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Teenage years can be very volatile. It is a time when parents and teens can feel like they are in opposition and can’t find a connection! There’s so much going on inside a teenager physically, emotionally and psychologically that things can feel out of control and can get out of control in a flash. Parents can be on the receiving end of emotional outbursts like “I hate you!” “I hate myself!” “My life sucks” “Everyone is always against me” “Can’t you just leave me alone?” These are common feelings for teens who are trying to find their way in the world – where they are torn between breaking away from their parents and becoming independent as well as wanting to be part of a social group. It can be so confusing for everyone and it’s a huge challenge for a parent to stay calm during explosive times when you know you’re doing the best you can with a busy and stressful life and then your child is rude, disrespectful and unappreciative! Join parenting expert Dr Rosina as she discusses with Tracy Tresidder practical advice for parents and teens.

Child abuse is a topic no-one wants to talk about BUT, the reality is – if we are going to do all we can to keep our children safe - we have to. The rate of child-abuse in Australia and world-wide is on the rise. As a parent, teacher or carer it’s important to teach every child what to do if they are confronted with a situation with the potential for child abuse by educating them from a very young age  about the potential harms and what they can do if someone tries to abuse them. Most parents don’t know where to start this difficult conversation, and that is why Chrissy Sykes developed the “my body is my body” program in conjunction with various child protection authorities and experts. Join parenting expert, Dr Rosina McAlpine as she interviews the founder and creator of the my body is my body program, Chrissy Sykes and learn: The shocking statistics on child abuse worldwide – it is far more comment than you think and – it is not usually a stranger – but someone the child knows and trusts. What the “My Body Is My Body Program” all about – how it helps parents, carers and teachers to educate young children to prevent child abuse. The age group the program applies to. Why music and song is such a good medium to help children learn the messages and responses they need to make if they are threatened or abused in anyway. For more information and to access this FREE resource for all parents and teachers to use as an educational tool for young children,  see www.mybodyismybody.com . One of the big messages that came out of the interview is that Chrissy went to prison to learn more about how to prevent child abuse and she learned that if children learn to say “NO” the potential perpetrators will,  more often than not  look for another child who won’t say no!  Teaching your children how to say no is a HUGE first step to preventing child abuse. Don’t miss this important podcast - crucial for every parent, carer and teacher.

Do you often disagree with your partner about how to parent? Do you feel like you’re doing most of the parenting and your partner has checked out?   When I first brought my son home I was an over protective mother – even when it can to his dad! I was constantly at my husband saying things like: “don’t hold him like that” Don’t throw him in the air – he’s just eaten”, “Don’t be so rough – he’s just a baby!” Until my generally calm, fun husband said “OK it seems I can’t do anything right, everything has to be YOUR way, so just do it yourself!” Now that made me think and of course do some research about how mothers and fathers parent – and yes you guessed it – they parent differently! Today on the show I talk to Charles Areni one of the authors of a fascinating book on this topic called “The other glass ceiling: fathers stepping up and mothers letting go”. Listen in and have a laugh as well as learn strategies to make lasting changes that will support a more cohesive family. For more on Charles Areni, Stephen Holden and their book see The Other Glass Ceiling The Other Glass Ceiling www.TheOtherGlassCeiling.com To learn more about Dr Rosina’s practical approach to parenting and her Online parenting program see Online Parenting Program

Are you: Thinking about having a baby? Trying to have a baby? Pregnant  OR Do you already have a baby you’re taking care of now? Listen in as parenting expert Dr Rosina interviews Jan Roberts who is an expert in preconception, pregnancy and baby. Jan is an author and authority on all things baby.

This is not science fiction. If you want to learn how to understand your baby and meet his/her needs  before  they cry then listen to this show! It’s revolutionary. Today’s guest has cracked the baby communication code. Vivien Sabel is a mother, relational psychotherapist and author of The Blossom Method™- The Revolutionary Way to Communicate with Your Baby from Birth.

