Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families

Latest Episodes:

#4: The 5 Things No Child Should Hear From Their Parents Oct 09, 2014

Show notes

In last week’s podcast, we were reminded of the wonderful things we can say to our children to build them up, make them feel amazing, grow their resilience, and improve family life.

This week, we’re turning the tables and looking at some of those things we say to our kids in the heat of the moment – or because we don’t know any better – that can really hurt them.

In this podcast, I’ll share 5 things our children need to hear from us as little as possible – or maybe even NEVER.

Show notes

What are the five things our children should never hear from us?

* You’re useless

* You’re so clever

* Why can’t you be more like…

* I wish I’d never had you

* Because I said so

For more information about each of these, take a listen to the podcast.

This week’s parenting hack

A great idea for helping little ones get their shoes on the right foot – placing a cut-in-half sticker into their shoes so that when the sticker matches up, they know they’re on the right feet.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#3: 5 Things Every Child Should Hear Every Day Oct 01, 2014

Show notes

The words we say have enormous impact on our children. All too often we get preoccupied and distracted, and struggle to talk with our children in the loving way they need. It’s one thing to eliminate the negative, but we need to know what to replace it with.

In this podcast, I’ll share 5 things our children need to hear from us as often as possible.

Show notes

What are the five things our children need to hear from us every day?

* Thank you

* I’m sorry

* You tried so hard

* I love you

* What do you think?

For more information about each of these, take a listen to the podcast.

This week’s parenting hack

This week’s parenting hack is playing the “Yes/No” game… here’s a really fun youtube that shows you precisely how to play it.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#2: How Gratitude Can Make Your Family Happier Sep 24, 2014

Show notes

Gratitude is a virtue that has received a LOT of attention from researchers in the past decade or thereabouts. It seems as though the most sure-fire way for many people to become happier is to be grateful. And because gratitude is such a simple concept for most people to understand (and because most people are fairly grateful anyway), it is a simple principle to practice in family life to improve everyone’s wellbeing, and make our families happier.

Show notes

How can gratitude make your family happier? In this episode I suggest that parents:

* Model grateful behaviour

* Have conversations about grateful things

* Create a gratitude tree

* Carry a gratitude rock

* Keep a gratitude diary/journal

This week’s parenting hack

For great ways to connect with your kids, grab a copy of Hands Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#1: Habits to Make Your Family Happier Sep 15, 2014

Show notes

Welcome to this first episode of the Happy Families Podcast. In this episode, I’ll be chatting about habits around our routine that can make our family stronger and happier.

Strong, happy families don’t happen by accident. We don’t wake up, do whatever we feel like, and magically have a family that functions just fine. Happy and strong families are the product of consistent, proactive efforts on the part of parents who make family a priority.

In this podcast I’ll share 7 habits that happy families practice to strengthen their relationships and make their families function well.

Show notes

So what are the habits I recommend to make your family happier?

* Create a family focus. A shared vision makes decision making easy, and guides action.

* Have a parent retreat. Strong families are headed by strong couples who make time for one another.

* Take regular, simple, cheap time out as a family. Family holidays are achievable for most families with one person who qualifies for annual leave. And they can rejuvenate a family.

* Family dinner matters. Have a family dinner as often as possible.

* Device down-time. We need to disconnect so we can re-connect.

* Make weekends sacred. At least some of the time.

* Interview the kids. It’s amazing what we learn about their lives – and our families – when we really listen to our children.

And a bonus idea – family night once a week can make a big impact on the way your family interacts.

This week’s parenting hack

For great ways to know what movies and media are ok for kids, check out the following two sites:

* Common sense media

* Kids in mind

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.