Emerging Minds Families

This is the first episode in a two-part series in which host Nadia Rossi speaks with Nicki, a parent of two young people with chronic health conditions. Nicki shares her family’s experience of supporting her son after his Type 1 diabetes diagnosis and the ways chronic illness can affect a child’s daily life, relationships, school and mental health.

This episode is the second in a two-part series where host Nadia Rossi continues her conversation with Amber Brock Fabel (Founder, SA Youth Forum) and Dr Ben Lohmeyer (Senior Lecturer in Social Policy, College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University). In this conversation, Amber and Ben continue to share the findings from their co-designed study on loneliness in young people and its relationship to bullying.

In this episode, host Nadia Rossi talks with Amber Brock-Fabel (Founder, SA Youth Forum) and Dr Ben Lohmeyer (Senior Lecturer in Social Policy, College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University) about the findings from their co-designed study on loneliness and its relationship with young people’s experiences of bullying and overall wellbeing. They talk about the rise of loneliness amongst young people in Australia, the importance of creating safe spaces for young people and how parents may better understand what their children might be facing at school—and ways to support them.

In this episode, host Nadia Rossi speaks with educator, Sara Holman, about how parents and educators can work together to support children who experience difficulties attending school and the recent social media ban in Australia and its effects on young people.

In this episode, host Nadia Rossi speaks with educator, Sarah Holman, about building positive partnerships between parents and educators to support children's mental health, wellbeing and learning.

In this episode, host Nadia Rossi speaks with Jane and Ian from Kiama Unplugged, a community-led movement that hosts events encouraging people to reduce their smart phone use and find moments of real-life connection. Jane and Ian share practical tips for reducing screen time and creating moments of connection for families and communities.

In this episode host Alicia Ranford welcomes back youth advocate and educator Daniel Principe. They discuss some of the issues that young people are sharing with Daniel, including ideas about masculinity. He also talks about how to raise boys to be good men and ways that the adults in young people's lives can be there for them.

This episode is the first in a two part series where host Alicia Ranford is joined by youth advocate and educator, Daniel Principe. In this first episode, Daniel talks with Alicia about the effects that watching pornography and sexualised content can have on young people. He talks about how we can encourage boys to recognise and resist distorted attitudes towards bodies, relationships, and sex and instead build healthy, respectful relationships with others and themselves.

In this holiday season episode, host Nadia Rossi talks with Emerging Minds team members to share their family rituals, traditions, and approaches to managing holiday pressures, as well as how they help their children appreciate diverse celebrations. The group also reflect on the hopes they have for their children and their memories of the holiday seasons spent together.

In this episode, guest host Jacquie Lee speaks with Professor Andrew Whitehouse about how we can support babies and children who display early social and communication differences.

In this episode host Naida Rossi speaks with Dany Elachi, founder of the Heads Up Alliance, a grass roots organisation supporting parents who want to delay smart phones and social media for their children. Dany talks about complex issue of smart phone use in our children and young people and how building a supportive community can help parents navigate some of the challenges.

This is the final episode in a two-part series where host Alicia Randford is joined by developmental pediatrician and cohost of the popular parenting podcast Pop Culture Parenting, Dr Billy Garvey. In part twoBilly talks about prioritising building connection with our children over ‘perfect parenting’, how setting boundaries collaboratively and consistently with our children is most effective, and recognising when your family may need to seek extra support.

This is the first episode in a two-part series where host Alicia Randford is joined by developmental pediatrician and cohost of the popular parenting podcast Pop Culture Parenting, Dr Billy Garvey. In part one, Billy highlights the importance of understanding the emotions behind a child’s behaviour, the concept of emotional regulation, resilience and the role parents play in creating safe and supportive environments for children.

Host Alicia Ranford welcomes back psychologist Rachel Samson to discuss the importance of teaching children about diverse family structures and fostering inclusivity. Rachel shares ways we can guide children to embrace difference and be inclusivity champions, both in their peer groups and how they live in the world.

In this episode host Alicia Randford and psychologist Rachel Samson explore the emotional development of young boys. Rachel shares ways we can encourage them to express their feelings and navigate through big emotions at any stage of their development.

In this episode host Nadia Rossi welcomes back Anna Ritan, an accredited paediatric dietitian-nutritionist and the founder of Nourish Little Lives. Anna shares insight into why mealtimes can be tricky for some neurodivergent children and the best ways we can support them.

In this episode host Nadia Rossi speaks with Sally Venus, a paediatric speech pathologist, to unpack what a speech pathologist does and how they play a vital part in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.

In this episode, host Nadia Rossi is joined by Rochelle Courtney, founder of Share the Dignity, a national charity with the mission to ensure that no woman, girl or person who menstruates has to choose between food and period products. Rochelle talks about the reality of period poverty and how we can better educate our children with the right language about periods to eliminate shame and stigma while supporting their mental health and wellbeing.

