It Takes A Village

New data from NZ's largest ongoing cohort study - the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study - shows social connections and caring teachers are top of the list for 13-year-olds when talking about school life. They particularly want time and space to develop meaningful social connections with their peers. Bullying remains a major concern, but kids are well aware of the bullying risks on platforms like social media. The researc...

Clinical psychologist Tiffany Rochester says parents going through a separation usually have the same priority: ensuring their children's wellbeing. But she says it’s important for parents to get the right support at the right time, in order to create peaceful two-home families where their children flourish. Tiffany Rochester specialises in working with co-parents. She is coming to New Zealand to hold workshops with mental healt...

Primary teacher and co-founder of a mental health venture, Alice Peel, says it's ok for children to feel low from time to time. She wants kids to understand the feeling is normal , and that there are tools to deal with those moments. Her new book lays out the science of the brain and replaces parts with animals - making brain functions easier to understand and remember for children. Topics include how to get out of a trap, how to ...

How can parents get their children through the anxiety, the disappointment or what comes after a successful sports trial?

How can parents get their children through the anxiety, the disappointment or what comes after a successful sports trial?

Sport New Zealand says non-selection from trials can be a huge blow to children's confidence and can even lead them to give up a sport altogether.

It says trials should...

Making sense of behaviour, building meaningful routines and de-escalating high conflict moments are all key tools parents can use when wanting to support their teens' mental health. Psychologist Andrea Temkin-Yu who has written a guide for parents wanting to work on their relationship with their teen. She is a specialist in parent-focused intervention to help young people with their mental health. An assistant professor of psyc...

Steve Sobota is the co-CEO of an organisation called Big Buddy, and has been matching boys without a dad in their life with positive male role models for nearly 25 years. We know that boys' achievement at school has been lagging behind girls, and that boys are more at risk of behavioural issues and mental health issues. So what can be done to help support boys as they grow to adulthood? Steve has some thoughts based on his near ...

Term one of the school year is in full swing and with it the after school activities. But how much is too much? And how can parents judge that? Maggie Dent is known as the 'Queen of Commonsense Parenting' and is a former high school teacher, mother of four sons and the host of the ABC podcast Parental as Anything. Maggie says if the activity is being driven by the parent, the benefits disappear

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for m...

Neuroscience educator and parenting coach Nathan Wallis talks about how early attachment can impact adult relationships. He says the first 1000 days, plays a critical role in defining later outcomes for our children and for their future. Nathan features in a new Australian documentary Seen which explores the importance of personal healing for parents on parenting and its impact on child brain development.

Go to this episode on rnz.c...

What's the best way to keep children healthy - and how can you help them when things go wrong? Paediatrician Dr Leila Masson has spent over 25 years working with kids considering these very issues - she specialises in nutritional and environmental medicine.

Footnote: In this interview, Dr Masson referred to apples being “covered in pesticides” and recommended that the fruit be washed. A 2010 study by the US Drug Administration foun...

'Tis the season for visits to and from family and sometimes it's not always smooth sailing. Jenny Hale from Parenting Place says the grandparent / parent dynamic can be difficult to navigate over the holiday season. Whether it's grandad who won't stop handing out the lollies, or grandma going overboard on the gifts. It could be a clash of parenting styles, or a battle for old and new Christmas traditions. Jenny shares tips for a p...

Jo Robertson is a therapist, educator and researcher. Earlier this year, she and others presented a petition to parliament - signed by over 10,000 - calling for internet service providers to strengthen filters on all illegal sexual behaviour. This afternoon, she'll appear before a select committee to submit in person. She talks with Susie about legislation changes she wants to see. She also discusses the proposed new law in Austral...

Clinical psychologist Jacqui Maguire discusses how baby-parent attachment shapes infant brain development. During infancy - emotion, cognition and behaviour is all part of a developing brain. New research shows that how parents, or caregivers interact with babies not only affects development, but can shape a child's future health, both socially and emotionally. Jacqui has some advice on how to nurture attachment which lays the fou...

What is the right way to deal with your kids wanting to quit a sport or an extracurricular activity? Whether it's their first year doing it, or they've been working at it for a decade, it can be a difficult territory for parents and kids to navigate. Sport NZ surveys show kids from 5 to 11 are usually the most active participants in sport, while there is a big dropoff once they reach ages 15 to 17. So, keep dragging unwilling ki...