Parents We've Met

rova | Parenting Place New Zealand
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Kia ora and welcome to Parents We've Met, where we wade into the magical, messy depths of parenthood to uncover the moments and learnings that keep us coming back for more.  We're your hosts, Jenny Hale and Dayna Galloway, and together we share candid and inspiring conversations with well-known New Zealand parents - and experts - who, just like us, are navigating the wild and wonderful terrain that is parenthood.  With Jenny 's 'Parent Coach' hat on, we delve into a wide range of topics, from neurodiversity, to co-parenting, tricky teen behaviours, sleep struggles, grief, loss, big emotions and SO much more. While most of these chats are light-hearted, at times we also dip our toes into some big topics of conversation that are aimed at a parent audience – and not suitable for little ears!  Parents We’ve Met is brought to you by Parenting Place – a charity with a heart for New Zealand families. Explore our self-guided online courses and hundreds of free parenting articles and ideas at parentingplace.nz

  1. Rachael Wilson: Taking the fight out of food

    5D AGO

    Rachael Wilson: Taking the fight out of food

    Listener note: In this episode we briefly reference eating disorders. We approach this topic gently, but if this is a topic that is sensitive for you, please take care while listening. Jenny and Dayna are joined this week by one of New Zealand's leading child nutrition experts, Rachael Wilson, for a jam-packed chat on raising kids with healthy, positive relationships with food and their bodies.   Rachael is a mum-to-two, a UK-trained registered dietician specialising in family feeding, feeding disorders, disordered eating and body image - and co-founder of Aotearoa-based parenting and nutrition initiative, The Food Tree.   In this episode, Rachael generously shares her knowledge on a wide range of topics, from school lunches, navigating ‘beige food’ phases and selective eating, reducing mealtime battles and role modelling well, to supporting autonomy around food and encouraging positive body talk.  She also explains ARFID and shares some red flags' parents can look out for; she looks at mindful anxiety regulation around food; and warning signs that might indicate disordered eating in a teen. Rachael also answers some popular listener questions, including:  Do my kids have to finish dinner before dessert? What do I do if their school lunch box comes home half eaten?  How do I get my child to eat more ‘colourful’ foods?  Is hiding veges in food a good idea? Should I insist that my child finishes their plate?  How do I manage the mountains of chocolate and treats on days like Easter and Halloween?  If my child is obsessed with a certain food, is it true that I should serve it more often? What do I do if they won’t eat their dinner, but are complaining about being hungry?  Should I compliment my child on their appearance?  For more information on Rachael’s work, visit www.thefoodtree.co. Check out some of the articles referenced in this episode: https://www.thefoodtree.co/post/let-s-take-the-pressure-out-of-our-children-s-lunchboxes  https://www.thefoodtree.co/post/ellyn-satter-and-the-division-of-responsibility-how-can-it-help-your-child-s-eating  For support and resources around eating disorders, check out: https://www.ed.org.nz/ For free support for mental distress, please check out the below resources: Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor.  Youthline 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat.  Just a thought Email: hello@justathought.co.nz    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    45 min
  2. Coaches’ couch: What sensitive kids need most

    MAR 2

    Coaches’ couch: What sensitive kids need most

    When their feelings are in the drivers’ seat, family life can feel tough! Parent Coach Sheridan Eketone joins us on the couch this week to unpack high sensitivity in kids and offer some hot tips and encouragement for parents on that journey.  Together with Jenny and Dayna, she explores what’s going on for sensitive kids and why a simple reframe can turn sensitivity into a gift - a trait to work with, not against. She offers simple strategies for building buffer time and downtime into weekly rhythms, pre-empting and preparing for overwhelming situations, using simple emotional check-ins – and helping to raise them into resilient adults.  Parents We’ve Met is brought to you by Parenting Place – a charity with a heart for New Zealand families. Explore our self-guided online courses and hundreds of free parenting articles and ideas ⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠.    Find us on:⁠⁠⁠ YouTube⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠Tik Tok ⁠⁠⁠/⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    23 min
  3. Helen Manson: Tough enough for the world, tender enough to care

