Pop Culture Parenting: Recent Episodes
Dr Billy Garvey, Nick McCormack
This podcast is about finding the sweetspot between the textbooks and real life when it comes to parenting. Dr Billy (a developmental pediatrician) and Nick (a developing parent) are a couple of dads having honest discussions about parenting day to day
We'll be using iconic TV and cinema scenes from the 80's & 90's to give context to Billy's parenting advice.
Please subscribe and tell us what parenting topics and movie scenes we should talk about next
Every parent knows the feeling. Your kid goes from zero to meltdown in seconds, over something that seems completely trivial. In this episode we use Lethal Weapon as our jumping-off point to explore what's actually happening in a child's brain when anger takes over. We talk about why children's brains are wired to detect and react to emotional triggers before they're wired to interpret them, why telling a young child to "just calm down" is often a developmental mismatch rather than a discipline problem, and why feeling angry and acting aggressively are actually two separate events, which is more hopeful than it sounds. We also explore what the science tells us actually helps when supporting an angry child. We can't wait to read your reflections, questions and advice about anger in the kids you love and care for.
Episode 135 is out now! Healthy habits reflection goes deep into the gap between the habits we want and the reality of our lives. We hear extraordinary listener stories, questions and advice. A music professional who survived her own real-life Fletcher and came out the other side with a powerful question about what we teach kids to normalise in the pursuit of excellence. A dad whose chaotic childhood was transformed by one loving parent who proved that presence matters more than proximity when it comes to healthy habits. We cover picky eating, the pressure to quit, habit building for neurodivergent kids, what to do when the scaffolding of school and sport falls away, and how to find your way back to yourself when life has left absolutely nothing in the tank. As one listener reminded us, sometimes the most powerful healthy habit you can build isn't for your kids at all. It's finally getting the support you need for yourself.
Healthy habits. We all want them for our kids and for ourselves, but as Whiplash reminds us, the pursuit of improvement can sometimes drift into pressure, perfectionism and burnout. In this episode we explore what the science of habit formation actually tells us about lasting change, including why healthy habits are built more by our environments than our willpower, why people with strong self-control tend to rely on habits rather than discipline, and how simple changes to our homes and routines can make healthy choices easier for the whole family. We discuss the connection between habits and mental health, why rewards, reminders and good intentions often fail to create lasting change, and how major life transitions can provide unique opportunities to build new family patterns. Along the way we reflect on what Whiplash can teach us about dedication, identity, excellence and the difference between pursuing growth and sacrificing wellbeing. We hope you enjoy this episode and we can't wait to read your reflections, questions and advice about the healthy habits that have helped the kids you love and care for thrive.
What an episode. We asked the PCP community and they delivered some of the most beautiful reflections and advice about the arrival of a baby. We answer question about feeling ready, repairing bonds, jealousy and the foundations of connection. We hear practical advice and phenomenal reflections from people who have overcome challenges that no one should have to. Thank you to everyone who shared their story. You guide us through the dark. Thank you to the Queensland Children's Hospital Foundation for supporting our work and everything you do for children.
This one might seem like it's just for new parents but it's for all of us. There's no moment quite like a new baby. You're handed the most enormous responsibility of your life wrapped in a very small blanket. Using The Incredibles as our jumping-off point, we explore what a newborn actually needs from the people around them. Why responsiveness matters more than perfection, and what support really looks like when a family is finding its feet. If your kids are older and you find yourself looking back at those early days, wondering what you got right, what you'd do differently, or trying to make sense of a of what passed in a blur this one's for you too. Because understanding the beginning often helps you parent better right now. It also helps us understand our own childhood journey too which for some of us requires gentle care. We hope you enjoy it and please send in your reflections, questions and golden advice.
Episode 131 is out now! Rewards and punishments reflection goes deeply into how developmental theory and the evidence can be used in the real world to guide our kids. We hear amazing listener reflections, questions and advice including a mum whose seven year old caught her mid-bad-parenting and handled it better than she did, a dad fighting the daily battle between connection and control, and a teacher who runs a no-detention, no-suspension school and has never needed either. We cover the difference between rewards and bribes, consequences for neurodivergent kids, what to do when your co-parent leans hard on punishment, and why using shame to guide behaviour almost always backfires. As one listener beautifully put it, every day in parenting is a battle between the light side and the dark side and unlike in the movies, the dark side never actually wins.
To finish up our first PCP Guides series we ran a live Q&A with our amazing Patreon community. People seemed to think it was helpful so we thought we would share it more broadly. We answer as many questions as possible and cover some great areas about how we can better support neurodivergent kids. Thank you to everyone who submitted questions and for attending the session. Your relentless efforts to help the kids you care for motivates us to keep going. How lucky those children are to have you in their lives.
Rewards and punishments are a part of daily life for anyone supporting children, sometimes consciously but often without us even realising. In this episode we discuss the developmental psychology behind them, how it can help us to guide our kids to healthier choices and behaviours and where we might be caught out ("it's a trap!"). We want them to choose the light side of the force by understanding the how, when and why of rewards and avoid pushing them towards the dark side through punishments, fear and control. We hope you like this episode and we can't wait to read your reflections, questions and advice about rewards and punishments in your own journey through the galaxy.
