Parents We've Met

Parent Coach Kristin Ward is back on the couch this week chatting about building independence in kids - without pushing them too far, too soon. 

Kristin shares research that suggests there’s less ‘roaming’ in kids these days compared to previous decades, meaning the distance that parents allow their kids to move around, especially from their home, has reduced - while other skills that boost independence like cooking and speaking up for oneself have taken a backseat.  

She shares why childhood is the best time for low-stakes consequences and learning through experience, offering advice on how a simple scaffold – watch > do together > do independently – can help boost independence and confidence in a healthy way. She also talks about leaving space for ‘welcome dependence’ when family moments call for it. 

Got a parenting challenge you need help with? Book a 1:1 coaching session online or in-person at parentingplace.nz/coaching 

Parents We’ve Met is brought to you by Parenting Place – a charity with a heart for New Zealand families. Explore our self-guided online courses and hundreds of free parenting articles and ideas ⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠.   

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Listener note: In this episode we briefly reference eating disorders. We approach this topic gently, but if this is a topic that is sensitive for you, please take care while listening.

Jenny and Dayna are joined this week by one of New Zealand's leading child nutrition experts, Rachael Wilson, for a jam-packed chat on raising kids with healthy, positive relationships with food and their bodies.  

Rachael is a mum-to-two, a UK-trained registered dietician specialising in family feeding, feeding disorders, disordered eating and body image - and co-founder of Aotearoa-based parenting and nutrition initiative, The Food Tree.  

In this episode, Rachael generously shares her knowledge on a wide range of topics, from school lunches, navigating ‘beige food’ phases and selective eating, reducing mealtime battles and role modelling well, to supporting autonomy around food and encouraging positive body talk. 

She also explains ARFID and shares some red flags' parents can look out for; she looks at mindful anxiety regulation around food; and warning signs that might indicate disordered eating in a teen.

Rachael also answers some popular listener questions, including: 

Do my kids have to finish dinner before dessert?

What do I do if their school lunch box comes home half eaten? 

How do I get my child to eat more ‘colourful’ foods? 

Is hiding veges in food a good idea?

Should I insist that my child finishes their plate? 

How do I manage the mountains of chocolate and treats on days like Easter and Halloween? 

If my child is obsessed with a certain food, is it true that I should serve it more often?

What do I do if they won’t eat their dinner, but are complaining about being hungry? 

Should I compliment my child on their appearance? 

For more information on Rachael’s work, visit www.thefoodtree.co. Check out some of the articles referenced in this episode:

https://www.thefoodtree.co/post/let-s-take-the-pressure-out-of-our-children-s-lunchboxes 

https://www.thefoodtree.co/post/ellyn-satter-and-the-division-of-responsibility-how-can-it-help-your-child-s-eating 

For support and resources around eating disorders, check out: https://www.ed.org.nz/

For free support for mental distress, please check out the below resources:

Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor. 

Youthline 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email [email protected] or online chat. 

Just a thought Email: [email protected] 

 
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When their feelings are in the drivers’ seat, family life can feel tough! Parent Coach Sheridan Eketone joins us on the couch this week to unpack high sensitivity in kids and offer some hot tips and encouragement for parents on that journey. 

Together with Jenny and Dayna, she explores what’s going on for sensitive kids and why a simple reframe can turn sensitivity into a gift - a trait to work with, not against. She offers simple strategies for building buffer time and downtime into weekly rhythms, pre-empting and preparing for overwhelming situations, using simple emotional check-ins – and helping to raise them into resilient adults. 

Parents We’ve Met is brought to you by Parenting Place – a charity with a heart for New Zealand families. Explore our self-guided online courses and hundreds of free parenting articles and ideas ⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠.   

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This week we're joined by Helen Manson – a mum-of-four, humanitarian photographer and storyteller, whose work has taken her into some of the most vulnerable communities in the world.  

Together with her husband Tim, Helen has created a beautiful ‘stretchy' family made up of adopted, biological and fostered kids and a picture of life that’s curious, outward-focused and ‘bigger than their own backyard’.  Moving back to New Zealand from Uganda in 2020, they have navigated through the challenges that come with transitioning into a new way of life, while staying connected to the old one.

Generous with her knowledge, Helen talks to Jenny and Dayna about raising kids with grit who are aware of the wider world (while also protected from the weight of it), and who have the building blocks to develop deep empathy and compassion for others. 

She shares openly about the challenges of foster care, and the need for intentional rhythms and dreams to anchor the logistics of a very busy family life. 

You can see more of Helen’s humanitarian photography and storytelling work here https://www.helenmanson.com/ and more about the International Justice Mission here https://www.ijm.org/. 

Parents We’ve Met is brought to you by Parenting Place – a charity with a heart for New Zealand families. Explore our self-guided online courses and hundreds of free parenting articles and ideas ⁠HERE⁠.  

Find us on:⁠⁠ YouTube⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Tik Tok ⁠⁠/⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠ 
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Parent Coach Kristin Ward is back on the Coaches’ Couch with Jenny and Dayna this week to chat about the vast benefits of emotion coaching - teaching kids to understand and manage their emotions (both the tiny and the mighty ones!) well.

Together, they explore why allowing and validating big emotions matters, how your choice of words can dismiss or override emotions (usually unintentionally!), and practical ways to teach ‘healthy’ expressions of everyday feelings.

Plus, Kristin shares some hot tips for managing meltdowns, modelling emotional coping, naming feelings, and supporting children in dealing well with challenging feelings like disappointment, frustration, and anger.

Parents We’ve Met is brought to you by Parenting Place – a charity with a heart for New Zealand families. Explore our self-guided online courses and hundreds of free parenting articles and ideas ⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠.  

Find us on:⁠⁠⁠ YouTube⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠Tik Tok ⁠⁠⁠/⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ 
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