    FEB 23

    Helen Manson: Tough enough for the world, tender enough to care

    This week we're joined by Helen Manson – a mum-of-four, humanitarian photographer and storyteller, whose work has taken her into some of the most vulnerable communities in the world.   Together with her husband Tim, Helen has created a beautiful ‘stretchy' family made up of adopted, biological and fostered kids and a picture of life that’s curious, outward-focused and ‘bigger than their own backyard’.  Moving back to New Zealand from Uganda in 2020, they have navigated through the challenges that come with transitioning into a new way of life, while staying connected to the old one. Generous with her knowledge, Helen talks to Jenny and Dayna about raising kids with grit who are aware of the wider world (while also protected from the weight of it), and who have the building blocks to develop deep empathy and compassion for others.  She shares openly about the challenges of foster care, and the need for intentional rhythms and dreams to anchor the logistics of a very busy family life.  You can see more of Helen’s humanitarian photography and storytelling work here https://www.helenmanson.com/ and more about the International Justice Mission here https://www.ijm.org/.  Parents We’ve Met is brought to you by Parenting Place – a charity with a heart for New Zealand families. Explore our self-guided online courses and hundreds of free parenting articles and ideas ⁠HERE⁠.   Find us on:⁠⁠ YouTube⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Tik Tok ⁠⁠/⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    35 min
  4. Coaches' couch: Raising emotionally resilient kids

    FEB 16

    Coaches' couch: Raising emotionally resilient kids

    Parent Coach Kristin Ward is back on the Coaches’ Couch with Jenny and Dayna this week to chat about the vast benefits of emotion coaching - teaching kids to understand and manage their emotions (both the tiny and the mighty ones!) well. Together, they explore why allowing and validating big emotions matters, how your choice of words can dismiss or override emotions (usually unintentionally!), and practical ways to teach ‘healthy’ expressions of everyday feelings. Plus, Kristin shares some hot tips for managing meltdowns, modelling emotional coping, naming feelings, and supporting children in dealing well with challenging feelings like disappointment, frustration, and anger. Parents We’ve Met is brought to you by Parenting Place – a charity with a heart for New Zealand families. Explore our self-guided online courses and hundreds of free parenting articles and ideas ⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠.   Find us on:⁠⁠⁠ YouTube⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠Tik Tok ⁠⁠⁠/⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    25 min
  5. Backing kids in sport, with mindset coach Dave Mackay

    FEB 9

    Backing kids in sport, with mindset coach Dave Mackay

    Dave Mackay is the founder of Sideline Advisor, a counselling and mentoring service for young athletes. In this episode he chats with Dayna and Jenny about how parents can help kids to thrive in, and enjoy sports, navigate performance-related anxiety and achieve long-term success in their chosen sports. Dave shares why effort matters more than outcomes, why he doesn’t believe in ‘player of the day’ - and why parents should ‘let the coach be the coach’. He also tackles some of your burning questions like:  What happens when kids are pushed too hard in sports?   How can you create memories around sports that go beyond the loss or win?  What should you do – and not do – on the sideline?  What are the traits of young people who succeed in sports in the long term?  What are some myths about high performance sport?  Parents We’ve Met is brought to you by Parenting Place – a charity with a heart for New Zealand families. Explore our self-guided online courses and hundreds of free parenting articles and ideas ⁠HERE⁠.   Find us on:⁠⁠ YouTube⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Tik Tok ⁠⁠/⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    34 min
  6. Coaches’ couch: Back to school (but make it stress-free!)

    JAN 26

    Coaches’ couch: Back to school (but make it stress-free!)

