Anxiety is a mental health condition, meaning it can affect the way you think, feel and behave. Surveys suggest that anxiety may be on the rise. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, around one in eight Australians (13.1%) had an anxiety related condition in 2017-18, an increase from 11.2% in 2014-15. Mental health services report this number has risen further since COVID. Respected author and parenting expert Michael Grose knows firsthand how debilitating anxiety can be. Using...

For many parents and their children, the school journey is a long and winding road. Along with the good times, there are also challenges – the daily demands of the school routine; separation anxiety; homework headaches; motivation issues and even bullying. Popular clinical psychologist Dr Judith Locke - the author of The Bonsai Student - chats with journalist Tracey Challenor about the simple ways to help your child succeed in today’s school environment. She says the school report card is...

Despite Australia having some of the freshest and healthiest food on Earth, Aussie kids and adults are falling well short when it comes to eating enough greens. Journalist Tracey Challenor chats with leading dietitian Kate Di Prima, author of More Peas Please: Solutions for Feeding Fussy Eaters, about how we can reverse the trend - which has huge potential health impacts - and also how to manage fussy eaters and food allergies. After COVID and Christmas, this is the perfect podcast to help...

Would you like to get a better handle on stress and be boss of your own brain? Why do we reach for the sugary foods when life is throwing challenges at us, even though we know it would be better to grab an apple? According to leading neuroscientist Professor Selena Bartlett, it’s all to do with how our pleasure-seeking brain responds to stress. But she believes we can beat binge eating and other addictions, and improve our mental health, by gaining a better understanding of how the brain...

Finding out that your child has been targeted by an online predator is a parent’s worst nightmare. According to cybersafety expert, educator and former detective Brett Lee, the chances of a predator trying to groom your child via the internet are all too real. But with knowledge and a little planning, families can arm themselves with the tools they need to keep kids safe online. In this insightful podcast with host Tracey Challenor, Brett explains that we don’t need to know everything about...

Growing up today is a lot different to what it used to be. Although we all want to raise happy kids, there are added pressures like social media, too much screen time, cyber threats and 21st century challenges beyond our control. Hugh van Cuylenburg, founder of The Resilience Project, says we can’t control the future and we can’t change the past, but we can improve our everyday outlook by practising the GEM principles – gratitude, empathy (or compassion), and mindfulness. In part two of...

This is the first episode of a two part series with The Resilience Project founder Hugh van Cuylenburg. Some teachers have a lasting impact on young lives. Hugh van Cuylenburg is one of those teachers. He was so passionate about boosting the mental health and wellbeing of young people, he developed an inspirational program called The Resilience Project. In this Life Education podcast chat with Tracey Challenor, Hugh talks about the GEM principles at the heart of The Resilience...

There’s no doubt 2020 has been a year of upheaval. The global coronavirus pandemic causing fear, unemployment, and disruption to school, work, and social lives. Join host Tracey Challenor as she chats to Dr Judith Locke, popular clinical psychologist, and best-selling author of The Bonsai Child. From how to help kids adapt to being back at school, to putting fears in perspective and stepping outside our comfort zones, or metaphorically ‘reaching for the next higher branch’, Dr Locke offers...

Are you struggling to get your children to eat their greens? Why won’t kids eat what’s packed in their lunchbox? And how do you make vegetables as enticing as pizza? Join host Tracey Challenor for this engaging Life Education podcast as popular naturopath, educator and holistic health blogger Georgia Harding gives the lowdown on nutrition for kids. From resisting junk food marketing, to how to get your kids eating wholesome nutritious food, you’ll love Georgia’s fad-free advice and meal...

One in four children in Australia is affected by bullying and the impact on children’s mental health can be profound. In this Life Education podcast, host Tracey Challenor joins psychologist, bullying expert and co-author of the Resilience Triple P Positive Parenting Program, Dr Karyn Healy, to examine why bullying behaviour occurs and what to do about it. From the importance of strong friendship ties, to the role of warm supportive parenting, Dr Healy offers down-to-earth advice and says...

Is your child resilient? Host Tracey Challenor chats with best-selling author, speaker and popular Australian parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson PHD about the concept of resilience. Dr Coulson shares practical, relatable advice about what’s really needed to help our kids navigate life in the 21st century. From how much freedom is enough, to managing anxiety, and why it’s important to slow down and give kids time to just ‘be’, this Life Education podcast offers expert insight, and a dose...

Never have we been more focused on our health and wellbeing than right now, amid a global pandemic. And whilst no single food or lifestyle can make us immune to COVID-19, there are many things we can do to boost our immunity and stay fit and healthy during the coming months. Host Tracey Challenor chats with Life Education’s passionate educator and health and nutrition officer Matt Dowling. From eating well on a budget and encouraging kids to ‘eat a rainbow’ of foods, to changing...

Keeping kids cybersafe can be a minefield for parents. From cyberbullying to avoiding online predators, there’s so much for parents to know in the digital age. In this Life Education podcast, Australia’s federal eSafety commissioner Julie Inman-Grant chats with host Tracey Challenor about how parents can stay one step ahead when it comes to helping their kids navigate the online world. Julie heads the only government office in the world dedicated to the safety of citizens online,...

Covid-19 is one of the biggest events in our living memory – and many parents are extremely anxious about the pandemic: the impact on our health, loved ones, children’s education and finances… not to mention, how the saturation media coverage, is affecting all of our mental wellbeing, particularly our kids. Amid growing anxiety in Australia and overseas, Life Education has produced this special podcast. Host Tracey Challenor chats with leading parenting and wellbeing expert and author Dr...