What if trying to create the perfect family moment is the very thing getting in the way?

After a week away with three of their daughters, Kylie realised she’d arrived with a clear picture of how their time together should look. The reality was completely different. And it turned out to be better. Justin and Kylie unpack the pressure parents put on themselves to get the “recipe” right, why our kids need room to make their own choices, and how letting go of control can create more connection.

Justin also shares what happened when Kylie left him juggling work and parenting, including one spectacular diary fail, and why simple, low-pressure time together can be some of the best parenting we do.

KEY POINTS
Why parenting doesn’t come with a guaranteed recipe for happy, successful kids
How expectations can turn good family experiences into disappointments
Why giving kids space can lead to more openness and connection
The power of simple, unstructured time with your child
Why presence, patience and understanding often matter more than elaborate plans - Justin’s lesson in juggling work and parenting when Kylie went away

QUOTE OF THE EPISODE

“It’s the simple stuff that makes our families work the best.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

What Your Child Needs From You by Justin Coulson

ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS
Notice where you’ve created a “recipe” for how family life should look.
Leave room for your child to choose how they experience a moment.
Swap one carefully planned activity for simple time together.
Focus less on monitoring and more on creating a relationship where your child wants to talk to you.

What if trying to create the perfect family moment is the very thing getting in the way?
After a week away with three of their daughters, Kylie realised she&rsquo;d arrived with a clear picture of how their time together should look. The reality was completely different. And it turned out to be better. Justin and Kylie unpack the pressure parents put on themselves to get the &ldquo;recipe&rdquo; right, why our kids need room to make their own choices, and how letting go of control can create more connection.
Justin also shares what happened when Kylie left him juggling work and parenting, including one spectacular diary fail, and why simple, low-pressure time together can be some of the best parenting we do.
KEY POINTS
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>Why parenting doesn&rsquo;t come with a guaranteed recipe for happy, successful kids</li>
<li>How expectations can turn good family experiences into disappointments</li>
<li>Why giving kids space can lead to more openness and connection</li>
<li>The power of simple, unstructured time with your child</li>
<li>Why presence, patience and understanding often matter more than elaborate plans - Justin&rsquo;s lesson in juggling work and parenting when Kylie went away</li>
</ul>
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE
<blockquote>
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the simple stuff that makes our families work the best.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
RESOURCES MENTIONED
<a href="https://happyfamilies.com.au/shop/product/what-your-child-needs-from-you">What Your Child Needs From You</a> by Justin Coulson
ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>Notice where you&rsquo;ve created a &ldquo;recipe&rdquo; for how family life should look.</li>
<li>Leave room for your child to choose how they experience a moment.</li>
<li>Swap one carefully planned activity for simple time together.</li>
<li>Focus less on monitoring and more on creating a relationship where your child wants to talk to you.</li>
</ul>

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

Stop Trying to Create the Perfect Family

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/83b08a77-de73-448e-8151-b4a000175c7e/transcript

One in three babies is using a phone or tablet by six months old. By age two, almost one in ten is averaging around four hours of screen time a day.

New research into screen use during the first years of life has landed with a confronting warning for parents. Justin and Kylie unpack what researchers call “digital soothing”, why screens can crowd out the interactions babies need for healthy development, and what parents can do when zero screen time feels almost impossible.

KEY POINTS
16% of Australian three and four year olds had recently used TikTok, YouTube or Instagram.
More than half of children are using phones or tablets by their first birthday.
Why researchers are concerned about using screens to soothe, comfort and entertain babies.
How screens can replace the face-to-face “serve and return” interactions that build language and thinking skills.
Higher screen exposure in the early years is linked with poorer sleep, delayed language and cognitive development, weaker social skills and poorer later school performance.
Why watching together is different from leaving a young child alone with a device.

QUOTE OF THE EPISODE

“The first thousand days build the brain. Work hard to get that right.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED
eSafety Commissioner’s Growing Up Online report
Jonathan Haidt’s After Babel Substack
New systematic review of global research into screen use during the first 1,001 days of life

ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS
Aim for as close to zero screen time as possible during the first two years.
Don’t rely on a device as your child’s regular comforter or distraction.
Prioritise talking, playing, moving and face-to-face interaction.
When screen time does happen, watch and engage together rather than handing over the device.
Look at what screen time is replacing, not only what your child is watching.

