: Dr Justin Coulson
Visit Happy Families websiteWatch Parental Guidance Season 2Buy The Parenting Revolution online now!#theparentingcouch #theparentingcouchpodcast #parenting #northshoremums

Online predators hide in all corners of the internet… and it’s more important than ever to understand the risks, how to reduce harm and what to do if you suspect something isn’t right.

We chat with Jen Hoey, Parent Cyber Safety Consultant who shares her important insights into the importance of digital protection for children.

From social media platforms to online gaming, our children navigate a virtual landscape fraught with potential threats. As parents and carers, it falls upon us to equip ourselves with the knowledge and tools necessary to safeguard their online experiences.

Jen shares the distressing experience that her nine-year-old daughter had with an online predator - to help parents understand just how easily this can happen. She shares some simple strategies that parents can apply to prevent it happening to their child, as well as some important rules around tech in the home.

Listen to learn how to navigate the digital age with vigilance and care.


About Jen Hoey

As a Parent Cyber Safety Consultant and the founder of 'Not My Kid', Jen Hoey specialises in providing parents with resources and information aimed at protecting children from online dangers, advocating for reduced screen time, and preventing online child sexual exploitation.

Jen is a mother of three - two in their early twenties, and a younger child in primary school.

Jen’s daughter was exposed to an online predator when she was just nine years old, giving her first-hand experience with the challenges faced by children and parents in the digital age.

Jen has completed many courses in online safety and is currently pursuing a degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice. She has also managed her husband's psychiatric practice for over ten years, where she has observed a worrying increase in teenagers needing help because of problematic internet use.

Jen’s mission is to preserve childhood and keep all children safe from online child sexual exploitation, by empowering their parents through education.


Where to report online abuse or illegal content:
Australian Centre to Counter Child ExploitationeSafety Commissioner
Follow Not My Kid:
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Victoria Vanstone is the creator and host of the hugely popular Sober Awkward podcast. Her new memoir A Thousand Wasted Sundays is an unashamedly warts and all look at modern day drinking culture, its impact on mental health and one mothers journey into freeing herself from the grip of socially normalised binge drinking. 
 
Victoria grew up in 1980s England in a happy home full of laughter, booze and a disturbing amount of fancy-dress parties. From her youthful days downing cheap wine at the local park to dodging disastrous relationships and a messy run-in with a firework, her reliable mate alcohol was never far from reach. 
 
Throughout her 20s she travelled the world, sought refuge in booze, endured a slew of one-night-stands and several holiday romances. Among these dalliances she recalls details of a Thai boyfriend she thought had died in the Tsunami, a guitarist with a soft-rock mullet, a flat capped Canadian, a sweet Japanese boy, a geezer from London and a Romanian man with ‘teeth like abandoned beach huts.’ 
 
Eventually, Victoria found herself in Australia with a husband and a child on the way. After sobering up for her first pregnancy, becoming a boring, bottom-wiping, cleaning machine meant she soon returned to her binge-drinking ways, and had to grapple anew with the habits and beliefs that had gone unchecked since childhood.
 
Incredibly funny and highly relatable, A Thousand Wasted Sundays is for anyone that has ever had a close encounter of the drinking kind.
 
Victoria says, ‘The book is about love, for myself and my family. Owning my story and being proud of who I am, no matter my errors. It’s also about dispelling shame and embracing what we perceive as ‘boring’.’

About Victoria Vanstone

Victoria Vanstone is the host of Sober Awkward – A popular comedy podcast about two ex-party animals navigating parenting and socialising without their old buddy booze. She’s also a blogger www.drunkmummysobermummy.com and the CEO of www.cuppa.community, the free social network for the sober and sober curious.

Victoria started writing on the day she gave up alcohol and became a renowned over-sharer on her blog drunkmummysobermummy.com. 
The reformed 'party girl' is now on a mission to help others stuck in a pattern of normalised social binge drinking via the podcast she co-hosts (Sober Awkward), which tracks two former party animals as they navigate life without booze. Originally from Reading in the UK, Victoria now lives on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland with her brood of uncontrollable children, a rather confused dog, and a very patient husband.


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Vapes, e-cigarettes, stigs, pods… they go by many names and they pose a health risk to our young people.

Would your Year 5 or 6 child know what to do if a vape was offered to them? Would they understand the dangers? Would they know how to say "no"?

It's frighteningly easy for kids to come across vapes. They might find one on the side of the road (yuck!) or have one offered one to them by a friend with older siblings.

