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PODCAST

The Parent Squad

If it takes a village to raise a child, it must take a whole country to raise a family! Newstalk ZB’s Parent Squad helps to do just that. Joined by expert guests The Weekend Collective team delves into the complexities of Kiwi family life.

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

37:21

Dr Miriam McCaleb: Parents need to stop comparing...

The Parent Squad ·

2026/04/18

You always hear stories about the different ways a person's childhood has had an ongoing impact throughout their life. There are some horrible stories out there, but it could even just be the way your parents would cook growing up, or how the way they would react to you relaxing results in habits that follow you into adulthood. So at the end of the day, are we all doomed to mess up our children in one way or another? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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37:44

Dougal Sutherland: Let your kids be bored

The Parent Squad ·

2026/04/11

It's school holidays, and boredom is setting in... While it can send parents into a bit of a spiral hearing their children complain about how bored they are all day long - being bored is one of those skills we all need to learn at some point. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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41:26

Sara Chatwin: Is it okay for children to be involved...

The Parent Squad ·

2026/04/04

Our children are becoming increasingly involved in politics and current events, and they're getting involved younger and younger. We want to support their interests, but the news can get pretty dark, and these kinds of events or protests always come with a risk of danger. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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37:41

Nathan Wallis: Are parents to blame for social media...

The Parent Squad ·

2026/03/28

Social media giants Meta and YouTube have been found liable for deliberately designing their platforms to be addictive. We don't need to look too far into the details of this specific trial, because parents everywhere will have stories of their own to some extent, but how much of the blame falls on the parents? There are countless things in the modern world that young people risk becoming addicted to - they don't even have to appear sinister. Food, sugar, video games, any number of apps - social

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37:20

Alex Chiet: Are we doing our kids a disservice if...

The Parent Squad ·

2026/03/21

Most kids will take part in some kind of sport throughout their childhood. It's a great opportunity to keep them moving and allow them to burn off some energy, but how early should we be getting our children into these teams? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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35:56

John Cowan: How should you scare your kids straight?

The Parent Squad ·

2026/03/14

Kids push limits - it's just what they do. From as early as the toddler years, it's completely developmentally normal for children to figure out just how for they can push their parents before a very clear line is drawn - but what about those times where behaviour you never would have imagined doing yourself as a child rears its head? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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38:25

Dougal Sutherland: Children benefit more from being...

The Parent Squad ·

2026/03/07

Early childhood education is darn expensive. You want your kids to socialise, make friends, learn some basics - but it costs an arm and a leg. So how long can you put it off? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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37:14

Sara Chatwin: Should you stay together for the kids?

The Parent Squad ·

2026/02/28

Whether it's a friend, your own parents, or you may be going through it yourself - we've all heard the question of whether a couple should 'stay together for the kids'. Realistically, a divorce does have a significant impact on children, even if they're prioritised and not put in the middle of it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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38:10

Dr Maneesh Deva: Is social media harm inescapable...

The Parent Squad ·

2026/02/21

Child safety reform in the world of big tech is sweeping the globe at the moment. Australia's leading the charge in the social media ban for under 16s, and California has expanded the Coogan Law to cover child influencers, to name a few. Although we haven't seen any change here in New Zealand, the conversation has truly started and we may see moves being made soon. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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36:17

John Cowan: Stress is making you a bad parent

The Parent Squad ·

2026/02/14

Many parents will be starting to feel the exhaustion from getting back into school and extracurriculars. We often go into the new year with high expectations of ourselves - like completely homemade school lunches, no takeout, keeping on top of house work - but quickly realise there was a reason we weren't accomplishingall that last year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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37:44

Kathryn Berkett: Who's dropping the ball with new...

The Parent Squad ·

2026/02/07

A new report this week found nearly 90% of Auckland primary school say there's an increasing number of new entrants starting school without bare basic skills like being toilet trained and talking properly. These are 5 year olds who are otherwise capable, but some stage of their early childhood seems to have been neglected - they can't even identify the letters of their name or hold a pencil. As harsh as it may be, the blame does have to land somewhere. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for

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41:15

Dougal Sutherland: Some kids need a hands-off...

