Justin speaks with Dr Anthea Rhodes about parents and play

Topics included in this episode -
Dr Anthea Rhodes from RCH National Child Health Poll
Australian Families: How We Play
How play has changed over the years
Play is repetitive 
Bandit from Bluey has set a high bar
Options for play partners
Screen play
Outside play
Risk taking & safety concerns
Extracurricular activities

Find us on Facebook at Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families

Email us your questions and comments at podcasts@happyfamilies.com.au

Justin speaks with Dr Anthea Rhodes about parents and play
Topics included in this episode -
<ul>
<li>Dr Anthea Rhodes from <a href="https://rchpoll.org.au/">RCH National Child Health Poll</a></li>
<li><a href="https://rchpoll.org.au/polls/australian-families-how-we-play/">Australian Families: How We Play</a></li>
<li>How play has changed over the years</li>
<li>Play is repetitive </li>
<li>Bandit from Bluey has set a high bar</li>
<li>Options for play partners</li>
<li>Screen play</li>
<li>Outside play</li>
<li>Risk taking &amp; safety concerns</li>
<li>Extracurricular activities</li>
</ul>
Find us on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/happyfamilies.au/">Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families</a>
Email us your questions and comments at <a href="mailto:podcasts@happyfamilies.com.au">podcasts@happyfamilies.com.au</a>

Deciding which parenting advice to follow? Join the thousands of mums and dads who turn to Australia’s most downloaded parenting podcast.

Dr Justin Coulson and his wife Kylie bring real parenting solutions every day, cutting through the noise of modern advice with clear, practical guidance for every step of parenting.

From early childhood challenges to the complexities of the teenage years, each daily episode offers simple, evidence-based strategies to help you feel more confident in your decisions and more connected to your kids.

Deciding which parenting advice to follow?&nbsp;Join the thousands of mums and dads who turn to Australia&rsquo;s most downloaded parenting podcast.
Dr Justin Coulson and his wife Kylie bring real parenting solutions every day, cutting through the noise of modern advice with clear, practical guidance for every step of parenting.
From early childhood challenges to the complexities of the teenage years, each daily episode offers simple, evidence-based strategies to help you feel more confident in your decisions and more connected to your kids.

The Happy families podcast with Dr. Justin Coulson is designed for the time poor parent who just wants answers now.

Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families

#750 Whose Job is it to Play With Your Kids?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/281f69a9-a880-45ec-9799-afe10093890f/transcript

Today Justin is taking on a gruelling 50km walk carrying a 10kg vest to raise $50,000 for Top Blokes, a mentoring program helping young men build resilience, develop healthy relationships and learn to ask for help.

After losing his nephew Logan to suicide, this mission is deeply personal.

We need just 600 more people to donate $50 each to reach this target. Can you help lift the load?  Donate here!

Today Justin is taking on a gruelling 50km walk carrying a 10kg vest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lifttheload.org.au/50for50">to raise $50,000 for Top Blokes</a>, a mentoring program helping young men build resilience, develop healthy relationships and learn to ask for help.
After losing his nephew Logan to suicide, this mission is deeply personal.
We need just 600 more people to donate $50 each to reach this target. Can you help lift the load?&nbsp; <a href="https://www.lifttheload.org.au/50for50">Donate here!</a>

Lift The Load Appeal

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/29cf89cf-7509-4561-8f43-b4de0027d78a/transcript

Parenting gets harder when your kids start needing you less.

Justin and Kylie talk about the messy reality of raising children who eventually leave home, make their own choices and face hard things without you beside them. They share a beautiful reminder that resilience rarely looks neat, why the struggle matters, and why the goal of parenting is to make yourself redundant.

They also talk about Justin’s 50K for 50K Lift the Load challenge, raising money to help Top Blokes support boys with mentors and positive models of masculinity.

KEY POINTS
Resilient kids don’t always look confident. Sometimes resilience looks messy, uncertain and uncomfortable.
Your child’s struggle isn’t always something you need to fix. Some struggles are where growth happens.
Kids spell love T-I-M-E. Time with your children still matters when they become adults.
The goal of parenting is to make yourself redundant. When children no longer need you, they can choose to come back because they want to.
Raising boys well means giving them positive models of masculinity, kindness, respect and healthy relationships.
Sometimes doing something meaningful means stepping well outside your comfort zone.

QUOTE OF THE EPISODE

“Make yourself redundant. And the great irony is, if you do it well, because they don’t need you, they come back not because they need you, but because they want to be there.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED
Lift the Load 50K for 50K

ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS
Resist the urge to rescue your child from every uncomfortable experience.
Give your kids time, even when they’re older and independent.
When your child is struggling, ask yourself whether they need rescuing or simply need you beside them.
Look for opportunities to model kindness, respect and healthy relationships.
Think about one thing you can do tomorrow that strengthens your relationship with your child.

