Words Grow Minds Parent Podcast

Connection, connection, connection. If there’s one thing that parent educator Genevieve Muir wants us to take from her, it’s that it all comes back to connecting with our child. With her trademark good humour and keeping it real, Gen talks to Kate and Amelia about surviving and thriving in today’s parenting world of information overload. Gen shares practical tips for cutting through the noise, the advice you can ignore, setting loving boundaries... and why watching more cat videos might just help! Gen is the founder of Connected Parenting, an obstetric social worker, author and the co-host of her own podcast, Beyond the Chaos. All in addition to being the proud mum of four boys! Learn more: Connected Parenting Follow Gen on Instagram Thanks for listening to the Words Grow Minds Parent Podcast! We love hearing from you, so please subscribe, rate and review this episode. For tools and tips to support your child’s development visit wordsgrowminds.org.au and follow us on Facebook and Instagram Thanks to PodBooth for producing this episode. We acknowledge this land that we record on as the traditional lands for the Kaurna people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with Country. We acknowledge the Kaurna people, as the custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living First Nations people today. We extend this respect to the cultural authority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from other areas of Australia and elders past and present.

With the age of first-time parenthood rising in Australia, what’s it really like for teens and young people becoming parents? In this episode, Kate and Amelia speak with teen mum Katelyn and her Brave Foundation mentor Brooke Whitehead about the realities of young parenthood. Katelyn shares her story, the challenges and joys of becoming a parent at a young age and how support from Brave made all the difference to her family. They explore how we can all help break down stigma and barriers and support young parents and their children to thrive. Brave was established by a young mum who saw a gap in information available to young parents. From there, it has grown to a national not-for-profit that equips expecting and parenting young people with resources, referral and education opportunities to facilitate happy, healthy and connected families over time. Learn more: Brave Foundation Thanks for listening to the Words Grow Minds Parent Podcast! We love hearing from you, so please subscribe, rate and review this episode. For tools and tips to support your child’s development visit wordsgrowminds.org.au and follow us on Facebook and Instagram Thanks to PodBooth for producing this episode. We acknowledge this land that we record on as the traditional lands for the Kaurna people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with Country. We acknowledge the Kaurna people, as the custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living First Nations people today. We extend this respect to the cultural authority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from other areas of Australia and elders past and present.

There’s no denying it’s been a really difficult year for parents of children in childcare. In this thoughtful and timely episode, CEO of The Parenthood, Georgie Dent, joins Kate Ellis and guest co-host Daniela Ritorto to unpack the complex emotions many families are facing after recent revelations about poor quality care and alarming allegations of abuse. With honesty and care, Georgie explores how to navigate very real feelings of fear and uncertainty, what to look for in a safe and supportive childcare centre - the red flags to watch for and the green flags that signal quality care - and how to make confident choices for your child. A former lawyer and journalist, Georgie is also an author, media commentator and highly sought after keynote speaker who is determined to enact positive change for families, women and children. Get involved: The Parenthood Follow The Parenthood on Instagram Thanks for listening to the Words Grow Minds Parent Podcast! We love hearing from you, so please subscribe, rate and review this episode. For tools and tips to support your child’s development visit wordsgrowminds.org.au and follow us on Facebook and Instagram Thanks to PodBooth for producing this episode. We acknowledge this land that we record on as the traditional lands for the Kaurna people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with Country. We acknowledge the Kaurna people, as the custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living First Nations people today. We extend this respect to the cultural authority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from other areas of Australia and elders past and present.