In this final reflection episode of supporting neurodivergent kids we explore how we can true nurture the kids we love and care for. We explore safety, masking, communication and evidence-based care along with some incorrect and unhealthy beliefs about neurodivergence. To finish this PCP Guides series we will be running a live Q&A via out Patreon in the coming weeks. Please join that community to send in questions and we can't wait to diver deeper into how we can all support neurodivergent kids.
Well this was a big one diving deeply into chaos and control. We go deep into the balance between chaos and control in family life, especially when anxiety, neurodivergence, and survival mode are in the mix. Through honest listener stories, questions and practical insights, we explore why control can feel safe, how to loosen it without everything falling apart, and how real balance comes from safety, flexibility, and gently learning how we go let go of some of the feelings, beliefs and behaviours that are holding us back from a healthier and happier time with our kids.
A heavy but important re-listen this week about survival. So many of us feel like we are constantly in the arena battling to survive and in this ep we discuss how real and tough that can be with two messages sent in from the beautiful PCP community. Thank you all for helping us to keep moving forward and we hope this helps in some small way too. We can't wait to host a Patreon live Q&A at the end of this PCP Guides bundle on supporting neurodivergent kids too!
What a movie, what a topic! So much of life is the balance between chaos and control and mental illness Mental illness can present when we become either overwhelmed by unchecked emotion and unpredictability or constrained by rigid, overprotective attempts to stay safe. Just like riding waves children can learn how to successfully ride the waves of chaos and control in their lives with the right support leading to healthy emotional regulation, positive relationships and improved wellbeing. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did and we can't wait to read your questions, reflections and advice.
In this reflection episode we hear from so many parents & professionals about their worries regarding children they care for. We discuss early development, neurodiversity, teenagers, schools and the best practice approach to assessment and building support around kids. Thank you to every single person who sent in a message. We can only read a fraction but every message helps choose what we cover and where we go next.
One big challenge of supporting children is figuring out when to worry. What difficulties are a typical part development and what are signs of something more worrying? Research highlights that many parents and professionals feel lost as to signs of developmental or mental health concerns so in this episode we try to offer guidance so that people can be comfortable to keep sailing or help realise it's time to find a safe harbour for support. Please send in your questions, reflections and advice about when to worry about the kids we love and care for.
Few episodes are more important and full of practical tips than this one! In this re-listen we reflect on what we can do to support our kids in healthy sleep. Poor sleep impacts 30-40% of children with up to 80% of neurodivergent children experiencing childhood insomnia. We hope you like this PCP Guide and please listen to the reflection episode 20 as it's full of gold form the beautiful PCP community. We hope this helps your child sleep better and succeed more in their waking hours.
Well this is a big one folks! Thanks to so many amazing questions, reflections and advice about motivating our kids this episode is jam packed with PCP gold. Dr Nick gets a little emotional at the end as he reads out guiding advice from an amazing paediatric OT about how he brings motivation and strength into his work with children and the families who support them. We hope this episode helps to guide the kids you love and care for and thanks for guiding us too.
This was a big re-listen. This episode was first released two and a half years ago following an email from an amazing parent trying to find a way through supporting their child after another child had made them feel different and less worthy of being celebrated. This movie helps remind us that kindness, seeing the best in people and loving unashamedly are the qualities we should elevate above intellect or power. We hope you like it and please join us on Patreon for additional resources we are building and a live Q&A to conclude this PCP Guides series on supporting neurodivergent kids. Thank you all for supporting us too.
So many kids struggle with focusing impacting their learning, relationships and self-esteem. In this PCP Guide we look back to an episode from over 3 years ago that explores how we can best support these kids in our homes, school and the broader community. We hope it helps and please come over to our free patreon community to learn more together.
PCP Guides: supporting neurodivergent kids part 1 is out! Hi beautiful PCP community! We asked you what you'd like us to cover in future episodes and so many of you asked for topics we have covered in our 4 year back catalogue. After a team huddle we are excited to announce PCP Guides!!! We will reflect on previous episodes covering requested topics with a reflection at the beginning, new resources within our free patreon community and a live Q&A to diver deeply into where the textbooks meet real life. First cab off the rank is neurodiversity and in part 1 we look back at episode 58 Blade Runner & neurodiversity. It was emotional, practical and we hope it helps to guide you in some small way.
To kick off the year we explore the key components to goal setting and motivation to help set the kids we care about up for success. We talk about why this matters, the common pitfalls and how to put the science into practice in the real world. From building this early in kids to helping the out the teens who are stuck in amotivation. We are so excited to be back and we can't wait to read your reflections, questions and advice. Special thanks to our sponsor Sound Slam for supporting this episode. Sound Slam is a beautiful card game created by two Aussie mums. It combines literacy research with connection and fun to help our kids learn to read. We love the game and think you will too.
In our final episode of the year we answer some important short questions about how we can have impact in the face of difficult challenges in the world right now. We then read out the reflections from some of the beautiful PCP community who generously share their journey. As always there is laughter and tears. Thank you all for being a part of PCP in 2025. We feel privileged to share this community with you and hope you are able to slow down and rest over the coming weeks. See you in 2026 to face the challenges and celebrate the wislows together. Love Nick and Billy.
In our final topic of 2025 we explore what impacts the kids we care about in terms of their development and mental health. We explore the science and Dr Nick treats us to his big lessons from PCP this year. Please send in your best reflections, questions and advice for our reflection episode to share with the wonderful PCP community.
