You searched for communicating with your during 'tough times' - Emerging Minds

Communicating with your baby during ‘tough times’

Amelia Payne — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 00:11:34 +0000

This resource will help you to connect with your baby during 'tough times' (e.g. relationship conflicts or separation, illness, financial difficulties, job stress, etc.), so that they feel secure and nurtured.

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Communicating with your teenager during ‘tough times’

Amelia Payne — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 00:18:03 +0000

This resource will help you to prepare for conversations with your teenager about your experience of 'tough times' (e.g. relationship conflicts or separation, illness, financial difficulties, job stress, etc.), so together you can better understand these challenges.

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Communicating with your toddler during ‘tough times’

Amelia Payne — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 00:19:51 +0000

This resource will help you to connect with your toddler or young child during 'tough times' (e.g. relationship conflicts or separation, illness, financial difficulties, job stress, etc.), so that they feel secure and nurtured.

The post Communicating with your toddler during ‘tough times’ appeared first on Emerging Minds.

Communicating with your primary school-age child during ‘tough times’

Amelia Payne — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 03:18:07 +0000

This resource will help you to prepare for conversations with your child about your experience of 'tough times' (e.g. relationship conflicts or separation, illness, financial difficulties, job stress, etc.), so can help them to have a better understanding of what is happening.

The post Communicating with your primary school-age child during ‘tough times’ appeared first on Emerging Minds.

Connecting and caring for each other in tough times

Renee Naylon — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 23:34:18 +0000

Even when we care about each other, connecting within our families can be really hard. This resource offers stories from families who've found ways to stay connected during tough times.

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Communicating with your child about Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Jennifer Ly — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 01:09:51 +0000

Many parents and carers may be wondering how to talk with their child or children about COVID-19 and what information to share. This resource is designed to help you to prepare for these conversations.

The post Communicating with your child about Coronavirus (COVID-19) appeared first on Emerging Minds.

How communicating well can keep separated families connected

Emerging Minds — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 23:34:01 +0000

Strong parent–child relationships can provide children with safety, connection and a sense of belonging that lays the foundation for their interactions with others into the future.

But relationships within families can be complicated and despite our best intentions they can result in family separation.

It can be hard to navigate through these tricky times but finding ways to talk about connection with our children and young people can help us to understand each other better and work together to feel more connected both within and beyond our families.

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 was pregnant with their second child.

Leigh talks to us about how she navigated the separation and her husband’s new relationship while supporting her children to reconnect with their father and build connections with his new family. Charlotte offers her own insights on this time in their lives and how she remains connected to her whole family.

Content warning: This podcast includes themes of family separation and incarceration. If listening to this podcast brings up any difficult feelings for you, please seek help from your mental health professional or one of these crisis or support services.

In this episode, you will hear:

Leigh talk about how she navigated family relationships when the family’s structure changed
Charlotte talk about what she valued most when Leigh would talk to her about the changes in their family
Leigh share some practical ways that have helped her talk and communicate with her children
Charlotte offer advice to young people about communicating with their parents.

Further information and resources from Emerging Minds Families:

Separation and divorce resources

Connection and belonging resources

Connecting and caring for each other in tough times

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Families responding to racism

Renee Naylon — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 21:40:54 +0000

Read about some of the many ways families respond to the effects of racism and support their children.

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Talking to children about family money struggles

Jennifer Ly — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 21:40:37 +0000

There are ways to talk to children about money issues that prevent them from blaming themselves, or their parents, for the family’s financial situation.

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Talking to children about homelessness

Jacquie Lee — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 22:17:08 +0000

Get ideas for how to talk to children about being homeless, from families who have been there.

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Families standing up to shame and stigma by making home a safe haven

Renee Naylon — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 03:20:36 +0000

There are many ways we can respond to shame and stigma. The families we talked to share their ideas for making home a safe haven.

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Feeling connection and belonging outside our families

Renee Naylon — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 23:32:55 +0000

Outside our immediate family we form connections to other people and communities - from friends and neighbours to people in school communities, workplaces, interest groups, or a friendly interaction in the grocery store. Or we may find connection with places, cultures, nature, spirituality or social movements.

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Experiences and skills of families living in poverty

Jennifer Ly — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 22:20:48 +0000

Poverty is more than struggling with money. Read about some of the skills families have used to survive poverty.

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Tips for families experiencing homelessness

Jacquie Lee — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 22:20:04 +0000

Parents who have lived through homelessness with their children share ideas about how to get through in this fact sheet.

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Families standing up to shame and stigma by using care and compassion

Renee Naylon — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 03:20:35 +0000

Read the stories of families who were shown care, compassion and kindness in the face of shame and stigma, and how it impacted their experiences.

