What do you do when your 17-year-old refuses to go to school, skips classes and has no idea what he wants to do instead?

Justin and Kylie tackle a tricky question from a parent whose son is struggling with Year 11. They explore vocational schools, apprenticeships, TAFE, distance education and the idea that education doesn’t have to mean sitting in a classroom until Year 12. The goal is to help young people keep learning, contributing and moving forward without forcing them into a path that clearly isn’t working.

KEY POINTS:
Why school isn’t the only way to get an education
Vocational schools and hands-on learning
School-based apprenticeships and TAFE
Why “earning or learning” is a useful family expectation
Helping teenagers build character, reliability and practical skills
Why a 17-year-old doesn’t need their whole future figured out
Finding purpose through contribution and solving real problems

QUOTE OF THE EPISODE:
“You need to be either full-time earning or full-time learning.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Boys: Building Strong Young Men from the Inside Out by Justin Coulson
The Industry School
School-based apprenticeships
TAFE and vocational education
Lift the Load 50 for 50 fundraiser for Top Blokes

ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS:
Talk to your child’s school about alternative pathways.
Look beyond university and traditional Year 12 pathways.
Explore apprenticeships, TAFE, vocational schools and practical training.
Help your teenager find something that builds skills and a sense of contribution.
Take the pressure off having their entire future figured out at 17.
Focus on reliability, communication, initiative and integrity.

What do you do when your 17-year-old refuses to go to school, skips classes and has no idea what he wants to do instead?
Justin and Kylie tackle a tricky question from a parent whose son is struggling with Year 11. They explore vocational schools, apprenticeships, TAFE, distance education and the idea that education doesn&rsquo;t have to mean sitting in a classroom until Year 12. The goal is to help young people keep learning, contributing and moving forward without forcing them into a path that clearly isn&rsquo;t working.
KEY POINTS:
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>Why school isn&rsquo;t the only way to get an education</li>
<li>Vocational schools and hands-on learning</li>
<li>School-based apprenticeships and TAFE</li>
<li>Why &ldquo;earning or learning&rdquo; is a useful family expectation</li>
<li>Helping teenagers build character, reliability and practical skills</li>
<li>Why a 17-year-old doesn&rsquo;t need their whole future figured out</li>
<li>Finding purpose through contribution and solving real problems</li>
</ul>
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE: &ldquo;You need to be either full-time earning or full-time learning.&rdquo;
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
<ul data-spread="false">
<li><a href="https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/5kjvy3">Boys: Building Strong Young Men from the Inside Out</a> by Justin Coulson</li>
<li>The Industry School</li>
<li>School-based apprenticeships</li>
<li>TAFE and vocational education</li>
<li><a href="https://www.lifttheload.org.au/50for50">Lift the Load 50 for 50</a> fundraiser for Top Blokes</li>
</ul>
ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS:
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>Talk to your child&rsquo;s school about alternative pathways.</li>
<li>Look beyond university and traditional Year 12 pathways.</li>
<li>Explore apprenticeships, TAFE, vocational schools and practical training.</li>
<li>Help your teenager find something that builds skills and a sense of contribution.</li>
<li>Take the pressure off having their entire future figured out at 17.</li>
<li>Focus on reliability, communication, initiative and integrity.</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

When School Isn’t Working, Find a Better Path [a Listener Q&A]

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/9462751b-d402-4062-bf39-b4cd0073df51/transcript

Australia made global headlines when it introduced a minimum age of 16 for social media. But months on, more than eight in 10 kids are still using age-restricted platforms.

Justin Coulson sits down with Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells to ask what is happening, why compliance has been so difficult, and what the new Digital Duty of Care could mean for families.

The proposed laws go beyond social media to cover gaming, AI chatbots and other online platforms, with new requirements around harmful content and addictive design features such as endless scrolling and popularity metrics.

KEY POINTS
Why compliance with the under-16 social media laws has been slower than expected
Why the responsibility needs to sit with big tech, not exhausted parents
What the proposed Digital Duty of Care could change
How AI, gaming, chatbots and other platforms will be covered
The harmful content and design features the government wants platforms to address
What age verification means for access to pornography
Why VPNs and other workarounds make online safety harder
The early signs that some young Australians are sleeping better, playing more sport and seeing less online bullying

QUOTE OF THE EPISODE

“This is about introducing some basic safety standards to an industry that hasn’t had any.”
Anika Wells

RESOURCES MENTIONED
Australia’s under-16 social media legislation
The proposed Digital Duty of Care
eSafety Commissioner research and long-term studies
Australia’s online pornography age-verification laws
happyfamilies.com.au

ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS
Talk with your kids about why these laws exist rather than making the conversation only about rules.
Keep an eye on the platforms, games and AI tools your children are using.
Pay attention to sleep, mood, sport, friendships and offline activities, not just screen-time minutes.
Use the law as a support when conversations about online safety become difficult.
Stay informed as the Digital Duty of Care develops.