It’s one of the biggest buzzwords in early childhood, but what does attachment really mean? In this powerful episode, Kate and Amelia are joined by clinical psychologist Rachel Samson to unpack why parent-child attachment matters so much in the early years and how it shapes a child’s emotional and psychological development. Rachel shares achievable ways to foster secure attachment, gently reassuring parents that connection doesn’t have to be perfect, and that everyday moments offer meaningful opportunities to build strong, lasting bonds. Rachel is a clinical psychologist with more than a decade of experience working with children and families, specialising in family relationships and the law, parenting, child development, women’s health and infant care. She is an author, media contributor and a board member of the Australian Association of Psychologists. Through her platform Australian Psychologist, she shares clear, evidence-based insights with a growing community of more than 147,000 followers. Get in touch with Rachel here Thanks for listening to the Words Grow Minds Parent Podcast! We love hearing from you, so please subscribe, rate and review this episode. For tools and tips to support your child’s development visit wordsgrowminds.org.au and follow us on Facebook and Instagram Thanks to PodBooth for producing this episode. We acknowledge this land that we record on as the traditional lands for the Kaurna people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with Country. We acknowledge the Kaurna people, as the custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living First Nations people today. We extend this respect to the cultural authority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from other areas of Australia and elders past and present.

Is your toddler stuck in the notorious ‘beige phase’? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! In this episode, Kate and Amelia are joined by Anna Ritan, an accredited pediatric dietitian and nutritionist with over a decade of experience, to chat all things food, nutrition and child development. Together they explore why nutrition in early childhood is so crucial and how a balanced diet supports cognitive growth, oral health and even language skills. Anna explains what really counts as a fussy eater, why the ‘beige phase’ happens and when it’s time to seek professional guidance. Anna also shares her strategies for encouraging healthy eating habits that are family budget friendly. Get more tips from Anna on Instagram Thanks for listening to the Words Grow Minds Parent Podcast! We love hearing from you, so please subscribe, rate and review this episode. For tools and tips to support your child’s development visit wordsgrowminds.org.au and follow us on Facebook and Instagram Thanks to PodBooth for producing this episode. We acknowledge this land that we record on as the traditional lands for the Kaurna people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with Country. We acknowledge the Kaurna people, as the custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living First Nations people today. We extend this respect to the cultural authority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from other areas of Australia and elders past and present.

Do dummies affect speech development? Exactly how much should we be talking and reading to our babies? Which speech issues will resolve themselves and when should we be concerned? Kate and Amelia get a wealth of practical advice from Helen Smith, Senior Speech Pathologist at Children’s Health Queensland. Helen has over two decades of experience as a speech pathologist working in both health and educational settings. She has published research on supportive environments for language development and sharing universal messages with families. And she speaks from personal experience as a mother of four! All the online speech pathology resources Helen mentioned: Words Grow Minds family resources Read and Talk to Learn (RATTL) Communication milestones – Speech Pathology Australia First 5 Forever (QLD) Waiting for speech pathology (NSW Health) Thanks for listening to the Words Grow Minds Parent Podcast! We love hearing from you, so please subscribe, rate and review this episode. For tools and tips to support your child’s development visit wordsgrowminds.org.au and follow us on Facebook and Instagram Thanks to PodBooth for producing this episode. We acknowledge this land that we record on as the traditional lands for the Kaurna people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with Country. We acknowledge the Kaurna people, as the custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living First Nations people today. We extend this respect to the cultural authority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from other areas of Australia and elders past, present and emerging.

As one of Australia's most loved children’s performers, ⁠Dr Emma Watkins⁠ has made an extraordinary contribution to early childhood development. Emma shares with Kate and Amelia how her years performing live as the Yellow Wiggle inspired her to do more to support deaf and non-verbal children. She explains how she created ⁠Emma Memma⁠ for children of all abilities while completing her PhD, and assures us that daggy dancing and made-up songs are always okay! Emma is the author of several children’s books and has completed her Diploma of Auslan (Australian Sign Language), along with interpreter training through Deaf Connect. Follow Emma Memma! ⁠Emma Memma Official Website⁠ Stream music on ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠ and ⁠Apple Music⁠ Instagram: ⁠@emmamemmamemma⁠ Facebook: ⁠EmmaWatkinsOfficial⁠ The deaf community resources Emma recommends: ⁠Deaf Connect⁠ ⁠Expression Australia⁠ ⁠Signbank⁠ Thanks for listening to the Words Grow Minds Parent Podcast! We love hearing from you, so please subscribe, rate and review this episode. For tools and tips to support your child’s development visit ⁠wordsgrowminds.org.au⁠ and follow us on ⁠Facebook⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠ Thanks to ⁠PodBooth⁠ for producing this episode. We acknowledge this land that we record on as the traditional lands for the Kaurna people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with Country. We acknowledge the Kaurna people, as the custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living First Nations people today. We extend this respect to the cultural authority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from other areas of Australia and elders past, present and emerging.