This is a big one folks. In this ep Nick & Billy dive deep into how we can build hope in our kids at different ages and levels of development, how hope is different to optimism and resilience, and how it can be used following set backs and failure. We discuss hope in the setting of heartbreaking experiences such as school expulsion, trauma, suicidal thinking and grief. As always we also read beautiful reflections and advice that bring laughter and tears. Thank you to everyone for sharing your experience with such honesty, vulnerability and courage. Your strength to keep trying to heal and grow for all the kids out there gives us hope.
Hope is an essential part of life that keeps us moving forward, especially during adversity. It's not a feeling but a skill that kids can learn if we know how to guide them. In this episode we discuss the importance of hope, how it changes through life and how the research can be used in the real world to help develop it in our kids. We hope you like it and we can't wait to read your reflections, questions and advice.
In true form to the topic this reflection episode is rather playful between Nick and Billy as they explore how to play with kids. We discuss why it can be tough, how to target specific struggles, the role of educators and how play changes from kids to teens. As always there are beautiful reflections, questions and tips from the wonderful PCP community. Thank you as always and we hope you like it.
Play is one of the most important aspects of child development and mental health. Unfortunately many of us struggle to know HOW to play with kids. In this episode we discuss exactly how we can use play with children and teens to build skills in communication, empathy, emotional regulation and so much more. We hope you like the episode and we can't wait to read your reflections, questions and advice. Special thanks to our sponsor Hot Wheels for supporting this episode and helping us keep the conversations rolling ❤️ Hot Wheels is all about helping kids build confidence and resilience through play… and we love that.
In this special episode we talk with the phenomenal Dr Tina Payne Bryson, New York Times best-selling author, psychotherapist, researcher and wonderful human. Tina helps us understand how the science can be translated into practical strategies regarding emotional difficulties, attachment, neurodiversity, trauma and so much more. Thank you Tina for your generosity and if you somehow don't know her work please check her out. As you can tell in the beginning of this episode Billy is a HUGE FAN.
In this reflection episode we discuss how we can set our kids up to succeed through their teens, how to spot when something is wrong and what we can do to help. We also chat about how to support teens through bullying, keeping things from us, finding their identity, phones and much more! Thank you to everyone who sent in questions, advice and reflections, we hope this episode honours your story.
Adolescence is an important developmental window during which identity is explored and relationships are strengthened. It can also be a turbulent time during which mental illness spikes and the kids we care about become lost. Luckily there is so much we can do to prepare ourselves and our younger kids for this period. The evidence can also guide us if we are currently supporting a teen even if it all seems hopeless. We hope you like this latest episode and we can't wait for your reflections, questions and advice.
In this reflection episode we hear from PCP listeners who generously share their stories of survival with reflections, questions and advice. It's a vulnerable conversation with an emotional ending but we hope it helps people find the kindness and compassion for themselves that we work on for ourselves. Thank you to everyone who contributed, we feel so lucky to have you in the area with us!
This episode is a little different to our others. PCP aims to guide us all about how we can better support the kids in our lives. Sometimes though the weight of doing better can be too much. In this honest chat we talk about sometimes needing to just survive and how best to do that without feeling like a gladiator constantly fighting in the arena. We hope this helps lighten that burden and we can't wait to hear your reflections, questions and advice.
In our second reflection episode about nurturing neurodiversity we dive into the science of neurodiversity and how it can be used in the real world to support the kids in our lives. We hear from exceptional educators about how to best support neurodivergent students, discuss research about pathological demand avoidance (PDA) and explore mental health and trauma relating to neurodiversity. We end on a message that can help all of us understand the power of inclusion. We hope you like it and thank you to everyone who sent in their stories. It's a privilege to read them and we wish we could share them all.
In this part 1 reflection episode we discuss how the evidence can guide us regarding many of the challenges neurodivergent kids face. We cover questions about masking, rejection sensitive dysphoria, neurodiversity and emotional sensitivity, fitting in, medication and many more. Thank you for the wonderful questions, reflections and advice that the amazing PCP community sent in. We hope you like it and we can't wait to dive into this topic even further in the next reflection episode.
After so many requests from the amazing PCP community we are diving back in to talk about neurodiversity and how we can better support these beautiful kids. We discuss how movies, beliefs and a deficit approach can cause harm and limit potential. We dive into how we can help neurodivergent children and teens feel safe and experience success using the science in the real world. We can not wait to hear your reflections, questions and advice on nurturing neurodiversity as it's our favourite part of the podcast.
In this reflection episode we go deeper into conflict resolution using reflections, questions and advice from the wonderful PCP community. We explore how we can support conflict resolution at different developmental stages from toddlers to teens, what schools can do and how we can work on this within ourselves. Thank you to everyone who sent in their messages and we hope you like the episode.
Dealing with conflict can be a big challenge of life and lead to damage within ourselves, our relationships and the broader community. We first learn how to deal with conflict during childhood and unfortunately often in unhealthy ways. Luckily there is so much we can do to guide kids though these tough times. In this episode Nick & Billy discuss why it's important and how we can better resolve conflicts in a healthy way. We hope you like it and can't wait to read your reflections, questions and advice.