The Parent Squad ·

2026/01/31

Schools have started back up and we all, obviously, want our children to do well. Parents will be doing drop off and pick up, making sure the homework is done and forms are signed, keeping an eye on grades and reports. But how involved should parents really be in their children's education? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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40:35

Sara Chatwin: When should you let your kids get a...

The Parent Squad ·

2026/01/24

One of the hottest topics of the modern era is kids and smartphones. As we've seen more of the what the internet can do (for better or worse) they seem like an essential part of life. Wallet, Keys, Phone, that's what you always keep on you. A first phone is typically only for texting mum and dad, so why do you need a device that has the capability for so much more? Child Psychologist Sara Chatwin joins Tim Beveridge to give her advice on when to let kids get their own devices and how to manage them

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36:38

Nathan Wallis: Dealing with disappointing NCEA grades

The Parent Squad ·

2026/01/17

NCEA results are officially out. Most kids would have genuinely worked as hard as they could to get the grades they hoped for - even the kids who act like they don't really care. And for many it won't have turned out as hey had planned - whether that meant not quite meeting the dizzying heights of their ambition or an actual fail grade. But it's unavoidable - at some stage through their school career - and life for that matter, most of us have to deal with the disappointment of failure. They need to

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37:08

Sara Chatwin: Raise your kids to be grateful for...

The Parent Squad ·

2025/12/20

We've all seen the videos - we may have even seen it in our own living rooms on Christmas morning... A child, even teenager, opens a gift their loved one has especially picked out for them, and they proceed to complain about how it's not the one they wanted. The wrong colour bicycle, wrong model phone, it could be anything. So how do we teach our children to be grateful for anything they're given this Christmas? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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40:32

Dr Jacqui Maguire: Parents need to prepare their kids...

The Parent Squad ·

2025/12/13

What are the essential life skills our kids truly need to know before they head out into the real world? How often to wash their sheets, how to cook a basic meal, managing bills and payments, doing laundry without turning their white shirts pink - these are things that most of us learnt well before we moved out, but they don't seem to be as common today. Only 21% of parents of children aged 5-17 years say their kids are often involved with cooking. That's 79% of kids that will likely leave home not

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36:00

Dougal Sutherland: Does NZ need a social media ban?

The Parent Squad ·

2025/12/06

In just a few days, a law banning the use of social media for under 16s will take effect in Australia. For many parents, social media has been a daily part of family life for years - allowing kids to stay connected with their friends and family, sharing life updates with people they may not get a chance to speak with very often. Generations before have been relatively ignorant to just how seriously harmful it can be - figuring if they just keep open communication with their kids then they should be

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40:11

Kathryn Berkett: Do we need to change the way we do...

The Parent Squad ·

2025/11/29

The school year is drawing to an end and soon enough, families will be filling school halls and gymnasiums for the end-of-year prizegiving. For the star students or athletes, it's a moment of pride to walk across the stage and receive a well-earned award. For others, the whole thing can feel demoralising. Never mind the awards themselves - there are clear differences between some, like the dean's award and the most improved. But on the other hand, do we really want to be handing out participation

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37:11

Nathan Wallis: Family vs friends for the summer holidays

The Parent Squad ·

2025/11/22

Summer holidays is just around the corner and kids will be rushing out the door to spend as much time as they can with their friends. But this time of year is often the longest period that parents will be able to spend time at home with the family. We don't want to pull our children away from their friends, but we also want to instil the value of family time. So where do we draw the line between family time and friend time for our children this summer? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for

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36:28

John Cowan: Pocket money in a cashless society

The Parent Squad ·

2025/11/15

We live in a near cashless world these days. Hardly anyone has anything further than a couple cards, or even just Apple Pay. We all remember a time we'd get a gold coin for washing mum's car, or a couple notes for chopping wood, but those days seem to be gone. How are parents going about pocket money without cash? Are we really giving our kids bank cards, and how young is too young? And if money's not the right reward, are things a better deal for our children? Is it acceptable to fill up their gas

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333 results

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