The Parent Squad

Have you ever considered why we tell our kids to 'be themselves' when sticking out from the crowd can make you the subject of bullying?
Umbrella Wellbeing CEO and psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Tim Beveridge to chat about the balances of supporting our children and allowing them to stand on their own.
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Parents are acting up on the sidelines of their children's games in the mighty Waikato leading to youth rugby league games cancelled last Sunday after reports of physical and verbal abuse in Hopuhopu.
Sport Waikato CEO Matthew Cooper said the problem is felt worldwide, with parents wanting to achieve through their children.
What behaviour is okay at your children's sports games? When does support cross into abuse?
MindWorks psychologist Sara Chatwin joined Tim Beveridge to discuss.
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The cost of having or raising a child is often the most considered issue among couples planning to start or grow their family.
It's not just the shopping trips for prams and cots and nappies - it's the income loss over the months of parental leave and the endless sick days once daycare starts up.
Plunket estimates a medium-budget cost for raising a child for the first year comes to just under $16,000. That works out to a whole lot of sacrifice.
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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.
Distraction methods like this one have been used for years and years, but why do they work?
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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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