Australia made global headlines when it introduced a minimum age of 16 for social media. But months on, more than eight in 10 kids are still using age-restricted platforms.
Justin Coulson sits down with Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells to ask what is happening, why compliance has been so difficult, and what the new Digital Duty of Care could mean for families.
The proposed laws go beyond social media to cover gaming, AI chatbots and other online platforms, with new requirements around harmful content and addictive design features such as endless scrolling and popularity metrics.
KEY POINTS
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>Why compliance with the under-16 social media laws has been slower than expected</li>
<li>Why the responsibility needs to sit with big tech, not exhausted parents</li>
<li>What the proposed Digital Duty of Care could change</li>
<li>How AI, gaming, chatbots and other platforms will be covered</li>
<li>The harmful content and design features the government wants platforms to address</li>
<li>What age verification means for access to pornography</li>
<li>Why VPNs and other workarounds make online safety harder</li>
<li>The early signs that some young Australians are sleeping better, playing more sport and seeing less online bullying</li>
</ul>
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE
<blockquote>
&ldquo;This is about introducing some basic safety standards to an industry that hasn&rsquo;t had any.&rdquo; Anika Wells
</blockquote>
RESOURCES MENTIONED
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>Australia&rsquo;s under-16 social media legislation</li>
<li>The proposed Digital Duty of Care</li>
<li>eSafety Commissioner research and long-term studies</li>
<li>Australia&rsquo;s online pornography age-verification laws</li>
<li>happyfamilies.com.au</li>
</ul>
ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>Talk with your kids about why these laws exist rather than making the conversation only about rules.</li>
<li>Keep an eye on the platforms, games and AI tools your children are using.</li>
<li>Pay attention to sleep, mood, sport, friendships and offline activities, not just screen-time minutes.</li>
<li>Use the law as a support when conversations about online safety become difficult.</li>
<li>Stay informed as the Digital Duty of Care develops.</li>
</ul>

Is Australia’s Social Media Ban Working? Anika Wells on What Comes Next

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/f028bc62-acbf-4f17-a763-b4cd00740869/transcript

It’s Mrs Happy Families’ birthday week, so Justin puts Kylie on the spot with questions she hasn’t seen before. There are childhood confessions, a $2 garage sale bargain, a surprising celebrity crush, competitive board games, laundry, parenting wisdom and one deeply meaningful question about how she hopes her six children will remember her.

Kylie also opens up about setting herself a big goal, learning to value the progress rather than just the number, and the moment she realised she could be proud of herself.

It’s funny, honest and unexpectedly moving.

KEY POINTS:
Why Kylie thinks her daughter Abby is most like her
The $2 garage sale find that became a handmade baby quilt
Why laundry is Kylie’s favourite household job
Kylie’s surprising running anthem
The competitive streak Justin insists she has
The parenting moment that made Kylie most proud
What Kylie hopes her children remember about her

QUOTE OF THE EPISODE:
“I would rather be 10 kilos lighter at the end of the year and not reach my goal of 20 kilos than to be sitting where I was at the beginning of the year without any hope or a desire to make the changes necessary.”

ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS:
Ask yourself what you hope your children will remember about you when they are adults.
Notice the progress you are making instead of focusing only on whether you have reached the goal.
Ask your children what they love most about you. Their answers might surprise you.