One in three babies is using a phone or tablet by six months old. By age two, almost one in ten is averaging around four hours of screen time a day.
New research into screen use during the first years of life has landed with a confronting warning for parents. Justin and Kylie unpack what researchers call &ldquo;digital soothing&rdquo;, why screens can crowd out the interactions babies need for healthy development, and what parents can do when zero screen time feels almost impossible.
KEY POINTS
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>16% of Australian three and four year olds had recently used TikTok, YouTube or Instagram.</li>
<li>More than half of children are using phones or tablets by their first birthday.</li>
<li>Why researchers are concerned about using screens to soothe, comfort and entertain babies.</li>
<li>How screens can replace the face-to-face &ldquo;serve and return&rdquo; interactions that build language and thinking skills.</li>
<li>Higher screen exposure in the early years is linked with poorer sleep, delayed language and cognitive development, weaker social skills and poorer later school performance.</li>
<li>Why watching together is different from leaving a young child alone with a device.</li>
</ul>
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE
<blockquote>
&ldquo;The first thousand days build the brain. Work hard to get that right.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
RESOURCES MENTIONED
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>eSafety Commissioner&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/research/growing-up-online-parenting-young-children-aged-3-to-10-in-the-digital-age">Growing Up Online report</a></li>
<li>Jonathan Haidt&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.afterbabel.com/">After Babel Substack</a></li>
<li>New systematic <a href="https://www.1001criticaldays.com/article/screen-time-research">review of global research</a> into screen use during the first 1,001 days of life</li>
</ul>
ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>Aim for as close to zero screen time as possible during the first two years.</li>
<li>Don&rsquo;t rely on a device as your child&rsquo;s regular comforter or distraction.</li>
<li>Prioritise talking, playing, moving and face-to-face interaction.</li>
<li>When screen time does happen, watch and engage together rather than handing over the device.</li>
<li>Look at what screen time is replacing, not only what your child is watching.</li>
</ul>

The Baby Screen Habit Parents Need to Break

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/62065ed1-7b96-41f7-8586-b4a00017227f/transcript

Pornography isn’t just a boys’ issue. Girls are seeing it too, often before their parents realise they need to talk about it.

Kristen Jenson, founder of Defend Young Minds and author of Good Pictures, Bad Pictures Guide for Girls, joins Justin to explain why girls need to be part of this conversation. They unpack accidental exposure, curiosity, body image, objectification and the shame that can stop girls from asking for help.

Most importantly, Kristen gives parents a simple way to prepare kids before pornography finds them: give them a definition, a warning and a plan.

KEY POINTS
Why treating pornography as a boys-only problem leaves girls vulnerable
How shame around girls’ curiosity can make the problem harder to talk about
Why accidental exposure can happen before kids actively seek explicit content
The impact pornography can have on girls’ body image and self-worth
Why parental controls and filters can’t replace conversations
Kristen’s simple three-part approach: a definition, a warning and a plan
Why your reaction matters if your child tells you they’ve seen pornography
How to start the conversation even if your child is already a teenager

QUOTE OF THE EPISODE

“It’s never too late to give your kids a defense.”
Kristen Jenson

RESOURCES MENTIONED
Good Pictures, Bad Pictures Guide for Girls by Kristen Jenson
Defend Young Minds
Brain Defense Digital Safety Curriculum
Common Sense Media’s Teens and Pornography report

ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS
Have the conversation before your child gets their own internet-connected device.
Give your child an age-appropriate definition of pornography so they can recognise it.
Explain why pornography can be harmful without using fear or shame.
Give them a clear plan for what to do if explicit content appears.
Make sure they know they can tell you without automatically losing their device or getting into trouble.
If your older child has already seen pornography, listen first. Make it a conversation, not a lecture.

Pornography isn&rsquo;t just a boys&rsquo; issue. Girls are seeing it too, often before their parents realise they need to talk about it.
Kristen Jenson, founder of Defend Young Minds and author of Good Pictures, Bad Pictures Guide for Girls, joins Justin to explain why girls need to be part of this conversation. They unpack accidental exposure, curiosity, body image, objectification and the shame that can stop girls from asking for help.
Most importantly, Kristen gives parents a simple way to prepare kids before pornography finds them: give them a definition, a warning and a plan.
KEY POINTS
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>Why treating pornography as a boys-only problem leaves girls vulnerable</li>
<li>How shame around girls&rsquo; curiosity can make the problem harder to talk about</li>
<li>Why accidental exposure can happen before kids actively seek explicit content</li>
<li>The impact pornography can have on girls&rsquo; body image and self-worth</li>
<li>Why parental controls and filters can&rsquo;t replace conversations</li>
<li>Kristen&rsquo;s simple three-part approach: a definition, a warning and a plan</li>
<li>Why your reaction matters if your child tells you they&rsquo;ve seen pornography</li>
<li>How to start the conversation even if your child is already a teenager</li>
</ul>
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE
<blockquote>
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s never too late to give your kids a defense.&rdquo; Kristen Jenson
</blockquote>
RESOURCES MENTIONED
<ul data-spread="false">
<li><a href="https://www.defendyoungminds.com/product/good-pictures-bad-pictures-guide-for-girls">Good Pictures, Bad Pictures Guide for Girls</a> by Kristen Jenson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.defendyoungminds.com/">Defend Young Minds</a></li>
<li><a href="https://learn.defendyoungminds.com/">Brain Defense Digital Safety Curriculum</a></li>
<li>Common Sense Media&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/teens-and-pornography">Teens and Pornography report</a></li>
</ul>
ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>Have the conversation before your child gets their own internet-connected device.</li>
<li>Give your child an age-appropriate definition of pornography so they can recognise it.</li>
<li>Explain why pornography can be harmful without using fear or shame.</li>
<li>Give them a clear plan for what to do if explicit content appears.</li>
<li>Make sure they know they can tell you without automatically losing their device or getting into trouble.</li>
<li>If your older child has already seen pornography, listen first. Make it a conversation, not a lecture.</li>
</ul>

