Shows / Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
Deciding which parenting advice to follow? Join the thousands of mums and dads who turn to Australia’s most downloaded parenting podcast.
Dr Justin Coulson and his wife Kylie bring real parenting solutions every day, cutting through the noise of modern advice with clear, practical guidance for every step of parenting.
From early childhood challenges to the complexities of the teenage years, each daily episode offers simple, evidence-based strategies to help you feel more confident in your…
Episodes
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1078 - Choose Life Not Dishes
Justin shares his disappointment in unwittingly missing out on the opportunity to share meaningful, heartfelt words with the people he loves after choosing to…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1077 - From the Doctor's Desk: Funny Families & Relocation Repercussions
A recent study has shown that parents who use humour have better relationships with their kids. But does all humour work in the same way? Are Dad jokes ok? Can…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1076 - 13's a Lucky Number For Foster Care Week
Have you ever wondered if becoming a foster carer is something you could do? Our guest today, Belinda Baxter, has 13 children (6 biological, 7 foster) and…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1075 - Are Emotions Too Important?
This episode originally appeared as episode #1013. When we make feelings “King”, our children can become stuck in their emotion, unable to regulate or move…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1074 - R U OK: Tips For Parents
Dr Hannah Brown, Campaign Manager for Education and Young People for RU OK?, is working to decrease the stigma of mental health and to provide Australians with…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1073 - A Father's Day Bromance
'I'll Do Better Tomorrow' is a review of the week that was. With more work-related travel than ever before, Justin still managed to make it home for Father's…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1072 - Does Parenting Have a PR Problem?
Journalist Angela Mollard writes that "[a]n age of confession and vulnerability has seen parenting rebranded as a challenging, joyless, expensive, and…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1071 - Body Boundaries With Jayneen Sanders
It's National Child Protection Week! Today's conversation is with author, publisher, mother, and educator Janeen Sanders, a strong public advocate for…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1070 - Q&A: Teen School Refusal & Motivation Styles
Robert asks, What can you do when your teenager won’t go to school? Throw in the complexity of neurodivergence, and this becomes a tough situation! Plus, a…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1069 - Should You Tidy Your Teen's Room?
Is cleaning your teenage son's room every day reinforcing outdated gender roles and enabling a future of entitlement? Or is it an act of love, showing care and…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1068 - A Screen Breakthrough
Got a tech-savvy teen who dodges screen-time limits or constantly craves social media validation? Justin and Kylie share how their weekly family meetings…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1067 - A Brief History of Dad Jokes
With Father's Day just around the corner, Justin & Kylie go head to head in a battle for gold in the UFC (Ultimate Father Comedy) before stepping back in time…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1065 - Being an ADHD Mum With Jane McFadden
The ADHD experience is increasingly common and most people with a diagnosis (or seeking one), or who are parenting ADHD children are struggling in some way…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1064 - Q&A: Light Sleepers & Light Fingers
You know the feeling - it's the middle of the night and a small human wakes you from your slumber and takes up residence in your bed. Caroline wants to know if…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1063 - Hurting Kids on Purpose
Evidence suggests that META and other big tech companies are purposefully hurting kids through their lack of content moderation and their choice of harmful…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1062 - Who Let the Dog Out?
Family life is a constant challenge of working out where your priorities are at any moment: Justin and Kylie must choose between a quick weekend getaway and…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1061 - This Week in Parenting: Raygun, Lost High-Fives & Panic Attacks
This Week in Parenting: Perhaps the most polarising Paris Olympic story was that of Aussie Olympic breakdancer Rachel Gunn. International meme fodder, or pure…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1060 - No Hang-Ups With School Phone Bans
Today, I had an insightful interview with Dany Elachi, founder of The Heads Up Alliance, examining the No Phones policy that every school in the country should…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1059 - Q&A: Reality Check & Conforming at Kindy
If your family was invited to participate in a reality TV show would it be an easy "yes!", a "no way!", or would you deliberate? Alan, from the USA, asks Dr…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1058 - NAPLAN Nation: Failing our Kids
The 2024 NAPLAN results have shown that one in three students are below educational standards, with almost 400,000 students requiring catch up tutoring. The…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1057 - Getting the Guideposts Right
Parenting and family life is a continuous striving to get the balance right. Family meetings can help with this struggle, providing guideposts so that everyone…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1055 - Why the Kids Don't Listen
The reality is that our children can hear. They are listening. They just won't do as they are asked! We share five things you can do to make your kids WANT to…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1054 Q&A: 24/7 Tech & School vs Home Behaviour
Justin is answering two listener questions in this episode. Christina from the United States is wondering how she can get a less than cooperative teenager to…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1053 - Is Risky Play Worth the Risk?