In this episode we blast off into the future fuelled by wonderful reflections, questions and guidance from the beautiful PCP community. We discuss ways to move from anxiety to action, frustration tolerance, worries and neurodiversity, potential pitfalls (good old resilience) and our own fear about the future regarding the kids we care about. Thank you to everyone who sent in messages and questions. You give us so much hope!
Worries about the future are a common source of stress for kids and a tricky topic for those supporting them to navigate. From typical concerns to clinical anxiety it is important that we have tools we can use to help children when these challenges arise. In this episode we discuss how important our beliefs and behaviours about the future are, including in the media, in regards to how worried or hopeful we might be. We also discuss common concerns and one therapeutic approach that can help guide kids when these difficulties emerge. We can't wait to read your questions, reflections and tips. Thank you for making our future brighter too!
In part 3 of our Beautiful Boys topic we honour some of the powerful stories and insights from the amazing PCP community who continue to guide and inspire us. We also cover some important questions, hear about practical advice and end on a the story of beautiful man who provides a north star for those of us trying to find our way.
In the first of two reflections about how we can raise beautiful boys Nick and Billy explore some of the amazing reflections, questions and tips from the PCP community. We cover how we can push back against some of the damage patriarchy inflicts on us, how to guide growing minds towards healthier versions of masculinity and the importance of emotional understanding and expression in young boys. We hope you find this helpful and we look forward to diving even deeper in second reflection episode next week.
Boys and girls learn from a young age that they are different because of how caregivers and our broader society treats them. This inequity is destructive to all of us, especially in regards to mental illness, developmental trauma and intimate partner violence. As heartbreaking as the stories and statistics are there is so much we can do to better guide our growing boys that supports them and all their future relationships. We are really excited to read your reflections, questions and advice to guide a deeper discussion next episode into how we can all do this better.
In this reflection episode we answer questions about connection from how we do it with ourselves, our partners, newborn babies, dysregulated children and reluctant teens. As always we are humbled by the beautiful reflections, inspired by powerful stories and guided by amazing advice. Thank you PCP and we hope you connect with this latest episode.
Connection is an important first step in guiding our kids but one that is often misunderstood or missed entirely. In this episode we discuss why it matters and how we can give ourselves the best chance to connect with the kids we care about to guide them through the tough times. We hope you like it and can't wait to hear your reflections, questions and advice.
We had an amazing evening celebrating our 100th episode and we hope you enjoy it as an episode. You can also watch the entire event on our youtube channel too! We forgot to read out the poll questions so we've included them below with answers. Thank you all for an amazing 100 episodes and episode 101 will be out in early Feb 2025. Check out our Patreon in the mean time as we grow our community there too ❤️LIVE SHOW POLL1. Favourite part of PCP?Advice - 1stFriendship & community - 2ndJokes and fashion - 3rd2. If they were to remake Legends of the Fall who should be recast for the role of Tristan (photo of Tristan with this question)?Nick - 49%Billy - 51% 3. Do you feel like you have the right knowledge and resources to guide a growing mind?Yes - 80%No - 20%4. What is your favourite topic & movie combination?Mean Girls & parenting style
Love is in the air in this episode with beautiful reflections, honest questions and overwhelming feedback about love. Please have tissues ready as we both needed them multiple times in this heartfelt journey through a small fraction of the amazing emails and messages that were sent to us on this important topic. Thank you to everyone who has shared this journey with us over the last 3 years. We hope you like this episode and we love being a part of the PCP community.
For the final topic of the year Nick & Billy discuss a subject close to their hearts. Interstellar & love is an adventurous exploration of the science of love and how it can guide us in supporting the children in our lives. Please send in your questions about love, reflections on your own experience and tips to help all of us navigating this space. It's been a wild spaceship ride and we love all of you for sharing it with us.
Well it's a big episode this week full of laughs and tears. So many inspiring stories of hope, honesty about the challenges of resilience and hopefully some helpful discussion about how we can all support the kids in our community. Thank you to everyone who sent in questions. We feel so privileged to be a part of the PCP community.
One of the best movies paired with one of the most important topics. In this episode we discuss the evidence regarding resilience, how is can be developed in real life (and in Shawshank State Penitentiary) without leading to failure and further harm. We hope you enjoy this chat and we can't wait to hear your reflections, questions and tips!
In this reflection episode we dive into the application of parenting style research through the life course from babies to teens and of course all of us as adults just trying to get a little better at this each day. It's no surprise that the reflections, questions and advice sent in by the gorgeous PCP community once again is the podcasts greatest asset. Thank you to everyone who sent in messages, this one was a rollercoaster emotionally but hopefully it helps you too.
This week's episode is so fetch. Nick and Billy discuss the amazing movie Mean Girls and the research around parenting style that led to Regina George. We reflect on our own style and role play different approaches to see the research in action. We hope you enjoy our chat and we can't wait to read your reflections, questions and tips!
Big feelings reflection part 2 is filled with heartfelt questions, reflections and tips from the amazing PCP community. We discuss tough behaviours and hurtful words, what we can say and strategies we can use to allow our kids (and us) to have big feelings without suffering from their impact on us and those around us. We hope you enjoy & thank you to everyone who contributed!
Huge reflection episode with vulnerable questions, heartfelt feedback and practical tips from listeners. We also celebrate a big milestone so thanks to the amazing PCP community for all of your support. Too many great questions to cover in one reflection so we will dive deep into big feelings again next episode!
