Parenting and Personalities

One thing about being a parent – there’s no shortage of personalities to be surrounded by. Our kids, our partners, our family, our friends. They keep us laughing, growing, loving, and crying. If only they understood us. Like the musician Van Morrison once sang “When people understand what I mean, mama said there will be days like this.” Adelaide Australia’s Kate Mason is an author, wife, and mother who has spent her career studying personality and relationships. In this podcast she looks at why relationships work, and why some don't. She also looks at how our personalities impact our relationships and examines what compels our children, husbands, wives and others to behave the way they do. This podcast is designed to help you understand those you love. A half hour listening on your own, will connect you with the ones you care about the most.

  1. 1 hr ago

    Why "Keeping the Peace" Is Destroying Your Family Relationships

    What if the arguments in your relationship weren't signs of failure but invitations to finally understand yourself and the people you love most? Kate Mason sits down with Amy Armstrong, family resolution coach and founder of the Center for Family Resolution.  Amy's journey began not in a textbook, but on her bathroom floor… heartbroken, disconnected, and reaching for something she couldn't name.  That personal reckoning became the foundation for her powerful work helping individuals, couples, and families move from conflict to clarity.  Amy shares her transformative "pro-me, not anti-you" philosophy, the art of fighting well in front of your children, and how "care without carrying" can make you the kind of friend, partner, and parent everyone needs.  Whether you're navigating a difficult relationship, a co-parenting challenge, or simply want to understand those you love more deeply, this episode is a masterclass in connection.   Listen for: 1:53 How did Amy Armstrong's own heartbreak become the beginning of her life's work? 6:31 What does it really mean to go from being a peacemaker to a truth teller? 9:00 What is the "pro-me, not anti-you" approach and how does it change family conflict? 17:38 How do you disagree well in front of your children without damaging them? 24:13 What does it mean to "care without carrying" and how do parents use it today?   Guest Amy Armstrong, Conflict Resolution Specialist | Co-Founder |The Center for Family Resolution Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok    Leave a rating/review for this podcast with one click   Contact Kate: Email | Website | Kate’s Book on Amazon | LinkedIn | Facebook | X

    Why "Keeping the Peace" Is Destroying Your Family Relationships
  2. 8 Sept

    What Every Parent Needs to Know About Child Influencers

    What if the photos and videos you lovingly share of your children online are entering a world you never imagined… and can't fully see?  Kate Mason sits down with Crystal Abidin; Malay-Australian professor of internet studies at Curtin University, anthropologist, and mother, to explore one of the most pressing and least understood challenges facing modern families.  Crystal's new book, Child Influencers: How Children Become Entangled with Social Media Fame, pulls back the curtain on the world of child influencers, from the mummy-blogging origins of the 1990s to the AI-doctored dangers of today.  Whether you've casually shared a birthday photo or are raising a child who dreams of going viral, this conversation offers vital insight, a global perspective, and the practical understanding every parent urgently needs.   Listen for: 4:50 Where did child influencers actually come from and how did it all begin? 9:27 How do East Asian countries approach children and social media so differently to Australia? 12:35 What is "sharenting" and how does everyday family sharing become a risk? 15:47 What gaps in the law leave child influencers unprotected when filming at home? 29:02 What is Crystal's most important advice for parents sharing their children online?   Guest: Crystal Abidin, Professor of Internet Studies, Curtin University; Anthropologist and Ethnographer of Internet Cultures Website | Publication | Instagram | Child Influencers   Leave a rating/review for this podcast with one click   Contact Kate: Email | Website | Kate’s Book on Amazon | LinkedIn | Facebook | X

    What Every Parent Needs to Know About Child Influencers
  3. 23 Jun

    Matrescence: The Identity Shift No One Warns Mums About

    What if the exhaustion and lost sense of self in early motherhood aren't signs you're failing but signs you're being remade?  Kate Mason welcomes Benita Bensch, author, certified Motherhood Studies Practitioner, clarity coach, farmer, and mum of four boys, for a warm, honest conversation about matrescence, the profound identity shift of becoming a mother.  Benita shares her own journey through postnatal anxiety and burnout, the "black hole" she hit with four children under four, and the science and language that finally helped it all make sense.  Together they explore why understanding this transition matters, how to recognise when to seek help, and why reclaiming your identity makes you a wholer parent.  It's an empowering, hope-filled listen for anyone who has ever quietly wondered, "Who am I now?"   Listen for: 8:00 Why did Benita gradually start to lose her sense of self? 10:24 What do the physical symptoms of postnatal anxiety feel like? 11:57 What does hitting the "black hole" of motherhood look like? 16:52 What is matrescence and why aren't mothers told about it? 25:49 When should an overwhelmed mum reach out for help?    Guest Benita Bensch, Author, Speaker & Clarify Coach for Women  Website | LinkedIn | Email | Instagram | Facebook  | Seen Again: Light on Matrescence Book   Leave a rating/review for this podcast with one click   Contact Kate: Email | Website | Kate’s Book on Amazon | LinkedIn | Facebook | X

    Matrescence: The Identity Shift No One Warns Mums About
  4. 9 Jun

    Your Partner Isn't Gaslighting You. Or Are They?

    Have you ever walked away from a disagreement with your partner absolutely certain of what was said…only to have them remember it completely differently? What if that isn't manipulation at all, but simply the way human memory actually works? Kate Mason welcomes back Associate Professor Celine Vangolde from the University of Sydney, whose research explores memory, trauma, child testimony, and psychological abuse.  Celine's work sits at the intersection of science and real-life relationships, examining how memories are formed, stored, retrieved, and yes, sometimes misremembered entirely…and what that means for the families and couples navigating those moments every day. This conversation takes a deep, accessible dive into the term "gaslighting", where it came from, how it has evolved, and critically, when a normal memory disagreement ends and genuine psychological abuse begins.  Understanding personality types, memory distrust, and the role of intention gives parents and partners the insight they need to protect themselves and their families.   Listen for: 03:03 How does memory actually work and why don't two people ever remember the same event? 06:52 Where did the term gaslighting originate and how did it evolve over time? 13:43 What does Celine's research reveal about how couples misidentify memory conflicts as gaslighting? 17:11 How should someone decide if they are truly being gaslit or simply in a normal disagreement? 20:21 When does a caring, protective relationship cross the line into coercive control and abuse? Leave a rating/review for this podcast with one click   Guest Celine Vangolde, Associate Professor University of Sydney School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, specializing in forensic psychology and memory research Online Bio | LinkedIn Contact Kate: Email | Website | Kate’s Book on Amazon | LinkedIn | Facebook | X

    Your Partner Isn't Gaslighting You. Or Are They?

About

One thing about being a parent – there’s no shortage of personalities to be surrounded by. Our kids, our partners, our family, our friends. They keep us laughing, growing, loving, and crying. If only they understood us. Like the musician Van Morrison once sang “When people understand what I mean, mama said there will be days like this.” Adelaide Australia’s Kate Mason is an author, wife, and mother who has spent her career studying personality and relationships. In this podcast she looks at why relationships work, and why some don't. She also looks at how our personalities impact our relationships and examines what compels our children, husbands, wives and others to behave the way they do. This podcast is designed to help you understand those you love. A half hour listening on your own, will connect you with the ones you care about the most.

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