There's a new trend sweeping through social media - when your child is lost in a tantrum or a pre-teen spiral, you call out for your imaginary helper named Jessica, and more often than not it will confuse them enough to stop them in their tracks. 

Distraction methods like this one have been used for years and years, but why do they work? 

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There's a new trend sweeping through social media - when your child is lost in a tantrum or a pre-teen spiral, you call out for your imaginary helper named Jessica, and more often than not it will confuse them enough to stop them in their tracks.&nbsp;
Distraction methods like this one have been used for years and years, but why do they work?&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

If it takes a village to raise a child, it must take a whole country to raise a family! Newstalk ZB’s Parent Squad helps to do just that. Joined by expert guests The Weekend Collective team delves into the complexities of Kiwi family life.

The Parent Squad

Kathryn Berkett: The 'Jessica' trend and why it works

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/4d4c5d8e-9f13-48d6-ba2b-b43e0063178c/transcript

Doctors are seeing an increasing number of young people coming in with unexplained symptoms. 

The prominent ones parents are probably seeing most frequently are the random headaches, stomach aches, difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much. 

Parents will often treat their children with panadol and electrolytes, take their devices away before bed to avoid blue light, and hope the problem resolves itself.

But these are all common signs something more could be going on - different ways mental health problems present physically. 

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Doctors are seeing an increasing number of young people coming in with unexplained symptoms.&nbsp;
The prominent ones parents are probably seeing most frequently are the random headaches, stomach aches, difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much.&nbsp;
Parents will often treat their children with panadol and electrolytes, take their devices away before bed to avoid blue light, and hope the problem resolves itself.
But these are all common signs something more could be going on - different ways mental health problems present physically.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Dr Maneesh Deva: Sometimes children just need to figure it out on their own

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/cb27e9d6-4b5c-454b-add6-b4370061270b/transcript

You always hear stories about the different ways a person's childhood has had an ongoing impact throughout their life. 

There are some horrible stories out there, but it could even just be the way your parents would cook growing up, or how the way they would react to you relaxing results in habits that follow you into adulthood.  

So at the end of the day, are we all doomed to mess up our children in one way or another? 

LISTEN ABOVE

You always hear stories about the different ways a person's childhood has had an ongoing impact throughout their life.&nbsp;
There are some horrible stories out there, but it could even just be the way your parents would cook growing up, or how the way they would react to you relaxing results in habits that follow you into adulthood. &nbsp;
So at the end of the day, are we all doomed to mess up our children in one way or another?&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Dr Miriam McCaleb: Parents need to stop comparing themselves to online 'highlight reels'

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/74ae2302-7687-45c6-b5bc-b4300063bf20/transcript

It's school holidays, and boredom is setting in...

While it can send parents into a bit of a spiral hearing their children complain about how bored they are all day long - being bored is one of those skills we all need to learn at some point. 

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It's school holidays, and boredom is setting in...
While it can send parents into a bit of a spiral hearing their children complain about how bored they are all day long - being bored is one of those skills we all need to learn at some point.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Dougal Sutherland: Let your kids be bored

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/820d9b8a-86c4-459c-9dcd-b42900626e51/transcript

Kathryn Berkett: The 'Jessica' trend and why it works

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