Emerging Minds Families
Episodes
Festive reflections with Emerging Minds: what the holidays mean to us
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this holiday season episode, host Nadia Rossi talks with Emerging Minds team members to share their family rituals, traditions, and approaches to m...
Supporting children with early social and communication differences
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, guest host Jacquie Lee speaks with Professor Andrew Whitehouse about how we can support babies and children who display early social ...
When is the right time? Navigating smartphone use with children
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode host Naida Rossi speaks with Dany Elachi, founder of the Heads Up Alliance, a grass roots organisation supporting parents who want to ...
Looking beyond behaviour – part two
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is the final episode in a two-part series where host Alicia Randford is joined by developmental pediatrician and cohost of the popular parenting ...
Looking beyond behaviour – part one
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is the first episode in a two-part series where host Alicia Randford is joined by developmental pediatrician and cohost of the popular parenting ...
My family is different to yours: Helping children embrace diversity
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Host Alicia Ranford welcomes back psychologist Rachel Samson to discuss the importance of teaching children about diverse family structures and foster...
Supporting emotional development and empathy in boys
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode host Alicia Randford and psychologist Rachel Samson explore the emotional development of young boys. Rachel shares ways we can encoura...
ADHD, autism and food: Supporting neurodivergent children at mealtimes
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode host Nadia Rossi welcomes back Anna Ritan, an accredited paediatric dietitian-nutritionist and the founder of Nourish Little Lives. ...
How a speech pathologist can support your child
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode host Nadia Rossi speaks with Sally Venus, a paediatric speech pathologist, to unpack what a speech pathologist does and how they play ...
Talking about periods: Ending shame and building understanding for every child
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Nadia Rossi is joined by Rochelle Courtney, founder of Share the Dignity, a national charity with the mission to ensure that no ...
Nurtured by nature: Outdoor play for children’s mental health
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode our host Nadia Rossi is joined by Amy Saunders, the Wellbeing Impact Lead from Nature Play SA. Amy talks about how playing outside in ...
Exploring the role of grandparent carers
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many children and young people in Australia are currently being cared for full time by their grandparents. People who take on this role are known as ‘...
Five ways to support your children’s mental health
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Emerging Minds consulted with practitioners and families with lived experience to develop ‘the PERCS of parenting’, which outline five key ways to...
Building a support network for your gender diverse child
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, guest host Nicole Rollbusch talks to Arianne, a parent of six. While supporting her child through coming out and transitioning, Arian...
Supporting children’s wellbeing during a separation or divorce
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Navigating through separation and divorce can understandably be one of the hardest and most stressful experiences for a family. As a parent it can be ...
Talking to children and young people about the consequences of violence
18 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode host Alicia Ranford talks with Neil Davis from the Sammy D Foundation. Neil and his wife Nat Cook started the foundation after their t...
Supporting gender and sexual diversity in children and young people
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many parents struggle to navigate gender and sexual diversity with their children and young people. They might feel unsure of how to best support thei...
Tricky topics: Masculinity and raising boys to be good men
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode host Alicia Ranford welcomes back youth advocate and educator Daniel Principe. They discuss some of the issues that young people are s...
Tricky topics: Talking to children and young people about pornography
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is the first in a two part series where host Alicia Ranford is joined by youth advocate and educator, Daniel Principe. In this first epis...
My journey as a transgender parent
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode host Nadia Rossi talks with Jason Tyndale about his journey as a transgender parent. Jason shares how he navigated his transition with...
Talking about family mealtimes, nutrition and food refusal in children
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Nadia Rossi talks with Anna Ritan, an accredited paediatric dietitian-nutritionist and the founder of Nourish Little Lives, wher...
Talking to children and young people about consent
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode host Nadia Rossi welcomes back Kirsty, Schools Coordinator at Shine SA, to talk about the differences between consent and sexual conse...
Talking to children and young people about sex and their bodies
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Nadia Rossi talks with Kirsty, Schools coordinator at SHINE SA. Kirsty offers tips for parents on talking to their children abou...
Supporting the mental health of children who stutter – part two
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is the second in a two-part series on supporting the mental health of children who stutter. Host Nicole Rollbusch is joined by Rich Steph...
Supporting the mental health of children who stutter – part one
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is the first in a two-part series on supporting the mental health of children who stutter. Host Nicole Rollbusch is joined by Rich Stephe...
Re-release: How a neighbourhood coffee house brought a community together
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Pear is more than a coffee house – it’s a neighbourhood meeting place that hosts community-driven events. In this episode we talk with Carol, ...
Re-release: Navigating family life this holiday season
15 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Christmas and the end of year holiday season can hold different meanings for different families. Some families revel in the joy of gift-giving, transf...
Young carers and how to support them
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It might surprise you to know there are nearly four hundred thousand young people (under 25 years) in Australia who provide unpaid care and support to...
How to support children who are experiencing distress
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to suicidal ideation, we are unlikely to think of children as having such distressing thoughts. But recent research by Wesley Mission Qu...
Supporting children with big feelings
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode host Alicia Ranford talks with social worker, parent educator, author, founder of Connected Parenting and mother to four boys, Gen Mui...