Are you feeling like you’re always on the go with never enough time to get things done, chasing that elusive work-life balance that we’re all seeking to achieve? What would work-life balance mean for you?  What are you really looking for when we say you want more work-life balance?  To help you answer all of these questions, join parenting expert Dr Rosina as she interviews Mitzi Weinman, creator of Time Finder and author of  It’s About Time!: Transforming Chaos into Calm A to Z .

Your child’s brain development in those early years provides the foundation for their whole life. Nurturing your child’s brain will help them to learn, retain and use information and skills including managing their behaviour and emotions. Yet many parents don’t understand how they sometimes positively and sometimes negatively affect their child’s brain development. Listen in as parenting expert Dr Rosina McAlpine and Deborah McNellis discuss the Do's and Don'ts of your Child's early brain development.

Do you find it hard to get your children off the iPad or computer? Are your children exhibiting disturbing behaviours like out-of-control crying and screaming for screen time? Do you need HELP? Well, you’re not alone. Technology addiction is now considered a psychological disorder and a growing number of children are experiencing the many harms of too much technology. Screens are an integral part of life – televisions, phones, tablets, electronic games and computers are in most homes and our children are spending varying amounts of time on them. A little of the  right  kind of technology for kids can be of great benefit. However, many children spend far too much time on screens – well over the recommended guidelines and are interacting with the wrong  kind of content and this can result in long term harms. So what can worried parents do? Join Dr Rosina , entertaining and educational parenting expert as she interviews Dr Kristy Goodwin , mum of two and children’s technology and brain researcher at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. You can find more on Dr Kristy and her research by visiting her website Every Chance to Learn . Dr Kristy’s mission is to help parents feel confident about raising their kids in the digital age. Rather than worrying about screen time and banning it, today’s show is all about how your children can use technology in a healthy, safe and educational way. This show is filled with practical tips that work. In this interview you’ll learn: What screen time includes The recommended guidelines 0-12 years The benefits of screen time The harms of screen time that have been revealed in research What parents can do to make screen time educational and safe For help raising well-rounded and capable kids from toddlers to teens, get great tips, resources and support see Dr Rosina’s practical online parenting program . Here are the links we talked about in the show and promised for our listeners. http://www.everychancetolearn.com.au/screen-time-resources/  (extra screen-time resources) http://www.everychancetolearn.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Screen_time_audit.xls  (for the screen-time audit) https://www.commonsensemedia.org/   (helpful website that reviews technology for children)

Life is not always easy and we all encounter setbacks, obstacles and difficulties at one time or another. How resilient are your children when it comes to navigating life’s challenges? How do your children handle life’s downs? Are they OK if they lose a race, fail a test, fall over and hurt themselves or have a disappointment? Resilience is the ability to get up and move on when things are tough, some of the most successful people failed the first time but were resilient enough to persevere. Help your children understand that  “you never fail until you give up”. Help your child 1. understand what it means to be resilient 2. learn about some of the strategies to help them cope with adversity and bounce back when times are tough.

Many parents are worried about how much time their children spend on screens. Do you know how many hours per day or hours per week your kids spend on technology? You can use this spreadsheet to calculate screen time use for your whole family. Download Spreadsheet Once you know the total hours of screen time use for each child you can compare it to the recommended government guidelines for safe technology use. https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/physical-activity-and-exercise-guidelines-for-all-australians