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Skills for responding to harmful service experiences

Amelia Payne — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 22:19:51 +0000

We hope the skills shared by other families in this resource might give you some ideas for how to respond, heal and recover interactions with services that may have caused harm, humiliation or distress.

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Communication and meaning-making: Why good communication is key to children’s mental health

Jacquie Lee — Tue, 14 May 2024 07:19:55 +0000

Talk openly with children to help them understand and make meaning of what's happening in their world.

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Talking to your child about separation and divorce

Jacquie Lee — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 03:49:44 +0000

Telling your child that you and your partner are separating or getting a divorce can be challenging – but it’s an important conversation to have. This fact sheet offers tips for talking to your child about separation and divorce – what to say, what not to say, why it's important to allow your child to express their emotions, and how to keep communication open and ongoing.

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Working with parents to support children after disasters

Catherine Hoffman — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 23:41:58 +0000

This resource focuses on how practitioners can support children after disasters. It identifies strategies for engaging with parents and using a holistic approach that recognises and tailors support to each family’s unique needs, to enhance the wellbeing, resilience and recovery of infants and children who experience disasters.

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Working with separating parents to support children’s wellbeing: What can we learn from evidence-based programs?

Jocelyn Marsland — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 01:02:11 +0000

One of the most effective ways to safeguard children’s wellbeing post-separation is to support their parents in the process. This resource provides information on working with separating parents to support their children’s wellbeing.

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In focus: Supporting your child’s wellbeing during a separation or divorce

Jacquie Lee — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 04:03:19 +0000

This resource is for parents who are currently navigating separation or have separated or divorced. It offers information about children’s experiences and reactions to parents’ separation and advice from other parents, health professionals and research about ways parents can lessen the impacts of separation on children.

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Keep an open conversation – episode three

Emerging Minds — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 07:38:00 +0000

Keep an open conversation so they can come to you any time. Let your children know that you are available to talk with them when needed. Encouraging children to talk about their feelings will help them understand their experiences. Sometimes children don’t have the words to describe their feelings, however you can reassure them that their feelings are normal and that they will come and go.

In this episode, three rural parents share their experiences on how they have encouraged their children to talk about their feelings during tough times, such as drought. In addition, John Dean and Andrea Baldwin, two clinical psychologists, provide their practice wisdom with some tips for parents and caregivers in how they can support open conversations during and after these difficult times.

Some of the stories in this podcast may be distressing to some people. If you or someone you know require assistance, please call LifeLine on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 224 636. If life is in danger, call 000.

Reflections:

Reflection 1: Amanda (parent) [00:56 min]
Reflection 1a: Andrea (clinical psychologist) [01:34 min]
Reflection 2: Jane (parent) [05:05 min]
Reflection 2a: John (clinical psychologist) [5:45 min]
Reflection 3: Belinda (parent) [08:40 min]
Reflection 3a: John (clinical psychologist) [10:05 min]

Further information and resources:

The big dry: the impact of drought on children and families: https://emergingminds.com.au/resources/the-big-dry-the-impact-of-drought-on-children-and-families/
How can I support children during a drought? https://emergingminds.com.au/resources/how-can-i-support-children-during-a-drought/
Communicating with your baby during ‘tough times’
Communicating with your toddler during ‘tough times’
Communicating with your primary school-age child during ‘tough times’
Communicating with your teenager during ‘tough times’
E-safety Commissioner – eSafetyparents: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents
Queensland Centre for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health – Bird’s Tree: https://www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au/natural-disaster-recovery/

Acknowledgements:

Hosts: Events On Air (Drew and Leigh Radford). The Radford brothers previously work for the ABC and held various roles from Journalist, Executive Producers and Directors in both the urban and regional settings in Australia. Drew Radford is passionate about rural issues and need for respectful and authentic storytelling to ensure that the essence of people’s experiences and stories are captured.

Podcast voices: Emerging Minds thanks the parents for Isolated Children’s Parent’s Association SA, School Link and Got It! Programs, NSW Health Murrumbidgee Local Health District and Queensland Centre for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health, Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, for contributing to this podcast.

Development committee: This podcast series has been co-designed with support from executive members from Isolated Children’s Parent’s Association SA and NSW Branches, Remote Isolated Children’s Exercise, South Australia Government Drought Response program, Department of Rural Health, University of South Australia and Emerging Minds staff.

Funders: This podcast series has been made possible by funding from Country SA PHN under the ‘empowering our communities SA’ grant and the National Workforce Centre for Child Mental Health, led by Emerging Minds. The National Workforce Centre for Child Mental Health is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health under the National Support for Child and Youth Mental Health Program.