This episode Nick and Billy chose the red pill and dive into big feelings in ourselves and our kids. We discuss whats happening with big feelings (such as anger, fear and guilt), the impact they can have on our lives and the steps of emotional self-regulation. This one felt personal for both of us but we hope it helps you too. We can't wait to read your reflections, questions and words of advice!
Once again the PCP community delivers amazing reflections, questions and advice. We talk practically about moral development, empathy and theory of mind through early childhood to late teens. There is lots of laughter, tears and hopefully some helpful guidance in how to support this important aspect of child development. Thank you to all the wonderful people who contributed!
We aim high this week with a discussion about how kids develop morals, why it matter and how we can guide them through each phase. Just like Jerry Maguire it's aspirational & emotional but we're not sure if we nailed any catchphrases. There is always the follow up episode I guess. Please send in your reflections, questions and personal tips in how we guide the kids we care about in this important part of who they become.
We couldn't do justice to all the amazing questions, feedback and reflections but we gave it our best shot. In this episode we discuss navigating challenges to attachment in early life, difficulties in older kids and teens as well as what we can do when things get too much. Thank you to every single person who sent in questions, reflections and feedback. You are the best part of PCP.
Just when we thought the PCP community couldn't get any better they go and send in some of the best questions and reflections about attachment that we could have imagined. So many in fact that we're doing a multipart reflection! In this episode we touch on sleep & attachment, at risk teens, clingy babies, breaking insecure patterns, temperament vs attachment, self-care and so much more! At the end Billy chokes through a beautiful reflection from an amazing clinician. Thank you everyone!
One of the greatest movies and one of the most important topics pair perfectly for this episode. We discuss the science of attachment, it's influence on development and mental health through childhood and adult life and how we can improve it for our kids and ourselves. We can't wait to hear your feedback, stories, questions and advice!
For this reflection episode we share stories, questions and advice from the amazing PCP community about cultivating courage in our kids. Nick and Billy discuss how the textbook theory can be applied to real life situations and end on a beautiful insight into how one therapist guides a child through these challenges in their clinic. Our longest episode yet but we hope you still enjoy it!
The real world can be a pretty scary place and we all want our kids to learn how to face these fears. In this episode Nick and Billy talk about how we can help kids develop true courage for whatever comes. Spoiler alert, the answer isn't send them out into the jungle alone! We hope you enjoy and please send in you questions, experiences growing up regarding courage and any tips you've learnt to share with the PCP community.
There were so many amazing questions following our changing behaviour episode that we recorded a second reflection episode! This time we dive into scenarios of play fighting, real fighting, perspective taking, motivation, negotiations and biting! We also share some lovely feedback and advice from our greatest asset, the PCP community. Thank you everyone and we hope you enjoy it.
We had so many phenomenal questions, feedback and advice following the latest episode that we've decided to break up the reflection into two parts. We hope you enjoy this chat about how we can use the science of how kids learn to guide them through behavioural challenges.
Behavioural difficulties are one of the most challenges aspects of supporting kids of all ages. Understanding what influences behaviour gives us insight into how we can best guide our kids when they are struggling. Just like Sidney does for Billy in White Men Can't Jump, the trick is setting them up to learn whatever skill they are struggling with, from the dribble to the dunk.
In this reflection episode we explore the challenges of breaking cycles and building wellbeing in ourselves and the kids we support. Some great examples of how to apply these principles in real life from listeners too. Thanks to everyone who contributed and we hope you enjoy the discussion.
In this episode Nick and Billy talk about how we can all get caught up in the daily grind and feel like we are stuck in a negative cycle, just like Groundhog Day! There is hope however in the evidence of positive psychology which can guide how we build our own wellbeing and that of the children in our lives. We hope you enjoy listening to the episode as much as we enjoyed recording it. Please send in your questions and suggestions about how we can all improve in terms of looking after our own wellbeing and the kids we support.
So many amazing questions this week! In rapid fire we cover starting age, changing school, homework, help seeking and building partnerships with educators. Our long questions dive into choosing the right school, kids who are struggling with peers, separation anxiety, parental guilt and so much more! Thank you to everyone who sent in questions and we hope you enjoy the episode!
In our first episode back for the year we discuss how we can support the children in our lives to succeed at school, especially in their social and emotional development. From their first days in childcare to those big school transitions there is so much we can do to set them up or help them get back on track if things have become tough. We hope you enjoy and can't wait to hear your questions!
For the first half of our Christmas special we read out our favourite Griswolds and Winslows from listeners, thank you to everyone who sent them in! Then we chat about Die Hard and the benefit of investing in the relationships that matter to us over this holiday break. Thank you to all the fans for a wonderful year!
In this reflection episode we answer listener questions about how to practically apply mental health first aid as family members and professionals supporting children. Thank you to all the generous listeners who sent in their honest and difficult situations, helping us discuss challenges such as avoidance, aggression, self-harm, suicidal thinking and our own mental health first aid.
This week Nick and Billy chat about the amazing movie Thelma & Louise, how it relates to mental illness and then dive into a practical approach to supporting kids who are struggling. We can't wait to hear what you think and read the questions you send in!
Our developmental trauma reflection episode is our longest yet and for good reason. We had so many amazing questions sent in and we hope we did them justice. Thank you to our phenomenal, honest and vulnerable community.