Some of the most common questions I’m asked are: What is self-esteem and self-confidence? What is low self-esteem? How can I build self-esteem and build self-confidence? In this article I’ll explore the answers to each of these questions. Self-esteem and self-confidence are words we use regularly in our day-to-day discussions with friends, family, colleagues, peers and with our children. Many people use the words interchangeably, assume they have the same meaning and even define one using the other but what most people don’t know is that they are NOT the same and that it’s important to know the difference as it can have a huge impact on the quality of your life. People generally aspire to have good/healthy/high self-esteem and self-confidence and want to avoid low self-esteem. Here are some of the reasons why. Benefits of good self-esteem and self-confidence Adults and children who have healthy self-esteem and self-confidence feel good about who they are, believe in themselves and are more likely to have a positive attitude to life. People with healthy self-esteem and self-confidence are more likely to try new things and therefore they have a wider variety of life experiences and a richer life. This makes perfect sense right? Importantly, from a strong sense of self, adults and children alike are more resilient. Being resilient means that no matter what hardships life throws your way, you are more able to manage what is happening, pick yourself up and bounce back after the difficult experience. Finally, people with good self-esteem and self-confidence are less likely to be bullied and less likely to succumb to negative peer pressure. This is especially important for our children so they don’t get mixed up in the wrong crowd and take actions they know are harmful to themselves and others. So, having good self-esteem and self-confidence provides many benefits and is a highly valuable personal attribute for everyone. Do you and your children have good self-esteem and self-confidence? Evaluating self-esteem and self-confidence? Many people evaluate themselves as having low self-esteem and want to know how to build self-esteem. And, like many parents you may feel you have a child with low self-esteem and so you probably want to know to build self-esteem in children or build self-confidence in your kids. However, when you understand what self-esteem and self-confidence are then you will see that asking how to build self-esteem and self-confidence just aren’t the right questions. There is a fundamental difference between self-esteem and self-confidence yet, most of us don’t understand the difference. I first learned of the distinction when I was interviewing and working with child development and parenting experts for the book   Inspired Children: how the leading minds of today raise their children . Michael Hall PhD, contributed a chapter on Raising Psychologically Healthy Children and he talks about the difference between self-esteem, self-confidence and self-efficacy. While good self-esteem is a valuable personal quality to have, on the other hand, we want people (adults and children) to have realistic levels of self-confidence based on their experience and ability in relation to a particular task. So while it is beneficial to always strive for good self-esteem, our self-confidence may range from low to high depending on the activity or the task we are working on. Before you evaluate your self-esteem and self-confidence and the self-esteem in children, it’s good to understand what they are. You need a definition of self-esteem and self-confidence so that it’s clear what we’re talking about. Most people think they are similar or the same. What about you? Before reading on, take a moment to reflect and to ask yourself the following questions about self-esteem and self-confidence. Why not jot down a few notes and then compare it to the definitions provided below. What is self-esteem and what is self-confidence? Have you described them as being the same thing, similar or different? What is self-esteem and self-confidence? At the simplest level - self-esteem is about ‘being’ and self-confidence is about ‘doing’. It is easier to start by explaining self- confidence as many people confuse self-esteem and self-confidence and believe they are the same or similar. What is self-confidence? Self-confidence is about doing. It is about the activities we undertake and the things we do in life and how we judge ourselves in relation to those activities. Our self-confidence is based on our experience and ability with a particular task or activity. For example, if you’ve been driving a car for a long time and you haven’t caused road accidents then you probably have good self-confidence in relation to your driving skills and abilities as a driver. However, think back to when you were learning to drive. Can you recall having lower self-confidence about your driving skills when you didn’t have much experience on the road? Recall at the time how much there was to think about and to do: watch the road and other vehicles, focus on how hard you step on the accelerator and the brakes, turn the wheel just right to go around the corner etc… As your skills and experience grew, your self-confidence grew. Let’s look at a different example one that relates to children. If your child has been riding a bicycle for a number of years and is relatively accident free, then it makes sense that they will have good self-confidence about riding a bike. This is an accurate judgement and self-evaluation about their experience and ability to ride a bike. On the other hand, if your child has never ridden bikes or is just learning to ride, then it would be