Music: Podcast music theme for this series has been created by Stu Day Music: https://studaymusic.com/

Photos and Drawings: Postcard images courtesy SA Commissioner for Children and Young People’s “Tell Helen Postcard Project” Visit ccyp.com.au for details.

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Wellbeing for workers supporting children and families after a disaster

Catherine Hoffman — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 00:06:37 +0000

This resource focuses on how to look after your own wellbeing as a practitioner or worker when supporting children and families after a disaster.

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Understanding infant mental health and wellbeing (for parents)

Jocelyn Marsland — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 23:57:13 +0000

This resource aims to help you understand the changing nature of infant mental health and wellbeing. It provides information to help you identify potential infant mental health difficulties, and access support for yourself and your baby when things aren’t going as expected.

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What is infant mental health, why is it important, and how can it be supported?

Jennifer Ly — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 23:54:39 +0000

All infants experience mental health, and infancy is a critical time for children to build strong confidence and security in their environment, so that they can develop positive emotional, social, physical and mental health. This paper produced by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) aim to raise awareness in practitioners who work with infants and/or their caregivers and ways to support parents and caregivers when early signs of problems appear if their infant is struggling with their mental health.

The post What is infant mental health, why is it important, and how can it be supported? appeared first on Emerging Minds.

Out-of-home care: Talking about mental illness with children in your care

Amelia Payne — Mon, 15 May 2023 00:43:12 +0000

Talking to the children in your care about their parent's mental illness can help them make meaning of their family's situation, remove stigma and let them know they can talk to you when they need support.

The post Out-of-home care: Talking about mental illness with children in your care appeared first on Emerging Minds.

Understanding and supporting parental reflective confidence

Renee Naylon — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:46:21 +0000

All parents reflect on the needs of their children. But time, opportunity or confidence to do this is limited for some parents. Practitioners can play a vital role in supporting parents to strengthen their reflective confidence.

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Helping your child navigate the relationships in their life

Emerging Minds — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 22:37:29 +0000

Relationships can be both wonderful and complicated. And while they can provide us with connection and shared experiences, they can also be challenging to navigate at times.

As a parent or caregiver, it’s important to support children as they find their way in developing relationships, from navigating their first friendships as young children, through to the more complicated relationships they’ll have as young adults. Positive early experiences can help shape a child’s perception of relationships and lay the foundation for healthy connections throughout life.

In this episode, our host Nadia Rossi talks with Jess, a foster parent and youth worker who knows firsthand how complex it can be helping children and young people navigate the relationships in their life.

Jess consulted with the child in her care and offers suggestions from them in the episode. So while you won’t hear them speak, we have attempted to centre the child’s voice by including their thoughts in the podcast.

In this episode, you will hear:

Jess talk about healthy and age appropriate ways parents can show interest in their children’s relationships [02:05]
Jess share ways parents can start difficult conversations with their children [06:06]
Jess’s advice on how parents can prepare themselves to have difficult conversations about relationships with their children [14:35].

Further information and resources:

Supporting children’s social connections in tough times

Communicating with your children during tough times

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In focus: What shapes children’s mental health

Renee Naylon — Wed, 08 May 2024 06:00:55 +0000

Children’s mental health is shaped by various factors and life experiences both positive and negative. This resource aims to help parents/carers understand these factors, see their 'whole' child and learn what supports and what gets in the way of their child's positive mental health.

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Talking to your young child about your mental health difficulties

Amelia Payne — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 23:35:27 +0000

This resource has been developed to help parents understand the importance of talking about their experience of mental illness and maintaining strong connections with their young children (toddlers and preschoolers).

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In focus: Talking with children about parental mental health difficulties

Jennifer Ly — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 01:53:41 +0000

Research shows that having age-appropriate conversations with children about parental mental health is beneficial for child and parent.

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Keeping in Touch (KIT): Supporting parents in alcohol and other drugs residential rehab

Amelia Payne — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 03:07:44 +0000

Starting conversations about parenting and working with parents and their children is an important part of work in alcohol and other drugs residential rehab settings. The Keeping in Touch with Your Children (KIT) Menu has been designed to provide practical ways you can promote parent-child connectedness during periods of separation required by a rehab stay.

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Tips for new parents: How to avoid comparing yourself to others

Emerging Minds — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 02:11:02 +0000

It’s human nature to measure ourselves against others and with social media at our fingertips 24/7, it has become even easier to tap into what others are doing in their lives.

Pictures of perfectly swaddled, sleeping babies being taken out for a stroll on a sunny day are lovely, but when your reality is a baby who struggles to settle and a good day is managing to shower, these images can be particularly unhelpful.

In this podcast we talk to Vicki Mansfield, a mother and mental health accredited social worker about the natural instinct to compare ourselves to others, how this can increase new parents and how to remind yourself you are doing a good job.