A tough but really important topic for us all this week. We discuss what developmental trauma is, how it impacts our kids, what we can do to protect against it and how to help children and families who have experienced it.
In our social skills episode we cover some of the amazing questions that came in about this important part of development. We dive into hitting, saying sorry, empathy, boys vs girls, the impact of childcare, conflict, shyness, neurodiversity, the role of schools, sticking up for yourself and many more. We hope you enjoy!
Grease & social skills explores how we can best support kids to succeed in their relationships from babies to teenagers and everything in between. We also also get to hear about how much Nick loves this movie!!!
So many great questions this week! We cover lots of different aspects of supporting kids who are different including how we build their strengths, create inclusive relationships and environments, use inclusive language, protect self-esteem and validate their experiences. Thank you to all who sent in their amazing insights and challenges to help us all learn together.
A single question from an amazing parent guides us this week in an emotional discussion about Forrest Gump & kids who are different. Thank you to our amazing community for you vulnerability and willingness to learn together how we can best support all children in our community.
Our siblings reflection episode takes a deeper dive into aspects of supporting siblings including jealousy, conflict, equity, neurodiversity and our own childhood sibling relationships. We end on a question from a phenomenal parent striving to build bonded relationships for the children in her care. Thank you everyone for sharing and we hope you find this episode helpful.
Legends of the Fall & siblings hopes to help guide all of us (Nick and Billy too) through the challenges of raising multiple children. We hope it helps and can’t wait to get all of your feedback and amazing questions.
Wonderful questions this week going deeper into the practical application of co-regulation for different scenarios, developmental abilities and strengths. We also chat about neurodiversity, our role as parents and a phenomenal use of the movie theme in one of the long questions!! We hope you enjoy.
We are back folks! Jurassic Park & co-regulation will hopefully help guide us all in how we support our kids, including Billy!
Huge reflection episode this week with so many fantastic questions from listeners! We chat about supporting all kids in risk taking from an early age up to late teens. We cover kids who love risky situations, those who are hesitant and those who don't even seem to realize! Thank you to everyone who helped guide us for this important discussion.
One of our most requested topics is finally here! This week we chat about the adventures of Indiana Jones and risk taking. We hope you find it helpful and we are excited to get your questions which are always full of treasure!!
This week we have 20 rapid fire questions, advice from an amazing professional, our first audio question and as always a bunch of honest, vulnerable and insightful longer questions to guide us home. We hope you enjoy and thank you to the PCP community for being amazing!
We can get pretty caught up in the tough bits some times so this week Nick and Billy chat about their experience in becoming parents. For any new parents, seasoned veterans or even those supporting others in their parenting we hope you enjoy!!!
Phenomenal questions this week about stigma, siblings, social skills, masking, schools, labels and so much more. We hope it helps to guide us all towards more inclusive and stronger communities.
Neurodiversity strengthens our community. Like the world of Blade Runner, we can learn so much from those different to us. We hope you enjoy this episode.
In Nick’s own words a very balanced episode this week. We share our own experience, honest and insightful questions from listeners and strategies to improve upon co-parenting challenges. Hope you enjoy.
Co-parenting can be challenging for those of us raising kids together, following a separation or even on our own. This week we chat about why it matters and some helpful tips beyond dressing up the as nanny and putting on a British accent.....`
This week we dive deeper into what’s behind peer pressure, how we can set our kids up to succeed through this window and help them if the are finding it a bit tough. We also chat about neurodiversity, building values and confidence and a great story from Nick about his playground experience. Thank you to our amazing listeners for their generous and honest questions.
This podcast is about finding the sweet spot between the textbooks and real life when it comes to parenting. Dr Billy (a developmental paediatrician) and Nick (a developing parent) are a couple of dads having honest discussions about parenting day to day. We'll be using iconic TV and cinema scenes from the 80's & 90's to give context to Billy's parenting advice.
Peer pressure can be a really tough experience for kids and those who support them. Thankfully we can provide guidance and a safe harbour through these tricky times, just like Dominic Toretto does for his team.
The subject of Tantrums has driven the largest amount of questions on a topic so far. Dr Billy and Nick tackled listeners questions in 38 degree heat! It's a miracle Nick made it through while Billy remained cool, calm and considered. Enjoy!
When a kid has a tantrum, particularly in public, it has got to be up there as one of the most challenging parenting moments. Dr Billy uses a classic scene from Rambo (maybe the biggest tantrum ever?) on how to support kids and help calm the situation without going to war with them
In our final episode of 2022 we celebrate our listeners Winslows (wins) and Griswolds (lowpoints) before we unpack the the best tips to relieving the pressure during the holiday season on parents. Thanks to everyone that sent messages and shared their reflections on the podcast this year and particularly this episode!
Episode 50!?!? Where did the time go?Amazing questions this week about supporting healthy self-esteem. We discuss signs a child is going ok, how to find the right balance in challenging our kids, how to approach neurodiversity, bullying and too much praise. Hope you enjoy.
Self-esteem is one of the most important and most difficult aspects of child development and mental health. In our final heavy topic for the year Nick & Billy explore how we support positive self-esteem in our kids and ourselves. It’s gets pretty emotional but well worth a listen for anyone supporting kids or finding it tough themselves.
In the wise word of Dutch “stick around” for this one. We answer questions about the how, why, when and where of pretend play these week. We loved making and we hope it helps guide you into pretend play with the kids you care for.