completely inappropriate for them to have good self-confidence about riding a bike and tackling a big hill or a dangerous road. In this case, good self-confidence is in fact a poor judgement call, which could lead your child to danger because they are overconfident about their ability. So, self-confidence is about doing a task and making a sound judgement about your level of experience and ability, or your child’s level of ability. So can you see that it doesn’t make sense to ask how to build self-confidence or about building confidence? It is actually good to have low self-confidence in areas in which we have limited experience and abilities, and it’s good to have high self-confidence when we have lots of experience and capabilities for a particular task. The more relevant questions are: How can we make self-assessments of our abilities on activities and tasks so that we have accurate assessments of our self-confidence? How can we help our children learn to make self-assessments of their abilities on activities and tasks so that they can make accurate assessments of their self-confidence? How can we accept that it is a good thing to have low self-confidence on tasks and activities we are not good at and use that to inspire us to practice, learn and have more experiences so we can increase our self-confidence as our skills and knowledge increase? How can we stop attributing low self-confidence to low self-esteem? Low self-confidence is not the same as low self-esteem. Remember low self-confidence is about not feeling confident about an activity you don’t have much experience with or a topic you don’t have much knowledge about. Self-esteem on the other hand has nothing to do with doing! So low self-confidence should NOT result in, or be equated with low-self esteem … here’s why! What is self-esteem? Self-esteem is about being and has nothing to do with doing. Self-esteem is a judgment we make about ourselves. Self-esteem is about being a human being - so it is all about our human ‘beingness’. We are not called human doings, we are called human beings, and self-esteem is at the heart of being a human. I want to explain this fully, so you really understand this idea at a practical level and then share it with your children. Think of it this way: every person is a miracle. If you are a parent, do you remember the day you held your child in your arms for the very first time and you thought - wow - this is a miracle? Your baby couldn’t really do anything, but that never took away from the marvel and wonder you felt about this child’s being and the potential of this new life. Remember, you were once a baby being adored by your parent too! Every person is a miracle in their own right - just for their very existence. Every person is a unique being in the world that no one else can be. It is every person’s birth right to have good self-esteem just because they exist. Self-esteem has nothing to do with what a person can or can’t do. It has nothing to do with what they look like: brown hair, blue eyes, tall, short, fiery tempered or calm - these attributes are all part of the wonder and perfection in life - and all people have the right to good self-esteem. Unlike self-confidence, where it is important for you or your children to be more confident performing tasks that you’re good at and less confident with tasks you have limited experience in, good self-esteem is the right of every person - adult and child. From a place of healthy self-esteem, every person can feel good about who they are and live a life filled with new experiences, learning; activities and love. From a place of low self-esteem people are less likely to try new things, more likely to feel bad about themselves and less likely to lead a happy and fulfilled life. The great thing about self-esteem is that it is SELF-esteem, so you have the power within to believe in yourself and to have good self-esteem. It’s your judgement - it’s your choice - it’s in your power to choose to believe you have: Good self-esteem or Low self-esteem Your self-esteem is in your mind and heart. It’s your call to decide which way you will judge (esteem) yourself. So which choice are you going to make? Food for thought. Reflect on your learning and your new understanding about the difference between self-esteem and self-confidence. Here are some questions for you to ponder: What is self-esteem and self-confidence? How are they different? Are you now able to simply accept that it’s your right to have good self-esteem and drop any beliefs you might have about low self-esteem?  Can you simply accept yourself and feel loved just for who you are being - and not tie your self-esteem or your self-worth to what you look like or what you can or cannot do? How different would your life be if you felt good about yourself and about self-esteem? Who is the only person that can stop you from having good self-esteem? How can you support your children to know they are unique and valuable human beings so they can live from a heart-feeling of healthy self-esteem and soar through life? I hope this article helped you understand more about self-esteem and self-confidence.

In this video, parenting expert Dr Rosina talks about her personal experiences growing up and the effect on self esteem and confidence parents can have in their child's lives. Dr. Rosina thought Leader for the international consciousness movement Parenting 2.0 and author of Inspired Children , presenting at the  P2.0 Talks.  P2.0 Talks was the first conference in history to gather educators from multiple professional fields and continents and recognize Life Skills as distinct, critical skill sets teachable by third party educators.