It&rsquo;s Mrs Happy Families&rsquo; birthday week, so Justin puts Kylie on the spot with questions she hasn&rsquo;t seen before. There are childhood confessions, a $2 garage sale bargain, a surprising celebrity crush, competitive board games, laundry, parenting wisdom and one deeply meaningful question about how she hopes her six children will remember her.
Kylie also opens up about setting herself a big goal, learning to value the progress rather than just the number, and the moment she realised she could be proud of herself.
It&rsquo;s funny, honest and unexpectedly moving.
KEY POINTS:
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>Why Kylie thinks her daughter Abby is most like her</li>
<li>The $2 garage sale find that became a handmade baby quilt</li>
<li>Why laundry is Kylie&rsquo;s favourite household job</li>
<li>Kylie&rsquo;s surprising running anthem</li>
<li>The competitive streak Justin insists she has</li>
<li>The parenting moment that made Kylie most proud</li>
<li>What Kylie hopes her children remember about her</li>
</ul>
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE: &ldquo;I would rather be 10 kilos lighter at the end of the year and not reach my goal of 20 kilos than to be sitting where I was at the beginning of the year without any hope or a desire to make the changes necessary.&rdquo;
ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS:
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>Ask yourself what you hope your children will remember about you when they are adults.</li>
<li>Notice the progress you are making instead of focusing only on whether you have reached the goal.</li>
<li>Ask your children what they love most about you. Their answers might surprise you.</li>
</ul>

The Real Mrs Happy Families (Happy Birthday Kylie!)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/b85b4e04-3cbe-4ae9-8a6e-b4cd0073bc96/transcript

More than eight in ten Australian kids were still using age-restricted social media platforms months after the under-16 law came into effect. So is the legislation working?

Justin speaks with Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells about what has happened since the social media minimum age law began, why compliance has been slower than expected, and what the new Digital Duty of Care could mean for families.

The proposed laws go much further than social media. They cover AI chatbots, online games, messaging platforms and other digital services, with new responsibilities for tech companies to identify and reduce risks to children.

They also tackle harmful content, addictive design features, algorithmic feeds and the growing challenge of keeping kids safe from pornography and other dangerous material online.

KEY POINTS
Why more than 80% of children were still using age-restricted platforms
Why enforcement against big tech takes time
What the Digital Duty of Care would change for parents
How AI chatbots, gaming and messaging platforms could be covered
The harmful content platforms would have to address
What "safety by design" could mean for kids
How algorithmic feeds could change
The challenges created by VPNs and children accessing pornography
Why group chats and private sharing are harder for parents to monitor
What the government says is changing for young Australians

QUOTE OF THE EPISODE

"We want you to be able to say, this is the law and you can point to the law to try and address these daily fights that people are having in their home."

ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS
Talk with your kids about what they are seeing online, including content shared privately in group chats.
Check which social media, gaming, messaging and AI platforms your child is using.
Look at the feed settings on platforms your family uses and understand whether algorithmic recommendations can be changed.
Keep talking about pornography and harmful online content before your child encounters it.
Use Australia's changing online safety laws as a starting point for conversations about what is and isn't acceptable online.

More than eight in ten Australian kids were still using age-restricted social media platforms months after the under-16 law came into effect. So is the legislation working?
Justin speaks with Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells about what has happened since the social media minimum age law began, why compliance has been slower than expected, and what the new Digital Duty of Care could mean for families.
The proposed laws go much further than social media. They cover AI chatbots, online games, messaging platforms and other digital services, with new responsibilities for tech companies to identify and reduce risks to children.
They also tackle harmful content, addictive design features, algorithmic feeds and the growing challenge of keeping kids safe from pornography and other dangerous material online.
KEY POINTS
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>Why more than 80% of children were still using age-restricted platforms</li>
<li>Why enforcement against big tech takes time</li>
<li>What the Digital Duty of Care would change for parents</li>
<li>How AI chatbots, gaming and messaging platforms could be covered</li>
<li>The harmful content platforms would have to address</li>
<li>What "safety by design" could mean for kids</li>
<li>How algorithmic feeds could change</li>
<li>The challenges created by VPNs and children accessing pornography</li>
<li>Why group chats and private sharing are harder for parents to monitor</li>
<li>What the government says is changing for young Australians</li>
</ul>
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE
<blockquote>
"We want you to be able to say, this is the law and you can point to the law to try and address these daily fights that people are having in their home."
</blockquote>
ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>Talk with your kids about what they are seeing online, including content shared privately in group chats.</li>
<li>Check which social media, gaming, messaging and AI platforms your child is using.</li>
<li>Look at the feed settings on platforms your family uses and understand whether algorithmic recommendations can be changed.</li>
<li>Keep talking about pornography and harmful online content before your child encounters it.</li>
<li>Use Australia's changing online safety laws as a starting point for conversations about what is and isn't acceptable online.</li>
</ul>

The Digital Duty of Care Is Coming [with Anika Wells]

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/11628570-391b-4952-9069-b4cb008e1568/transcript

When School Isn’t Working, Find a Better Path [a Listener Q&A]

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