Pretend play is lots of fun but it’s also a really important part of childhood. Play allows us to fine tune our development and learn skills that will ensure we succeed in life and against the predator!! We hope you enjoy this episode as we certainly did.
We’ve taken your questions about kids who grow up too fast and distilled them into what Nick calls “The Big 4”. We talk about preventing kids growing up too fast, do kids need tough times, how to help kids that have grown up too fast and what steps to take if you feel like you may have missed steps yourself.
Growing up too fast can have a negative impact on many aspects of child development and mental health. Trauma, unrealistic expectations and a lack of opportunity with guidance are some of the risk factors for the kids we support, and for William Wallace. Many of us have also had to grow up too fast and we hope this episode helps to understand and approach this tough topic.
Amazing questions this week! We spoke about supporting language development in younger and older kids, dummies, swearing, academic concerns and selective mutism. We’re gonna try to get to the other questions on Instagram too as we ran out of time!! Thanks for sending them in and hope you enjoy!
Language development is so much more than learning how to talk. In fact that isn’t even the first step!!! This week Nick and Billy discuss the timeless classic Dirty Dancing & our role as instructors in teaching our children about language.
This week we reflect on last weeks chat about depression and answer your amazing questions. We talk about our role as parents, prevention, the details of therapy and medication and kids who won’t engage. Thanks for sharing your journey!!
Depression is more than feeling sad or low. It is a destructive mental illness that causes so much heartache and suffering in our communities. It is essential that we all understand depression to make sure we see and support those who are fighting against it. This week Nick and Billy chat about what is behind depression, how it presents in our kids and what we can do about it. We also learn about depression from the wonderful characters of the 80s fantasy classic - The Neverending Story!!
In our follow up screen time we spoke about what kids watch on screens, different types of screen use, talking to kids about screens, strategies for screens and how to get grandparents in the same page. We especially loved people sharing their honest experiences with screens and a special shout out to those with broken TVs and remotes 😂
Screen time causes so much stress and guilt for families and feels like a new phenomenon. This week Nick shines (as always) with his honest and practical experience with screens, while Dr Billy delivers practical strategies and evidence back learning
So many great questions from listeners about bullying this week. We talk about figuring out if it’s bullying or just fun between mates, at what age should we start talking about bullying, safe and healthy responses, sticking up for other kids, what to do if our kid is the bully and what schools can do. All of this plus a bonus question from Nick!
Bullying can be one of the most devastating experiences for kids to go through and sadly too many go through this trauma, often alone. As parents and professionals supporting children and teenagers it is really important we talk to our kids about bullying to protect them from it’s destructive impact. In this episode Nick and Billy use Back to the Future to discuss Bullying and how best to support all kids when it occurs (even if they're doing the bullying)
So many amazing questions this week about kids who can’t focus and ADHD. We cover how to talk to kids about it, emotional difficulties, the stigma, medication, education approaches and so much more! Thank you to all who guided us this week and we hope it helps you in guiding the kids you care for.
Lots of kids can’t focus for many different reasons. ADHD is a common cause with 7% of Aussie kids aged 4 to 17 years of age having the condition. Difficulties with attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity can have huge impacts on not only learning but also relationships and self esteem. This week Nick and Billy chat about how we support all kids to develop the skills required to succeed when they need to focus and control their impulses.
Huge contribution this week from listeners sharing their challenges and wisdom with grief and death. Part 2 is truely guided by loved experience thanks to one courageous and generous parents. Tough but important stuff for us and our kids.
Grief can be reallly tough for us and our kids. This week Nick and Billy talk about loss (a death, a relationship, your own independence) and how we can help our kids navigate this challenging experience.
Dozens of questions from listeners for part 2 of 'the power of friendship' episode. We consolidated down to 9 questions in total, including dealing with undesirable friendships, exclusion, shyness and some more complicated questions.
Genuine friendships are one of the most protective factors for our kids through out their entire lives. Billy and Nick use Dumb & Dumber to frame how to build good opportunities for kids to develop strong friendships and if kids are struggling to develop them, then how we bring them back.
Anxiety is the most common mental health illness in kids, but it can also be the most difficult one to pin point. In episode 30 of our series we answer listeners questions about how to manage performance anxiety, support kids as they're spiralling and develop tactics to help them through
Anxiety is the MOST common mental illness in kids, particularly after a pandemic. We dont focus a lot on sharks, but on more common things kids have a fear of (dogs, tigers, school, etc).
Part 2 of 'Breaking bad habits' gives people practical tips to create good habits with their kids, break the bad ones and also provides support to parents whos kids have a bit more going to create good habits. Here are the specific questions Dr Billy answers: 1. How do we build good habits about exercise, sleep, diet, money? 2. How to deal with bad habits pulling hair, picking skin, biting nails, screens.? 3. How to approach habits in children with neurodevelopmental or mental health concerns?
Want to know how to form good habits with your kids? Or maybe you want to get rid of some bad ones? Dr Billy helps us understand how good habits are formed and how you can instill them with your kids in some easy steps. Enjoy
"How you like them apples?" Part 2 of 'our role in kids resilience' is JAM PACKED with more than 10 questions from parents, professionals and 'fans'(lol).
Dr Billy and Bec are direct in their responses and build on their answers with one another to make sure you get what you need on advice to help build kids resilience.
