In a day and age when we’re so connected it sometimes feels like we’re moving further apart. And if you think your tweens are growing at an alarming rate, it’s probably because they are! But there are plenty of ways to stay connected to your kids and make sure that family time is quality time. Join Dylan Lewis once more as he chats with Dave McCormack and Robbie Buck about the pressure to spend one-on-one time with your kids in a large family and what they do to maintain and strengthen family co...
Jun 15, 2022•35 min•Season 4Ep. 6
As much as we tell our kids they can be or do anything, external messages may slip in. Gender stereotypes we thought we’d retired long ago are still reinforced in popular culture, online or even the playground and teaching our tweens to recognise these gendered norms is the first step. How can we raise this next generation differently and how do we teach our tweens that no one is built for any one box? Join host, Dylan Lewis, for an insightful chat with Meshel Laurie and Sean Szeps, who are each...
Jun 08, 2022•35 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Making friends isn’t always an easy thing. Throw in transitioning from primary school to high school, social media and external pressures and those friendships become more important than ever. But how do we teach kids to not only be good friends but what to expect from their peers in return. When does peer influence become peer pressure? Join host Dylan Lewis as he speaks to Pia Miranda and George Georgievski, two parents of tweens who know navigating young friendships all too well, to find out ...
Jun 01, 2022•30 min•Season 4Ep. 4
With so much learning, socialising and gaming done online, there is a fine line both parents and their tweens walk when navigating the world of tech and kids. Technology is an integral part of their lives and with that comes a lot of benefits. But how do we keep our kids safe online and protect their privacy, while allowing them to prosper both scholarly and socially? Listen to Dylan Lewis chat through tweens, gaming and technology with Dr Catriona Wallace and Mark Serrels, 2 experts (and parent...
May 25, 2022•35 min•Season 4Ep. 3
The tween years are such a transformative time for kids. As they begin to find their place in the world, they’re also navigating that jump from primary school to high school and all the challenges that come with it. So how do we prepare children for the future? Is it as simple as raising resilient kids and letting them tackle these next stages head on? Host and tween-dad Dylan Lewis chats with Lauren Patterson and Susie Maroney about building mental strength in their tweens, resilience and when ...
May 18, 2022•33 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Navigating preadolescence is scary enough but when questions arise around cultural identity or gender identity, things can get pretty overwhelming for our tweens. How do you parent a child who doesn’t feel at home in their own body? Or a kid dealing with prejudices and peer pressure on the playground? And how do we arm tweens with the self-confidence to find or even change their identity. Dylan Lewis chats with Carolyn Tate, a mum of 3, whose eldest son started their transitioning journey when h...
May 11, 2022•33 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Coming soon, our fourth and most recent season, Growing Great Tweens, where dad and host Dylan Lewis discusses the experience of raising today’s tweens with other parents. Speaking with familiar voices, like Susie Maroney, Robbie Buck and Pia Miranda, he tackles issues faced by many families, from raising mentally strong kids and navigating the online universe, to how to foster family connection and recognise the identity biases faced by children in preadolescence. Support the show: https://www....
May 11, 2022•2 min
For some, the first parenting challenge is actually having children – maybe it hasn’t been a possibility till later in life. Many women are delaying having a family well into their 30s and beyond so they can focus on other areas of their lives. And some might not find their life partner before their ideal fertility years. So, what happens when a woman decides to go it alone? Jessica Rowe chats with a woman who always wanted children but at the age of almost 40, her relationship fell apart. She w...
Mar 16, 2021•34 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Life teaches us many things along the way, leaving us with valuable advice we can pass on to our kids, as well as other parents around us. Parenting is never easy, but looking back helps us celebrate successes and unpack how we’d do things differently. Jessica Rowe chats with parents at the top end of their parenting journey, with grown-up kids who have left the nest. She talks to a working mum juggling her career and now-adult kids, as well as two dads who became long-term foster parents. They ...
