Claim OwnershipThe Parent Squad
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If it takes a village to raise a child, it must take a whole country to raise a family! Newstalk ZB’s Parent Squad helps to do just that. Joined by expert guests The Weekend Collective team delves into the complexities of Kiwi family life.
356 Episodes
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Social media giants Meta and YouTube have been found liable for deliberately designing their platforms to be addictive. We don't need to look too far into the details of this specific trial, because parents everywhere will have stories of their own to some extent, but how much of the blame falls on the parents? There are countless things in the modern world that young people risk becoming addicted to - they don't even have to appear sinister. Food, sugar, video games, any number of apps - social media or otherwise. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Most kids will take part in some kind of sport throughout their childhood. It's a great opportunity to keep them moving and allow them to burn off some energy, but how early should we be getting our children into these teams? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kids push limits - it's just what they do. From as early as the toddler years, it's completely developmentally normal for children to figure out just how for they can push their parents before a very clear line is drawn - but what about those times where behaviour you never would have imagined doing yourself as a child rears its head? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Early childhood education is darn expensive. You want your kids to socialise, make friends, learn some basics - but it costs an arm and a leg. So how long can you put it off? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Whether it's a friend, your own parents, or you may be going through it yourself - we've all heard the question of whether a couple should 'stay together for the kids'. Realistically, a divorce does have a significant impact on children, even if they're prioritised and not put in the middle of it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Child safety reform in the world of big tech is sweeping the globe at the moment. Australia's leading the charge in the social media ban for under 16s, and California has expanded the Coogan Law to cover child influencers, to name a few. Although we haven't seen any change here in New Zealand, the conversation has truly started and we may see moves being made soon. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Many parents will be starting to feel the exhaustion from getting back into school and extracurriculars. We often go into the new year with high expectations of ourselves - like completely homemade school lunches, no takeout, keeping on top of house work - but quickly realise there was a reason we weren't accomplishing all that last year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A new report this week found nearly 90% of Auckland primary school say there's an increasing number of new entrants starting school without bare basic skills like being toilet trained and talking properly. These are 5 year olds who are otherwise capable, but some stage of their early childhood seems to have been neglected - they can't even identify the letters of their name or hold a pencil. As harsh as it may be, the blame does have to land somewhere. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Schools have started back up and we all, obviously, want our children to do well. Parents will be doing drop off and pick up, making sure the homework is done and forms are signed, keeping an eye on grades and reports. But how involved should parents really be in their children's education? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
One of the hottest topics of the modern era is kids and smartphones. As we've seen more of the what the internet can do (for better or worse) they seem like an essential part of life. Wallet, Keys, Phone, that's what you always keep on you. A first phone is typically only for texting mum and dad, so why do you need a device that has the capability for so much more? Child Psychologist Sara Chatwin joins Tim Beveridge to give her advice on when to let kids get their own devices and how to manage them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
NCEA results are officially out. Most kids would have genuinely worked as hard as they could to get the grades they hoped for - even the kids who act like they don't really care. And for many it won't have turned out as hey had planned - whether that meant not quite meeting the dizzying heights of their ambition or an actual fail grade. But it's unavoidable - at some stage through their school career - and life for that matter, most of us have to deal with the disappointment of failure. They need to learn how to deal with that disappointment - but it will of course still be there, so how are parents supposed to help their children through it? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We've all seen the videos - we may have even seen it in our own living rooms on Christmas morning... A child, even teenager, opens a gift their loved one has especially picked out for them, and they proceed to complain about how it's not the one they wanted. The wrong colour bicycle, wrong model phone, it could be anything. So how do we teach our children to be grateful for anything they're given this Christmas? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What are the essential life skills our kids truly need to know before they head out into the real world? How often to wash their sheets, how to cook a basic meal, managing bills and payments, doing laundry without turning their white shirts pink - these are things that most of us learnt well before we moved out, but they don't seem to be as common today. Only 21% of parents of children aged 5-17 years say their kids are often involved with cooking. That's 79% of kids that will likely leave home not knowing how to cook much more than a toasted cheese. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In just a few days, a law banning the use of social media for under 16s will take effect in Australia. For many parents, social media has been a daily part of family life for years - allowing kids to stay connected with their friends and family, sharing life updates with people they may not get a chance to speak with very often. Generations before have been relatively ignorant to just how seriously harmful it can be - figuring if they just keep open communication with their kids then they should be fine. But younger millennial and gen Z parents seem to be recognising the dangers, and most often opting to keep their kids offline. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The school year is drawing to an end and soon enough, families will be filling school halls and gymnasiums for the end-of-year prizegiving. For the star students or athletes, it's a moment of pride to walk across the stage and receive a well-earned award. For others, the whole thing can feel demoralising. Never mind the awards themselves - there are clear differences between some, like the dean's award and the most improved. But on the other hand, do we really want to be handing out participation awards? Are they inclusive or are they encouraging mediocrity? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Summer holidays is just around the corner and kids will be rushing out the door to spend as much time as they can with their friends. But this time of year is often the longest period that parents will be able to spend time at home with the family. We don't want to pull our children away from their friends, but we also want to instil the value of family time. So where do we draw the line between family time and friend time for our children this summer? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We live in a near cashless world these days. Hardly anyone has anything further than a couple cards, or even just Apple Pay. We all remember a time we'd get a gold coin for washing mum's car, or a couple notes for chopping wood, but those days seem to be gone. How are parents going about pocket money without cash? Are we really giving our kids bank cards, and how young is too young? And if money's not the right reward, are things a better deal for our children? Is it acceptable to fill up their gas tank in return for chores? And going a bit deeper into this - what counts as a chore that should be compensated for, and what are the jobs they should be doing simply for being a part of the household? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We're on the brink of exam season and a lot of families are feeling the pressure. As parents we can prepare our kids to study as much as we want, but there are other areas they will need support in. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We all know the dangers of tech these days, but it's unavoidable. Our kids need a laptop for school, an iPad to pass the time, and a phone for parents to reach them on. There are positives to technology, we just need to teach our children to take advantage of the good things their devices have to offer. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Should you stay together for the kids? A lot of the time it does more harm than good - and countless adults will tell you they wished their parent had split when they were children. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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