Parenting gets harder when your kids start needing you less.
Justin and Kylie talk about the messy reality of raising children who eventually leave home, make their own choices and face hard things without you beside them. They share a beautiful reminder that resilience rarely looks neat, why the struggle matters, and why the goal of parenting is to make yourself redundant.
They also talk about Justin&rsquo;s 50K for 50K Lift the Load challenge, raising money to help Top Blokes support boys with mentors and positive models of masculinity.
KEY POINTS
<ul>
<li>Resilient kids don&rsquo;t always look confident. Sometimes resilience looks messy, uncertain and uncomfortable.</li>
<li>Your child&rsquo;s struggle isn&rsquo;t always something you need to fix. Some struggles are where growth happens.</li>
<li>Kids spell love T-I-M-E. Time with your children still matters when they become adults.</li>
<li>The goal of parenting is to make yourself redundant. When children no longer need you, they can choose to come back because they want to.</li>
<li>Raising boys well means giving them positive models of masculinity, kindness, respect and healthy relationships.</li>
<li>Sometimes doing something meaningful means stepping well outside your comfort zone.</li>
</ul>
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE
&ldquo;Make yourself redundant. And the great irony is, if you do it well, because they don&rsquo;t need you, they come back not because they need you, but because they want to be there.&rdquo;
RESOURCES MENTIONED
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.lifttheload.org.au/50for50">Lift the Load 50K for 50K</a></li>
</ul>
ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS
<ul>
<li>Resist the urge to rescue your child from every uncomfortable experience.</li>
<li>Give your kids time, even when they&rsquo;re older and independent.</li>
<li>When your child is struggling, ask yourself whether they need rescuing or simply need you beside them.</li>
<li>Look for opportunities to model kindness, respect and healthy relationships.</li>
<li>Think about one thing you can do tomorrow that strengthens your relationship with your child.</li>
</ul>

Is 'Letting Go' the Hardest Part of Parenting?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/016c5e39-932e-40e9-b463-b4cd007456ab/transcript

The more you monitor your kids, the more they might hide.

Research on parental monitoring shows that knowing where your kids are matters far less than creating a relationship where they feel safe telling you what is really going on. Justin and Kylie Coulson unpack what the research says about disclosure, surveillance, rules and trust, and share five practical ways to help your kids keep talking when things go wrong.

KEY POINTS
Why kids' voluntary disclosure tells parents more than surveillance
How negative reactions can lead to more secrecy
Why punishment can shut down honesty
How to respond when your child tells you something difficult
Why clear reasons and autonomy-supportive rules build trust
Why covert snooping can make kids sneakier
How to stay connected as children become more independent
The difference between emotion for your child and emotion at your child

QUOTE OF THE EPISODE

“Location apps will show you where they are, but only the relationship that you have will tell you how they are.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED
Stattin and Kerr's 2003 research on parental monitoring and disclosure
Weinstein and Schabulski's research on autonomy-supportive parenting

ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS
Take a breath before reacting when your child tells you something difficult.
Say, “I’m glad you told me,” before jumping into consequences.
Focus on solving the problem rather than punishing the disclosure.
Explain why your rules exist and give your child choices where you can.
Create regular opportunities to talk without turning every conversation into an interrogation.
Get curious, not furious.
Don't rely on covert snooping to find out what your child is doing.

The more you monitor your kids, the more they might hide.
Research on parental monitoring shows that knowing where your kids are matters far less than creating a relationship where they feel safe telling you what is really going on. Justin and Kylie Coulson unpack what the research says about disclosure, surveillance, rules and trust, and share five practical ways to help your kids keep talking when things go wrong.
KEY POINTS
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>Why kids' voluntary disclosure tells parents more than surveillance</li>
<li>How negative reactions can lead to more secrecy</li>
<li>Why punishment can shut down honesty</li>
<li>How to respond when your child tells you something difficult</li>
<li>Why clear reasons and autonomy-supportive rules build trust</li>
<li>Why covert snooping can make kids sneakier</li>
<li>How to stay connected as children become more independent</li>
<li>The difference between emotion for your child and emotion at your child</li>
</ul>
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE
<blockquote>
&ldquo;Location apps will show you where they are, but only the relationship that you have will tell you how they are.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
RESOURCES MENTIONED
<ul data-spread="false">
<li><a href="https://academic.oup.com/chidev/article-abstract/71/4/1072/8284180">Stattin and Kerr's 2003 research</a> on parental monitoring and disclosure</li>
<li>Weinstein and Schabulski's research on autonomy-supportive parenting</li>
</ul>
ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>Take a breath before reacting when your child tells you something difficult.</li>
<li>Say, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad you told me,&rdquo; before jumping into consequences.</li>
<li>Focus on solving the problem rather than punishing the disclosure.</li>
<li>Explain why your rules exist and give your child choices where you can.</li>
<li>Create regular opportunities to talk without turning every conversation into an interrogation.</li>
<li>Get curious, not furious.</li>
<li>Don't rely on covert snooping to find out what your child is doing.</li>
</ul>

Why Your Kids Stop Telling You Things

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/38df0650-a901-463b-a0e4-b4cd0074234e/transcript

#750 Whose Job is it to Play With Your Kids?

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