It Takes A Village

Wellington speech and language therapist Christian Wright talks with Susie Ferguson about developing comprehension in toddlers and when to be concerned if understanding, speaking and learning do not seem to be coming easily.

Jo Robertson is a therapist, educator and researcher. Earlier this year, she and others presented a petition to parliament - signed by over 10,000 - calling for internet service providers to strengthen filters on all illegal sexual behaviour. This afternoon, she'll appear before a select committee to submit in person. She talks with Susie about legislation changes she wants to see. She also discusses the proposed new law in Australia, to ban social media for under 16-year-olds.

Clinical psychologist Jacqui Maguire discusses how baby-parent attachment shapes infant brain development. During infancy - emotion, cognition and behaviour is all part of a developing brain. New research shows that how parents, or caregivers interact with babies not only affects development, but can shape a child's future health, both socially and emotionally. Jacqui has some advice on how to nurture attachment which lays the foundations for healthy brain development.

What is the right way to deal with your kids wanting to quit a sport or an extracurricular activity? Whether it's their first year doing it, or they've been working at it for a decade, it can be a difficult territory for parents and kids to navigate. Sport NZ surveys show kids from 5 to 11 are usually the most active participants in sport, while there is a big dropoff once they reach ages 15 to 17. So, keep dragging unwilling kids to their sports or let them let it go? Kathryn Berkett has her Masters in Educational Psychology and runs her practice Engage which she uses to teach others about using neuroscience in everyday life.

When it comes to body image, it's near impossible to escape pressures to look a certain way - and teenagers especially vulnerable to it. Even with body positive movements in recent years, relentless messaging from the fashion industry and social media it still taking a toll. But how can you tell if it's something your teenager is struggling with? And and what's the best way to approach a conversation about it? Answering these questions is Catherine Gallagher, a Christchurch-based clinical psychologist who has worked across public and private sectors for two decades, with a particular focus on children and young people.

We're looking at what creativity is, why it is important and also how it is not just a preserve of the arts. Kathryn's guest is Mark Osborne - he set up Leading Learning which covers a range of educational services including leadership development and mentoring, curriculum development and creating innovative learning environments.

Shoshannah Shand's second child was six weeks old when she took her on an overnight tramp for the first time - along with her toddler. The Christchurch solo mum of two has thousands of followers on social media for her adventures with her children. She says kids love the outdoors, and she wants parents to know that getting into the backcountry is do-able.

This may sound like living in Utopia - getting your children to tidy their rooms, eat vegetables, the list goes on. Christiane Kehoe is a researcher of child behaviour based at the University of Melbourne, and also the co-author of the Tuning in to Toddlers, Tuning in to Kids, and Tuning in to Teens parenting programmes. She shares some parenting strategies and tips to avert friction.

Educator, speaker, mum and parenting commentator Karen Boyes on the importance of being honest with kids. She is CEO of Spectrum Education, Principal of Spectrum Online Academy and the author of 13 books. She says teachers and parents have a delicate balance of inspiring children, while preparing them for the realities of life. She says telling kids 'learning is fun' and 'high grades will get you ahead in life' is well-meaning but ultimately misleading.

Whether your child is being bullied, or your child is being a bully, Dr Karyn Healy has advice. She is an Australian registered psychologist who has worked with schools, parents and children to prevent and address bullying, and resolve conflict. She co-authored a family programme to address school bullying called the Resilience Triple P program. Dr Healy says parents can help children manage conflict.

When Jennifer Anderson became a mother, she - like many new parents - realised the uphill battle that can be mealtimes. Getting young kids to eat their greens, voluntarily, isn't always straightforward - and advice on how to encourage them is polarising. Do you force them to sit and finish their plate, bribe them with dessert... and at what point, do you just give up on the brussel sprouts? But Ms Anderson, a registered dietician, took that angst, and honed in on a specialty in feeding children and picky eating. She founded Kids Eat in Color - a resource to help families feed their children, from their first bite of solid food right through to elementary-aged nutrition needs.

The phrase "there's an app for that" certainly applies in the education space - one estimate puts numbers available on the Apple and Google Play stores at nearly 400,000. But are they any good?

The big question for many parents of young children is - how can I get my kids to do what I'm asking them to do?

New York Times contributor Andrew Reiner writes about traditional roles previously assigned to men and boys affects their lives.