Content warning: This podcast includes mentions of miscarriage. If listening to this podcast brings up any difficult feelings for you, please seek help from your mental health professional or one of these crisis or support services.

In this episode you will learn:

why new parents a more inclined to fall into the behaviour of comparing themselves to other parents [01:08]
how social media can play a safe role in your parenting [04:58]
the effects negative self-talk can have and how to manage this [12:22]
how to stop being your own worst critic and remind yourself you are doing a good job. [14:59]

Further information and resources:

PANDA https://panda.org.au/

Self-care for parents and caregivers https://emergingminds.com.au/resources/self-care-for-parents-and-caregivers/?audience=family

Adjusting to parenthood: Mothers and birthing parents https://emergingminds.com.au/resources/adjusting-to-parenthood-mothers-and-birthing-parents/?audience=family

Adjusting to parenthood: Fathers and non-birthing parents https://emergingminds.com.au/resources/adjusting-to-parenthood-fathers-and-non-birthing-parents/?audience=family

Communicating with your baby during ‘tough times’ https://emergingminds.com.au/resources/communicating-with-your-baby-during-adversity-or-tough-times/?audience=family

Understanding infant mental health and wellbeing (for parents) https://emergingminds.com.au/resources/understanding-infant-mental-health-and-wellbeing-for-parents/?audience=family

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Talking to your primary school-aged child about your mental health difficulties

Amelia Payne — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 23:35:54 +0000

Primary school-aged children are naturally curious and may have lots of questions which may be uncomfortable to answer. This resource has been developed to help you prepare for and feel confident about these conversations.

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In focus: Supporting your baby’s mental health and wellbeing

Jacquie Lee — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 23:50:49 +0000

This resource explores what you can do to support your baby's mental health and wellbeing, right from birth.

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Supporting children of parents living with mental illness

Amelia Payne — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 00:00:06 +0000

This resource aims to help parents, and their family and friends, learn how to best support children when their parent is experiencing mental illness.

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Supporting your child’s understanding of your mental illness

Amelia Payne — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 23:32:20 +0000

Mental illness can be a difficult topic to talk about with anyone, especially if you're experiencing mental health difficulties yourself. But talking to your child about your mental health difficulties can be really helpful for both of you.

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In focus: Talking with parents about their children

Jennifer Ly — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 04:58:02 +0000

This resource provides tips for adult-focused professionals for developing skills in hearing and honouring a child's voice in absentia and in turn, improving outcomes for Australian children with mental health concerns.

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The big dry: The impact of drought on children and families

Amelia Payne — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 05:30:29 +0000

This resource outlines the impact of a drought on a community, the environment, families and on mental health. Supporting families and children in a community during such an event is crucial to recovery.

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Talking to your teenager about your mental health difficulties

Amelia Payne — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 23:35:40 +0000

This resource aims to help you understand how to build open lines of communication with your teenager and let them know you’re there for them.

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How to speak with separating parents about their children’s wellbeing

Jennifer Ly — Wed, 15 Sep 2021 06:11:01 +0000

This resource outlines the importance of making children's wellbeing a central aspect of the conversations practitioners have with parents who are going through separation or divorce, and aims to address the gap by summarising the best-practice principles on parenting during separation.

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Tips for new parents: Bonding with your baby in their first 12 months

Emerging Minds — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 04:03:24 +0000

Bonding is considered a natural human instinct, and as new parents we are told it is an important part of our newborn babies’ development which helps to give them a sense of security and safety. For some that connection comes easily, but for many parents this bonding process can be more difficult.

In this podcast, our host Nadia Rossi talks with Vicki Mansfield, mother and mental health accredited social worker, about bonding and how you can get to know your baby in the first 12 months, especially if this doesn’t come naturally.

In this episode you will learn:

what bonding is and why it is important [00:52]
simple strategies to connect with your baby, especially if you are experiencing moments of difficulty [05:18]
how to practice your own self-care when caring for a baby [16:15]
how you can start the conversation that you need help if you are struggling as a parent or carer [19:49]

Further information and resources:

PANDA https://panda.org.au/

In focus: Supporting your baby’s mental health and wellbeing

Communicating with your baby during ‘tough times’

Understanding and soothing a crying baby

Depression and anxiety in new parents

Self-care for parents and caregivers

Understanding infant mental health and wellbeing (for parents)

Adjusting to parenthood: Fathers and non-birthing parents

Adjusting to parenthood: Mothers and birthing parents

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COVID-19 Resource Summary- supporting children’s mental health

Amelia Payne — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 04:11:32 +0000

This selection of resources will assist parents and caregivers in supporting their children’s mental health through the COVID-19 pandemic.

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