Mar 16, 2021•50 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Single-parent and blended families are just some of the many types of modern families. Raising a child can be difficult under any circumstance, but even more so if you’re going it alone. It can be hard and lonely. And how do you reach a place with your ex-partner that’s positive for your whole crew? Jessica Rowe chats with a parent who’s found a great co-parenting balance with her ex-partner, but their path has not been without its challenges. In this episode of Navigating Parenthood – Imperfect...
Mar 16, 2021•32 min•Season 3Ep. 2
When you embark on family life, you hope to head down the safe and predictable road – healthy kids and partner, a job with enough income to live comfortably, and good mental health. But sometimes life can catch you unaware with a thunderbolt from the blue. Jessica Rowe chats with a mum about how her life took a very different turn to the one she had imagined. After a tough pregnancy with her first child, she was put on bed rest for the second half of her next pregnancy with twins. But not long a...
Mar 16, 2021•35 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Technology has changed the way we all live – and the benefits can be felt across all ages and life stages. But how do you keep your kids safe online? How do you manage the right balance of screen time for kids? And how do you have the hard conversations about what’s out there and face up to the reality inappropriate material is so easy to come by. Jessica Rowe chats with a mum about her children’s own online experiences and how she managed a confronting situation that could have seen her daughte...
Mar 16, 2021•34 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Every new day brings a new challenge in the life of a busy parent. While you try to smile your way through it, there are times when you can’t keep your cool, you think you’re failing, or when work is too much. Jessica Rowe chats with a parent about how she wrote her own parenting rulebook when it comes to juggling the work-life balance, dividing duties in the home, and balancing the mental load. She’s not tied down by the traditional expectations of how to parent, she chose her own path and chan...
Mar 16, 2021•36 min•Season 3Ep. 1
THE PODCAST PARENTS NEED Being a parent can be the greatest and the hardest thing you’ll ever do. In Navigating Parenthood , brought to you by HCF, parents and experts share their stories – the joys and stress, the advice and the insight. In the first two seasons of our podcast series, we explore the most challenging periods of any parent’s life: from taking those first baby steps in season one, to staying in step with our teens in season two. In season three, Imperfect Parents , our host Jessic...
Mar 12, 2021•2 min
In our bonus episode, in partnership with Netball Australia, host Cath Cox chats to three parents from Australia’s netball community about navigating the tough times of 2020 – what challenges have they faced this year and how can we look after our children’s mental health, as well as our own? Just like netball’s elite athletes, children need support to navigate change and uncertainty. Parents Allison, Emma and Shari have lived very different experiences throughout 2020, yet all share a common go...
Dec 02, 2020•42 min
Do you know how to start a conversation about eating issues? Could you spot the signs of bullying in your child? Emilia was seven when her eating disorder began. Now 16, she tells how she suffered silently through years of bullying and cripplingly low self-esteem. Developing a healthy body image is all part of growing up. Throw bullying into the mix and teens face all kinds of challenges from the playground to the wild world of online communication. In this episode of Navigating Parenthood – Tal...
Jan 14, 2020•32 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Study and exam stress can affect any student, and teenagers are experts at hiding their worries. So how do parents know when to offer help, and what should that help even look like? By the time Genevieve reached year 12, she was used to being on top of things: vice captain and sports captain of her school – a self-described high achiever. But in the middle of the HSC exam for her best subject, with her heart racing and everyone around her scribbling, she looked down at her paper, stood up and wa...
Jan 14, 2020•29 min•Season 2Ep. 5
It’s normal for teenagers to be moody from time to time, but how do we spot the signs of true depression in our teens? At 12, Matt was living a seemingly normal suburban childhood. But on the inside, he questioned his self-worth, his self-image and whether it’d even matter if he was alive at all. Matt’s depression led to a suicide attempt that means he’ll be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Now as a 19-year-old, he gives motivational talks to help teens and parents discuss mental health...
Jan 14, 2020•28 min•Season 2Ep. 3
How can we help our teens navigate this major topic and time in their lives? Barney, 16, and Ella, 17, are teenagers with insightful views on sex, consent and relationships, from what dating looks like in 2020 to the biggest gaps in their sex education. Relationships and sex aren’t topics that most parents really tackle head on with their kids. These conversations are awkward for teens, and awkward for parents. But is dancing around these issues doing more harm than not addressing them? In this ...