Does "risky play" make you excited or very nervous? The research is clear regarding the many benefits to children who engage in risky play. With it becoming…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1052 - Other People Matter
Saying goodbye to loved ones has been the cause for much reflection for Justin, including the acknowledgment that owning our own mortality allows us to invest…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1051 - From the Doctor's Desk: Peanut Allergies & ASD Touch Reactions
From the Doctor's Desk today we unpack three studies relevant to parents and families. First, an intervention that could decrease the likelihood of developing…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1050 - Adam Voigt: What's Really Going On In the Classroom
A conversation with Adam Voigt, Founder and CEO of Real Schools on the importance of student engagement, how parents can support and advocate for teachers, and…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1049 Q&A - The Benefits of Plants & Grandparents
Amy from Melbourne has been trying to boost her families wellbeing, and while she's been doing all of the tried and traditional methods, she is wondering what…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1048 - Raising an Olympian
If you have a child with a natural talent or a burning desire to succeed in a sport or other activity, how do you cultivate a successful (perhaps even elite)…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1047 - Playing To Win (and Losing the Plot)
There are times when a parent's relationship with their child feels strained and difficult. Kylie shares what it can look like to cultivate these challenging…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1046 - A Very Peachy Book Club
Book Club - the episode where Justin and Kylie forget about the parenting stuff and share what they have been reading. Today, a book review from a very special…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1045 - The Art & Science of Family Meetings
Building strong, lasting family relationships is a long-term process. When done well, regular family meetings can completely change how your family feels and…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1044 - Q&A: Tearaway Toddlers & Staying in School
Bec, from Sydney, has a 2-year-old who keeps running towards the road when out at parks, playgrounds, and shops. Running away is developmentally normal: little…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1043 - Forcing Kids to Apologise
Should we be making our children apologise when they do the wrong thing? What does a sincere apology look like? In this episode: Parental Guidance (S1)…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1042 - Work & Home School Life Balance
It has been 9 months of homeschooling for the Coulson crew, with plenty of ups and downs and many lessons learned. One of those lessons is that homeschool is…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1041 - Screens Suck
Devices can calm our emotional children - but does a screen actually help them to emotionally regulate or is it just distracting them from their emotions in…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1040 - Raising Good Humans With Beck Delahoy
Our goal as parents is to raise good humans, but sometimes we actually get in the way of doing that! Beck Delahoy shares three things parents can do to move…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1039 - Q&A: Teacher Struggles & Home School Hacks
Two questions from listeners: Emma asks for advice on helping her 10 year old son who is struggling with being at school, withdrawing from friends, and feeling…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1038 - Managing Emotional Dysregulation
A conversation about what it means to be emotionally regulated or dysregulated, with five quick ideas for parents to help their children regulate well. In this…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1037 - Creating Holiday Traditions
Family holidays and traditions are important! Sometimes though, they can feel out of reach - perhaps unaffordable or even impossible. The good news is that…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1036 - From the Doctor's Desk: Screen Use Bad, Green Space Good
Are our attention spans decreasing? Is it possible that the kids really are listening to you but just disagree with what you have to say? Do house plants…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1035 - Adolescent Anxiety With Dr Jodie Lowinger
Dr Jodie Lowinger is recognised as one of the world’s leading anxiety, mindset, and resilience experts. Jodie was a guest speaker in the groundbreaking…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1034 - Q&A: Making Siblings BFF's & Emotional Expression
Every Tuesday Dr Justin answers listener questions about making your family happier! Today we have questions about sibling friendships/conflict, and helping…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1033 - Early Talent Promotion
Are we doing more harm than good by pushing our children to excel early? The pursuit of excellence can feel rewarding for parents and children alike, but…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1032 - Stop and Smell the Flowers
It's normal and natural for young children to want to take their time exploring the world around them, and it's also normal for parents to want to get things…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1031 - 7 People of Highly Effective Villages
It takes a village to raise a family. Community-oriented relationships are so important for the well being of our children and for us as parents, but building…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1030 - Name It & Tame It
Justin and Kylie respond to a listener question about emotional volcanoes Name it to tame it Emotional regulation High emotions – low intelligence Tunnel…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1029 - What's My Age Again?
It's a question parents ask time and time again: What is the right age for my kids to do [insert risk]? Justin and Kylie look at a number of hot topics and…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1028 - Getting on the Same Page
Is there tension and disagreement in your home when it comes to parenting? You are not alone! The most commonly asked question we receive is "How do you get on…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1027 - 6 Phrases You Should Say to Your Kids
When our children are experiencing challenges or behaving in a challenging way, there are things we can do and say that will help them get through these rough…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1026 - Growing Growing, Not Gone
It can be easy to forget who we were before becoming parents. But that’s part of the beauty of parenthood! Being a parent allows us to experience personal…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1025 - Dan Pink: The Power of Regret
Regret is often seen as a negative emotion to be avoided, but what if it holds the key to better parenting? Dr Justin Coulson and author Dan Pink uncover the…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1024 - Mirror, Mirror On The Wall
A listener has asked, “Should we tell our kids they are beautiful?” It's ok to tell our kids they're beautiful, but we must ensure their sense of worth isn't…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1023 - 10 Fights Worth Having
It is not worth going to war with your child over their preferences. There are going to be more important issues that will require you to stand your ground…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1022 - The Pursuit of Happiness
Are parents really responsible for their kids’ happiness? Doing things purely to make our children happy often results in disappointment—for them and for us…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1021 - Parenting Myths Pt 3
Many myths surround parenting, including the misguided beliefs that you can maintain your pre-child lifestyle or that you will instantly connect with your baby…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1020 - James Anderson: How to Create Skilful Learners
How can we help our children become better learners? When learning is seen as a process of creating abilities rather than discovering abilities, children can…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1019 - Parenting Myths Part 2
Myth: "Parents cannot be friends with their child." Relationships that are based on trust, appropriate disclosure, and respect are still friendships…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1018 - Parenting Myths Part 1
Are you tired of feeling like your worth as a parent hinges on your child's achievements? In today's podcast, we debunk common parenting myths and explore why…
- Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families
#1017 - Life Lessons From Laundry
Justin is on a mission to use his phone less. Find out what he has done this week that has been a freeing (albeit slightly inconvenient) experience. In…