Our babies have a remarkable ability to communicate from birth but not every baby will do so in the same way or at the same time. If parents have a feeling or an instinct about their child’s development, how can they best respond? Kate and Amelia put the question to one of Australia’s leading researchers Professor Andrew Whitehouse, who was instrumental in the development of the Inklings program. Inklings is a new program for babies aged 6-18 months showing early differences in their social interaction and communication development, giving parents the confidence to better understand and respond to their baby’s cues. It is available for families in South Australia and Western Australia. To find out more: SA inklings.org.au/sa WA inklings.org.au/wa Social and communication milestones can be a useful tool to know what to expect from your child as they grow: Social communication milestones fact sheet Thanks for listening to the Words Grow Minds Parent Podcast! We love hearing from you, so please subscribe, rate and review this episode. For tools and tips to support your child’s development visit wordsgrowminds.org.au and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Thanks to PodBooth for producing this episode. We acknowledge this land that we record on as the traditional lands for the Kaurna people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with Country. We acknowledge the Kaurna people, as the custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living First Nations people today. We extend this respect to the cultural authority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from other areas of Australia and elders past, present and emerging.

Screen time – it’s the battle of our parenting age, especially when guidelines recommend zero screens for children under two. How much is ok, if any? Is zero screen time realistic? What’s the harm of storytelling cartoons like Bluey? What about the educational apps that teach literacy and numeracy? Dr Mary Brushe led a groundbreaking study on how screen time can interfere with children's language development. She joins Kate and Amelia to unpack their findings and give us the tools to set up healthy habits for our kids and ourselves. Mary is a Senior Research Officer at The Kids Research Institute Australia. You can deep dive into screen time study here. She also recommended Children and Media Australia and Common Sense Media. The Kids Research Institute has some great free resources on healthy screen time habits and check out Words Grow Minds for some tips for interactive co-viewing and toddlers and touchscreens. Thanks for listening to the Words Grow Minds Parent Podcast! We love hearing from you, so please subscribe, rate and review this episode. To learn more about your child’s development visit wordsgrowminds.org.au and follow us on Facebook and Instagram Thanks to PodBooth for producing this episode. We acknowledge this land that we record on as the traditional lands for the Kaurna people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with Country. We acknowledge the Kaurna people, as the custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living First Nations people today. We extend this respect to the cultural authority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from other areas of Australia and elders past, present and emerging.

Welcome to Words Grow Minds Parent Podcast - LAUNCHING APRIL 2! We are so excited to be bringing you this series on early childhood development for parents, presented by Kate Ellis and Amelia Mulcahy. Did you know your child’s brain grows faster in the first 3 years than at any other time? Kate and Amelia chat with Australian and international experts, breaking down brain science into easy everyday things you can do to help nurture your child’s development in the early years. No pressure, no judgement, just tips and fun conversations to give your child the best start in life. Words Grow Minds is an independently tested, evidence-based and comprehensive program designed to translate the complex neuroscience behind early childhood development into accessible messaging and practical tips for parents, early childhood professionals and the community. We love hearing from you, so please subscribe, rate and review our podcast. To learn more about your child’s development visit wordsgrowminds.org.au and follow us on Facebook and Instagram Thanks to Podbooth for producing this episode. We acknowledge this land that we record on as the traditional lands for the Kaurna people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with Country. We acknowledge the Kaurna people, as the custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living First Nations people today. We extend this respect to the cultural authority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from other areas of Australia and elders past, present and emerging.