In this episode our host Nadia Rossi is joined by Amy Saunders, the Wellbeing Impact Lead from Nature Play SA. Amy talks about how playing outside in nature can help to support the mental health and wellbeing of children while providing moments of connection for families.

Many children and young people in Australia are currently being cared for full time by their grandparents. People who take on this role are known as ‘grandparent carers’. In this episode, host Nadia Rossi speaks with Mike Feszczak, the CEO of Grandcarers SA, to learn more about this lesser-known caring role.

Emerging Minds consulted with practitioners and families with lived experience to develop ‘the PERCS of parenting’, which outline five key ways to support your children's mental health. The PERCS provide guidance on: parent-child relationships, emotions and behaviours; routines; communication and meaning-making; and support networks. In this episode our host Alicia Ranford is joined by Emerging Minds Practice Development Officer, Jacquie Lee. Jacquie talks through each key area and how parents can use the PERCS to support their children’s mental health and wellbeing.

In this episode, guest host Nicole Rollbusch talks to Arianne, a parent of six. While supporting her child through coming out and transitioning, Arianne and her daughter found their social and family supports significantly challenged. She shares her family’s experience of supporting their daughter and sister, navigating support services and the benefits of creating strong support networks around the whole family.

Navigating through separation and divorce can understandably be one of the hardest and most stressful experiences for a family. As a parent it can be hard to know how to talk to your children about what is going on. In this episode host Nadia Rossi speaks with family law counsellor Alesha Akintoye about how we can best support our children and ourselves during this difficult time.

In this episode host Alicia Ranford talks with Neil Davis from the Sammy D Foundation. Neil and his wife Nat Cook started the foundation after their teenage son Sam fell victim to a one punch attack. Neil shares their story and how the Sammy D Foundation works tirelessly to build confidence in children to speak up for themselves and each other, with the message that using violence can have consequences which can’t be undone.

Many parents struggle to navigate gender and sexual diversity with their children and young people. They might feel unsure of how to best support their family in what can seem like a rapidly changing landscape. In this episode, host Nadia Rossi welcomes back Jason Tyndale to share his experience of supporting his child on their journey.

In this episode host Alicia Ranford welcomes back youth advocate and educator Daniel Principe. They discuss some of the issues that young people are sharing with Daniel, including ideas about masculinity. He also talks about how to raise boys to be good men and ways that the adults in young people's lives can be there for them.

This episode is the first in a two part series where host Alicia Ranford is joined by youth advocate and educator, Daniel Principe. In this first episode, Daniel talks with Alicia about the effects that watching pornography and sexualised content can have on young people. He talks about how we can encourage boys to recognise and resist distorted attitudes towards bodies, relationships, and sex and instead build healthy, respectful relationships with others and themselves.

In this episode host Nadia Rossi talks with Jason Tyndale about his journey as a transgender parent. Jason shares how he navigated his transition with his family and friends, and the unique strengths that come with being a transgender parent.

In this episode, host Nadia Rossi talks with Anna Ritan, an accredited paediatric dietitian-nutritionist and the founder of Nourish Little Lives, where her role includes providing online nutrition resources and support for nourishing infants, toddlers and children. Anna talks with Nadia about how we can manage expectations at family mealtimes to make them enjoyable for everyone. Anna shares ways to create balanced meals and insights in to how we can manage food refusal in children.

In this episode host Nadia Rossi welcomes back Kirsty, Schools Coordinator at Shine SA, to talk about the differences between consent and sexual consent. Kirsty shares how and why it is important to talk to children and young people about consent, how adults can model consent to children and how it supports a child’s wellbeing to be informed about consent.

In this episode, host Nadia Rossi talks with Kirsty, Schools coordinator at SHINE SA. Kirsty offers tips for parents on talking to their children about sex and their bodies, and how to respond to the inevitable ‘Where do babies come from?’ question in age-appropriate ways. Kirsty also shares how equipping children with the right information […]

This episode is the second in a two-part series on supporting the mental health of children who stutter. Host Nicole Rollbusch is joined by Rich Stephens, President of SAY:Australia (the Stuttering Association for the Young – Australia), and Mitchell, who originally became involved with SAY:Australia as a participant and is now a mentor to other children and young people who stutter. In this episode, Rich and Mitchell talk about the helpful ways people in their lives have supported them over the years, their experiences working with SAY:Australia and their advice to children who are growing up speaking with a stutter.

This episode is the first in a two-part series on supporting the mental health of children who stutter. Host Nicole Rollbusch is joined by Rich Stephens, President of SAY:Australia (the Stuttering Association for the Young – Australia), and Mitchell, who originally became involved with SAY:Australia as a participant and is now a mentor to other children and young people who stutter. In this episode, Rich and Mitchell talk about how common stuttering is and what it can look like, along with the impact that speaking with a stutter can have on children’s mental health and wellbeing.