What Every Girl Needs to Know About Porn [with Kristen Jenson]

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/c2990a45-a8ed-4afa-9db4-b4a00016e7a9/transcript

Your five-year-old tells a whopping great lie at Show and Tell. Do you correct them, call them out, or let it go?

Lying can push every parental button, but for young kids, stretching the truth can be a surprisingly normal sign of cognitive development. Justin and Kylie explain why kids lie, what their tall tales might be trying to tell us, and why cracking down can make children better at hiding the truth.

The goal isn't to catch your child out. It's to understand what they need and make honesty safe.

KEY POINTS
By age four, around 80% of children will lie in experimental settings.
Convincing lies require "theory of mind", the ability to understand what another person thinks or believes.
Sometimes exaggeration is less about dishonesty and more about wanting connection, belonging, competence, or status.
Punitive responses can encourage children to become better at lying rather than more honest.
Avoid fact-checking or embarrassing your child in the moment.
Give kids an "off-ramp" from a lie by asking curious questions instead of accusing them.
Build the skills and relationships underneath the story so your child doesn't need to exaggerate to feel valued.

QUOTE OF THE EPISODE

"Kids tell the truth when it's safe to tell the truth."

RESOURCES MENTIONED
Theory of mind and children's cognitive development
Research on lying and child development
Happy Families resources on helping kids build friendships

ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS
Stay calm. A young child's lie isn't automatically a red flag.
Look underneath it. Ask whether your child is seeking connection, competence, attention, or belonging.
Don't shame or ridicule them. Especially in front of other people.
Give them an off-ramp. Try, "Which parts did you do?" rather than catching them out.
Make honesty safe. Harsh punishment can make telling the truth feel too costly.
Build real competence. Help them practise the skill so next time they can proudly say, "I did it myself."

Your five-year-old tells a whopping great lie at Show and Tell. Do you correct them, call them out, or let it go?
Lying can push every parental button, but for young kids, stretching the truth can be a surprisingly normal sign of cognitive development. Justin and Kylie explain why kids lie, what their tall tales might be trying to tell us, and why cracking down can make children better at hiding the truth.
The goal isn't to catch your child out. It's to understand what they need and make honesty safe.
KEY POINTS
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>By age four, around 80% of children will lie in experimental settings.</li>
<li>Convincing lies require "theory of mind", the ability to understand what another person thinks or believes.</li>
<li>Sometimes exaggeration is less about dishonesty and more about wanting connection, belonging, competence, or status.</li>
<li>Punitive responses can encourage children to become better at lying rather than more honest.</li>
<li>Avoid fact-checking or embarrassing your child in the moment.</li>
<li>Give kids an "off-ramp" from a lie by asking curious questions instead of accusing them.</li>
<li>Build the skills and relationships underneath the story so your child doesn't need to exaggerate to feel valued.</li>
</ul>
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE
"Kids tell the truth when it's safe to tell the truth."
RESOURCES MENTIONED
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>Theory of mind and children's cognitive development</li>
<li>Research on lying and child development</li>
<li><a href="https://happyfamilies.com.au/?s=friendship&amp;bp_search=1&amp;view=content">Happy Families resources</a> on helping kids build friendships</li>
</ul>
ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS
<ol data-spread="false">
<li>Stay calm. A young child's lie isn't automatically a red flag.</li>
<li>Look underneath it. Ask whether your child is seeking connection, competence, attention, or belonging.</li>
<li>Don't shame or ridicule them. Especially in front of other people.</li>
<li>Give them an off-ramp. Try, "Which parts did you do?" rather than catching them out.</li>
<li>Make honesty safe. Harsh punishment can make telling the truth feel too costly.</li>
<li>Build real competence. Help them practise the skill so next time they can proudly say, "I did it myself."</li>
</ol>

Why Kids Lie and What to Do About It (a Listener Q&A)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/cfbb81f8-d659-43a5-bbef-b4a00016cd58/transcript

Stop Trying to Create the Perfect Family

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