Families who have experienced disasters (part four): How to support children and young people after a disaster
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is the fourth in a series where we talk to families who have experienced disasters. In this episode host Nadia Rossi talks with Willow wh...
Responding to shame and stigma in child protection and reunification
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Alicia talks with Sam and Kathy from Centacare’s Unify reunification service. They discuss what it can be like for children an...
How to talk about body image with children and young people
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Alicia Ranford talks with Dr Zali Yager, an internationally recognised expert in body image with a background in health and phys...
Global majority: what it means and how we can use language to empower
08 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The term ‘global majority’, a collective term for non-white people, and people and groups who don't experience white privilege. It aims to the ‘...
Finding connection in a community choir
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Nadia talks with Tegan and Shelly from the Finding Your Voice Choir, a community choir of women with lived experience of family ...
Families who have experienced disasters (part three): What happens when you lose your home
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is the third in a series about families who have experienced disasters. Disasters like floods, bushfires and drought are becoming more fr...
Staying connected when a parent works away from home
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Alicia Ranford talks with Sally Braddy. Sally is a mother of three children whose husband has to spend a lot of time away from h...
Families who have experienced disasters (part two): Being prepared
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is the second in a series about families who have experienced disasters. Disasters like floods, bushfires and drought are becoming m...
Responding to racism and the stigma of single parenting
30 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Nadia Rossi talks with Wei about how the stigma of single parenting has impacted her and her children's lives. Born in China and...
Families who have experienced disasters (part one): Age-appropriate supports for children
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode host Nadia Rossi speaks with Heather, who lives with her family in regional New South Wales and knows first-hand the importance of acc...
Understanding and supporting children’s mental health
02 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode host Alicia Ranford talks with Emerging Minds Director, Brad Morgan, and Emerging Minds Manager, Digital Health, Ben Rogers. They take...
Parenting with a disability and responding to stigma
19 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode host Nadia Rossi talks with award-winning musician, writer and disability advocate Eliza Hull. Eliza shares her story about parenting ...
The strengths and resilience of single parent families who’ve experienced tough times
05 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, our host Alicia Ranford welcomes back Emi and their son, Elliot, to talk about the unique connection of single parent families.
How to find connection and belonging in tough times
21 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Alicia Ranford talks with Masha, a single mother who migrated to Australia alone, and is a survivor of domestic violence. Masha ...
Helping your child navigate the relationships in their life
07 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Relationships can provide us with a wonderful feeling of connection and shared experiences but they can also be challenging at times. In this epis...
When family members reconnect: A parent and son’s story of reconciliation
24 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Even when we really care about each other, feeling or staying connected with family can be hard. This can be especially true when a family or family m...
The Butterfly Garden: How a community built a garden and found connection
10 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In our fast-paced, digitally-connected world, the importance of building meaningful relationships within our local communities often gets overlooked. ...
How communicating well can keep separated families connected
25 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, our host Alicia Ranford talks with Leigh and her daughter Charlotte. Leigh is a mother of two who separated from her husband when she...
How to talk to your children about experiencing family homelessness
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Experiencing homelessness and unstable housing can be an incredibly difficult journey, and when children are involved it can become even more complex....
Staying connected with your children while navigating child protection
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, our host Alicia Ranford talks with Flick, a mother of four who has navigated the child protection system and managed to stay connecte...
Re-release: How to find the right health professional
14 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, our host Nadia Rossi talks with Jackie Amos. Jackie is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who understands how important and complex ...
Re-release: Talking to your child about your mental illness
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talk to John Clark: a father of three and social worker who knows firsthand how complex talking to your children about your mental...
Navigating family life this holiday season
17 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Christmas and the end of year holiday season can hold different meanings for different families. Some families revel in the joy of gift-giving, transf...
How a neighbourhood coffee house brought a community together
03 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Pear is more than a coffee house – it’s a neighbourhood meeting place that hosts community-driven events. In this episode we talk with Carol, ...
Understanding how early childhood educators can support children who have experienced trauma
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we talk to Justin McArthur about understanding how early childhood educators can support children who have experienced trauma. Justin ...
How to support your family and yourself through grief and loss
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When your family experiences a loss, each of you may process grief differently. As a parent, it can be hard to juggle supporting children and helping ...
Childhood bullying: When a child engages in bullying behaviour – part two
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is the final in a two-part series where we discuss the complex issue of childhood bullying. Part two focuses on when a child engages in b...
How to talk to children and young people about disordered eating
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In a society that often places importance on achieving unrealistic body standards, many children and young people struggle with their relationship bet...
Childhood bullying: When a child experiences bullying – part one
24 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is the first in a two-part series where we discuss the complex issue of childhood bullying. Part one focuses on how parents and schools p...
Supporting children and young people who identify as gender diverse
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we chat with Ellen Murray about how parents can support the children and young people in their lives as they explore their gender iden...
Screen time: Finding a healthy balance for children and young people
27 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Children encounter screens from a very early age and for many parents it can be hard to know how to manage screen time in a healthy way. In this ...
Finding the right daycare, kindergarten or preschool for your child
13 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Outside the family home children spend most of their time in school or early childhood education and care. In this episode we focus on early learning ...