Vaping is on the rise with younger kids. Healthy Harold has launched a brand new program designed for kids in primary school, so that when they're offered a vape for the first time, they already have the knowledge and skills to make an informed decision.

Listen to this interview with Lisa Woodward from Life Ed... who shares her insights into what's happening right now with vaping & teens, and why it's more important than ever to educate kids at a younger age.

About Life Ed

LifeEd run fun educational lessons at schools to help kids make safer, healthier and happier choices.

They have recently added a new module to their program, called ‘Take a Breath’ - and it’s for kids in Year 5 and Year 6 at Primary School, to teach them about the dangers of vaping.

Their programs are delivered by a team of specially trained educators and supported by tune in lessons prior to the visit and a series of post-visit resources, their evidence-based program is not a rule book and does not dictate to children, this is essential to our success. Adopting a system-wide approach, their program is most effective when engaging the entire school community; students, teachers and parents. Delivered face to face or virtually.

About Lisa Woodward

As Life Ed Australia’s Content Development Manager, Lisa Woodward is a master of shaping engaging material. But more than this, she has a clear goal in mind: “for every young person in Australia to see someone like them in Life Ed’s educational content.”

Her passion for education and representation comes from her many years of experience at Life Ed. Since 1992, she has used her knowledge, skills, experience and enthusiasm to educate hundreds of young people across Australia. Over the years, she’s been an Educator, trainer, manager, and she’s played an integral part in the creation of Life Ed’s preschool, primary and secondary programs.

She was appointed National Professional Learning Manager in 2018, where she developed and delivered quality training and professional development initiatives to all Educators across Australia.

In 2021, Lisa was seconded to the National Program Development team where she led the redevelopment of new Early Childhood Education resources and some of Life Ed’s most popular modules – including bCyberwise and Relate Respect Connect.

In 2022, Lisa developed and managed the creation of two new modules – Friends and Feelings and The Inside Story.

Lisa is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion and the empowerment of children as she co-designs much of the educational content Life Ed develops with young people, providing them a platform to have their unique voices and life experiences heard.

More Info:  https://lifeed.org.au/
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Want to create lasting positive habits so that you can live the lifestyle you've always wanted? We sit down with the inspiring Dr. Gina Cleo to understand the power of habits - and how we can use them to propel our lives forward.

Dr. Gina Cleo is a trained dietician, author, speaker and habit researcher. Gina specialises in guiding people to transform their habits, whether it's for their health, technology usage, sleep routines, work and money-related behaviours, or relationship dynamics. She’s incredibly passionate about teaching and empowering people to achieve long-term success through the incredible power of habits.

In this episode, we discuss:
How we can use the science of habits to improve our livesWhat can we do to make habits stick?What’s the difference between people who can keep a habit, and others who can’t21 days to create a habit - is it real?How to create habits quicker (so you can reach your goals faster!)The power of visualisation to achieve your goalsWhy you need to set up your environment to support your new habitHow to stop scrolling on your phone before bed

Find out more from Dr Gina Cleo:
Website | Instagram 
Buy 'The Habit Revolution' by Dr Gina Cleo
Free habit training
Habit Tracker Apps
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Are you struggling with getting your baby or toddler to sleep? Or simply want to learn some tips about how to make the process easier? We chat to Baby Sleep Consultant for her expert tips about how to get more sleep for baby... and for YOU! Plus:
What age should a baby be able to ‘sleep through’ the night?Should you use an app to track baby sleep?What is a holistic approach to sleep for each individual child?At what point should you get professional support if your child isn’t sleeping?Importance of rituals to help them sleepDummies. Yes or no?Is it ok to feed your baby to sleep?What to do if your baby wakes up super early?

About Catherine Thompson

Catherine Thompson from Completely Baby is an experienced Baby Sleep Consultant based on the lower north shore of Sydney, who provides practical sleep support and guidance to families with babies and toddlers from newborn up to 3 years.

She has professionally cared for babies and toddlers for over 20 years as a Children’s Nurse and Early Childhood Educator. As a mother of two girls, she appreciates more than ever the daily challenges you might be facing with your own baby. This can be a stressful and anxious time for you which is why getting the right support and guidance is crucial to give you and your baby the best possible start in this journey together.

When it comes to sleep there is no such thing as a ‘one size fits all approach’! Like adults, all babies have different sleep requirements and can find falling asleep easy or difficult.

Find out more about Catherine Thompson from Completely Baby:
Website | Facebook | Instagram
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