Our very first guest and what a way to celebrate episode 25 Good Will Hunting & our role in building kids' resilience! Bec Harris brings a wealth of knowledge about why and how we set our kids up to get through the tough times. Please send in your questions as Bec is going to join us next week to help answer them. To learn more about Bec and her work please visit traumainformedpractice.com.au
AMAZING questions from listeners makes for a fun episode. Dr Billy talks about the link between imaginative play with developing empathy in children.
Who knew Imaginary Friends and Empathy would be so closely linked? Dr Billy takes us on a journey this week and talks about the history and benefits of imaginary friends with the help of a little alien named E.T.
Nick and Billy share their stories about their own mental health and discuss how we can look after ourselves and those around us
Who could forget 'Big' (1988) with Tom Hanks? He recieved an Academy Award nomination for best actor, but now he'll truly be imortalised as we selected this film in Episode 21: Big + parental mental health. Now live on all podcast platforms.
In episode 20 Dr Billy tells you how to get kids to sleep and keep them asleep. The team gets deep into the evidence about kids who won’t sleep to address the many amazing questions that came in. Please enjoy and let us know what you think.
Got a kid that won't sleep? Hop in to episode 19 with Dr Billy and Nick to learn the best skills and rituals to adopt to improve their overall sleep.
Bad kids ep drove a bunch of GREAT questions from parents and professionals. We answer lots of questions including: - How many chances can we give a bad kid when the behaviours are breaking us? - How do we make a positive influence when there is so much negative intergenerational experience? - How to manage bad behaviour without impacting the relationship? - How do we make it fair on the "good" kids in the classroom? - How can we make sure these kids will be ok when they become adults?
We’ve all heard the term “bad kid” before. In this ep, Dr Billy tells us why why he loves to work with these kids and recounts some lessons he’s learnt along the way. We use the emotional campfire scene from Stand By Me where River Phoenix shines (the scene is on our Instagram channel - @popcultureparenting). Nick also catches Billy off guard by nailing some psychology theory!
In part 2 of Hook (1991) + fussy eating we answer specific questions from listeners about diet, constipation and improving meal times!
Hook (1992) & fussy kids. This one’s fun, emotional and hopefully really helpful. Bangarang everyone!!!
In this ep we answer a few questions including; 'how do I parent a dandelion and an orchid?', 'how much support is enough?' and 'how can I support my kid in a Lord of the Flies type playground?' and much, much more.
Steve Martin's character Gill and his son Kevin give us the perfrct backdrop to discuss what’s going on for sensitive kids, how we can support them and why that is so important. Please send in your questions so we can go deep in our reflective practice episode next week.
Part 2 of Billy Madison + Toilet training podcast is LIVE
We answered the following 5 questions which came from our listeners: 1. Can I ruin my child's life by messing up toilet training? 2. The 'dream wee'... myth or reality 3. My kid is struggling after multiple setbacks... what do I do? 4. Any advice on Encopresis? 5. ?????? (#secretquestion)
Toilet training. Something every child goes through. It's also not necessarily 'mastered' by late toddler-hood - 10% of 5 year olds and 5% of 10 year olds still have accidents during the day.
We use Billy Madison's friend Ernie to help talk through the strongest approaches to achieve success - you cam see the screen on our instagram page @popcultureparenting
How good is reflective practice!? We discuss feedback and questions from listeners as well as supporting each other after difficult chats.
Billy and Nick discuss Ferris Bueller’s Day Off & Kids who are struggling to attend school. Something for everyone as we talk about setting up kids for success, spotting that they’re struggling and getting them back when they go off track. Can’t wait to hear your feedback!!!
Episode 8 dives into reflective practice and Nick surprises himself with some well retained knowledge and strong application of some key questions he asks himself before diving in to correcting/discipling his kids 1. What's going on for them (the child)? 2. What have I missed? 3. Have I pitched things too high?
A good short listen, well worth a spin. Enjoy
We explore parenting without shame and the best way to support our kids when they make mistakes.
LeftsideStrongside #rememberthetitans
In a follow up to episode 5, we discuss feedback from listeners on what the right amount of kids to have actually is.
Episode #5 is out and it was lots of fun answering a FAN QUESTION 🎉 woohoo! We talk about the evidence regarding single children vs siblings and the classic movie about brotherly love…. Twins.
Wanna know how to thrive in a 7-day lockdown in a house where everyone has COVID-19? Then listen to this!
A week after dropping tips about parenting in a pandemic (episode 3), Nick and his family put it into action after everyone contracts COVID. There are 5 practical tips in this episode so please enjoy
Parenting through a pandemic is challenging to say the least. In this episode, Dr Billy Garvey shares evidence based insights on how to ease the pressure of parenting through the Covid-19 pandemic and the uncertainty that surrounds it. We lean on Sigourney Weaver's masterful performance as Ripley in 'Aliens'(1986) to give context to Billy's advice. We discuss Ripley's approach to building a bond and supporting a traumatised Newt.
Dr Billy Garvey provides an actionable set of steps to help identify and support your child when they're having some emotional difficulties in the moment. We use a scene from Terminator 2 to give context to Billy's advice. Follow on Instagram @popcultureparenting for show notes and more details on the topic and film
In our very first episode we tackle the parenting technique of Time Out and talk through how to support Kevin in a busy household. Hot tip, don't send him to the attic.