Jan 14, 2020•28 min•Season 2Ep. 4
What happens when your child unexpectedly has to face the worst of life’s challenges? There are hundreds of parenting books out there, but there are some things you can never prepare your kids for. Grace was 10 when her father died. Since then, she’s had to process her own grief, as well as manage the feelings of people around her. Because as Grace says, people don’t know how to talk about death. In this episode of Navigating Parenthood – Talking to teens , brought to you by HCF, we hear from Gr...
Jan 13, 2020•33 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Ever wondered what your teen is thinking, feeling and experiencing? In season two of Navigating Parenthood – Talking to Teens, six switched-on teens and experts tell us what it means to grow up and get by in 2020: mates, dates, self-esteem, study stress, true grief and the grief we give them. Host Rebecca Sparrow takes us inside the heads of today’s teenagers, uncovering insights every parent needs to hear. Support the show: https://www.hcf.com.au/podcast/navigating-parenthood See omnystudio.com...
Jan 10, 2020•2 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Saman is from Pakistan and her husband is from Scotland. They’ve had children in three different countries. Now living in Australia, they try and bring different elements of their cultures to parenting and family life. Anthropologist Dr Geir Presterudstuen from the University of Western Sydney puts this in context of our constantly changing ideas of culture. Support the show: https://www.hcf.com.au/podcast/navigating-parenthood See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Nov 17, 2018•21 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Blogger Leah Williams from The Dearest Days and her partner had both experienced mental health problems before having their baby. When their daughter turned out to be a “textbook difficult baby”, Leah struggled and knew she had to seek help. Social worker and therapist Ray Medhora talks about how couples and families can support each other through postnatal depression and the major life changes of early parenthood. If you’re a parent who needs help, speak to a maternal child health nurse from Pr...
Nov 15, 2018•21 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Before having a baby Stephanie was a busy news reporter who loved her job. After giving birth she changed so much as a person she couldn’t look at work, or herself, in the same way. With psychologist Lisa Williams from the University of New South Wales we talk about how becoming a parent can fundamentally change your identity and your perspective on life and work. Need help? If you feel depressed or anxious, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 (Aus). Support the show: https://www.hcf.com.au/podc...
Nov 14, 2018•19 min•Season 1Ep. 3
What does it feel like to go home, after giving birth, without your babies? Mum Lee had her twins at 28 weeks and they landed up in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for 102 days. We hear from Lee and NICU nurse Maddie O’Connor about the challenges of becoming a parent in this environment, the impact it has and what help you might need. For more information and support for parents of premature babies visit Miracle Babies at miraclebabies.org.au . Support the show: https://www.hcf.com.au/podcast/n...
Nov 14, 2018•22 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Julia Hasche never thought she’d be a single mum, but her relationship broke down just months after having her baby. She shares her journey of single parenthood, from the vast emotional reward, to combatting loneliness and the work-family juggling act. Julia now runs the website and podcast Single Mother Survival Guide to help and empower other single mums. Elisabeth Shaw from Relationships Australia NSW talks about protecting your child from conflict and finding time to look after yourself. If ...
Nov 13, 2018•22 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Even though Melanie’s son was born with brain damage, she wanted so badly to believe he’d be fine. But when he was diagnosed with a permanent disability, everything changed. Melanie talks about the unexpected joys and the day-to-day experience of parenting a child with special needs. Joan Bratel from Cerebral Palsy Alliance gives advice on coming to terms with a diagnosis like this and the support available. For more information on cerebral palsy, visit cerebralpalsy.org.au and for disability su...
Nov 12, 2018•27 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Welcome to Navigating Parenthood, the podcast for parents, not babies, brought to you by HCF, Australia’s largest not-for-profit health fund. Whether you’re already parent or planning to become one, these are real people’s compelling stories of finding their way along unexpected pathways, sharing what they’ve learned. Side by side in conversation, about challenges and joys, is a line up of experts joining in to offer insight. Support the show: https://www.hcf.com.au/podcast/navigating-parenthood...
Nov 11, 2018•1 min