The Pear is more than a coffee house – it’s a neighbourhood meeting place that hosts community-driven events. In this episode we talk with Carol, Leonie and Annemijin from The Pear about how they found connection, The Pear and a sense of community.

Christmas and the end of year holiday season can hold different meanings for different families. Some families revel in the joy of gift-giving, transforming their homes with decorations and festive cheer. However, for many the holidays can also evoke stress, feelings of loneliness or financial pressure. In this episode we talk with psychologist Dr Angie Willcocks about navigating this Christmas holiday season and finding ways to make it work for you and your family.

It might surprise you to know there are nearly four hundred thousand young people (under 25 years) in Australia who provide unpaid care and support to a loved one. In this episode host Nadia Rossi talks with Isabella Hassall, Young Carer Coordinator at Carer Gateway for the Benevolent Society. Isabella shares how carers are often hidden figures in our community. She also discusses the challenges of being a young carer, how the adults in their life can support them and what opportunities they can access.

When it comes to suicidal ideation, we are unlikely to think of children as having such distressing thoughts. But recent research by Wesley Mission Queensland has found that some children under 12 years have negative thoughts which may be the first sign of suicidal ideation. In this episode host Alicia talks with Emma and Chloe from Wesley Mission Queensland. They help us to understand the signs of suicidal ideation that we can look out for and what we can do to support children who might be experiencing distressing thoughts.

In this episode host Alicia Ranford talks with social worker, parent educator, author, founder of Connected Parenting and mother to four boys, Gen Muir. Gen shares ways parents can support their children when they experience big feelings and emotions, especially when they don’t have the words to tell us what they need.

This episode is the fourth in a series where we talk to families who have experienced disasters. In this episode host Nadia Rossi talks with Willow who was 20 years old when her family experienced severe storms in the Dandenong Ranges in 2021. Willow shares her perspectives as a young person experiencing such a major event. Willow also offers some advice on how adults can help support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people who experience disasters.

In this episode, host Alicia talks with Sam and Kathy from Centacare’s Unify reunification service. They discuss what it can be like for children and parents to be separated from each other by the child protection system, and the shame and stigma that these families can experience. Sam and Kathy also offer insights into the reunification process and how they support families through it.

In this episode, host Alicia Ranford talks with Dr Zali Yager, an internationally recognised expert in body image with a background in health and physical education. She co-founded The Embrace Collective with 2023 Australian of the Year, Taryn Bromfield. In this episode, Dr Yager shares things families, educators and practitioners can do to help create safer body image environments for children and young people.

The term ‘global majority’, a collective term for non-white people, and people and groups who don't experience white privilege. It aims to the ‘flip the script’ on power as something that only white people can hold and help provide a sense of empowerment and belonging to those who are often excluded based on appearance, particularly skin colour. In this episode, guests Julie Ngwabi and Nancy Jeffrey share their personal stories with podcast host Rosie and explore cultural identity, the damaging impact of assumptions and biases, and the importance of courageous conversations in being more inclusive.

In this episode, host Nadia talks with Tegan and Shelly from the Finding Your Voice Choir, a community choir of women with lived experience of family and domestic violence. Together they share how the choir supports and empowers its members and helps them to form lifelong connections.

This episode is the third in a series about families who have experienced disasters. Disasters like floods, bushfires and drought are becoming more frequent and severe across Australia and can leave a lasting impact on the children who experience them. In this episode host Nadia speaks with Bron, who survived the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires alongside her husband and two young children. Bron shares her family’s story of losing their house and their journey of recovery after being displaced from their home.

In this episode, host Alicia Ranford talks with Sally Braddy. Sally is a mother of three children whose husband has to spend a lot of time away from home for work. Sally talks about finding family balance while her husband is away working and how they find moments of connection for their family.

This episode is the second in a series about families who have experienced disasters. Disasters like floods, bushfires and drought are becoming more frequent and severe across Australia and can leave a lasting impact on the children who experience them. In this episode, host Nadia Rossi speaks with Sarnia. A parent of three children, she lives with her family who have experienced flood, cyclones and bushfire living in northern Queensland. Sarnia’s family know what it is like to have time to prepare for a disaster, but also what it is like to have to evacuate immediately without time to process what is going on around them.

In this episode, host Nadia Rossi talks with Wei about how the stigma of single parenting has impacted her and her children's lives. Born in China and living in Australia, Wei also describes the racism and discrimination they have faced, and how she navigates and supports her family through it all.

In this episode host Nadia Rossi speaks with Heather, who lives with her family in regional New South Wales and knows first-hand the importance of accessing age-appropriate support for children who experience disaster.