    We're back for 2026 and leaning straight into the good stuff! Dayna and Jenny are joined by Parent Coach Sheridan Eketone for a timely chat on the (often) tricky transition from summer holidays to the start of the school year.  We tackle back-to-school anxiety, big feelings, friendships, after-school meltdowns and the bevy of emotions around school and pre-school. Sheridan shares handy tips for parents on making school transitions easier, including rehearsals, ‘bridges to separation’ and ‘leaving and receiving’ rituals, along with ideas for some simple things you can do daily to support confidence and independence. For our TEENS, we talk re-establishing healthy school-week routines, especially when it comes to sleep and phones, and structuring daily and weekly schedules to reduce worry and anxiety.  Check out some of the resources mentioned in this episode:  Untangling Anxiety: Supporting kids through worry and fear – an online self-guided course for parents and caregivers: https://hub.parentingplace.nz/courses/untangling-anxiety The Red Plate: https://parentingplace.nz/shop/red-plate-ceramic The power of rehearsals: https://parentingplace.nz/resources/lets-rehearse-how-to-make-a-hard-thing-easier  Time to spare and why it matters in parenting: https://parentingplace.nz/resources/time-to-spare-and-why-it-matters-in-parenting  Parents We’ve Met is brought to you by Parenting Place – a charity with a heart for New Zealand families. Explore our self-guided online courses and hundreds of free parenting articles and ideas HERE.  Find us on:⁠ YouTube⁠ / ⁠Instagram⁠ / ⁠Facebook⁠ / ⁠Tik Tok ⁠/⁠LinkedIn  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    17 min
  7. Vasa Fia Collins: Finding strength in the face of grief

    12/15/2025

    Vasa Fia Collins: Finding strength in the face of grief

    Dayna and Jenny are joined this week by a very special guest, Vasa Fia Collins. Fia is the wife of the late Fa'anānā Efeso Collins - a deeply respected Samoan community leader, Auckland politician, educator and advocate - whose sudden passing in February 2024 had a profound impact on his family and the communities he served. Fia shares what it’s been like to walk through deep loss and grief, supporting her two daughters while also finding her own footing. She reflects on the individual ways her girls have navigated grief, the challenge of rebuilding routines and confidence after profound change, and how Samoan culture, faith and community have anchored their whānau through it all.  She honours the dedicated father that Efeso was to their daughters – his humour, playfulness, strengths and hope for their futures – and shares how she hopes to carry forward the dreams that they had so intentionally built together.   Parents We’ve Met is brought to you by Parenting Place – a charity with a heart for New Zealand families. Explore our self-guided online courses and hundreds of free parenting articles and ideas HERE.  Find us on:⁠ YouTube⁠ / ⁠Instagram⁠ / ⁠Facebook⁠ / ⁠Tik Tok ⁠/⁠LinkedIn  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    45 min
  8. Coaches’ couch: Does your kid want tech for Christmas?

    12/08/2025

    Coaches’ couch: Does your kid want tech for Christmas?

    Is a new phone or gaming console topping your kid’s Christmas wish list? Or is tech already a part of daily life? Either way, this chat’s for you.  Jenny and Dayna are joined by Parent Coach Sheridan Eketone for a deep dive into navigating screens and the digital world without meltdowns, battles or bribery.  In this episode, we cover everything from setting kids up for safety before they hop online, to modelling the digital habits we want them to adopt - and resetting boundaries if things have gone too far.  With Sheridan’s help, we also offer simple tools like drawing up a family tech agreement or first phone agreement together – and getting through the long summer break (school holidays!) without leaning on the screens.  Looking for support when it comes to screen time, online safety and first devices? Check out: Digital Parenting: Raising kids in an online world.  Parents We’ve Met is brought to you by Parenting Place – a charity with a heart for New Zealand families.  Find us on:⁠ YouTube⁠ / ⁠Instagram⁠ / ⁠Facebook⁠ / ⁠Tik Tok ⁠/⁠LinkedIn  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    21 min
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Trailers

About

Kia ora and welcome to Parents We've Met, where we wade into the magical, messy depths of parenthood to uncover the moments and learnings that keep us coming back for more.  We're your hosts, Jenny Hale and Dayna Galloway, and together we share candid and inspiring conversations with well-known New Zealand parents - and experts - who, just like us, are navigating the wild and wonderful terrain that is parenthood.  With Jenny 's 'Parent Coach' hat on, we delve into a wide range of topics, from neurodiversity, to co-parenting, tricky teen behaviours, sleep struggles, grief, loss, big emotions and SO much more. While most of these chats are light-hearted, at times we also dip our toes into some big topics of conversation that are aimed at a parent audience – and not suitable for little ears!  Parents We’ve Met is brought to you by Parenting Place – a charity with a heart for New Zealand families. Explore our self-guided online courses and hundreds of free parenting articles and ideas at parentingplace.nz

Information

  • Creator
    rova | Parenting Place New Zealand
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    41
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Parenting Place New Zealand
  • Show Website
    Parents We've Met

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