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PODCAST

Parenting and Personalities

Kate Mason, Stories and Strategies

One thing about being a parent – there’s no shortage of personalities to be surrounded by. Our kids, our partners, our family, our friends. They keep us laughing, growing, loving, and crying. If only they understood us. Like the musician Van Morrison once sang “When people understand what I mean, mama said there will be days like this.” Adelaide Australia’s Kate Mason is an author, wife, and mother who has spent her career studying personality and relationships. In this podcast she looks at why

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

34:48

Are You Raising Independent Kids or Holding Them Back?

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/10/20

Are we protecting our children or preventing them from growing up? Letting go is one of parenting's greatest challenges, but could holding on too tightly be doing more harm than good? Kate welcomes psychologist Dr Amy Todey for an insightful conversation about raising independent, resilient children while managing the fears that come with giving them freedom. From helicopter parenting and age appropriate risks to the emotional challenges of watching children become adults, they ex...

en-au

45:00

How to Really Listen When Your Child Is Struggling

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/10/13

This episode discusses suicide, so please listen with care. If anything raises concerns for you or someone you love, in Australia contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467, or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or call 000 if someone is in immediate danger. What if the child who says "I'm not coping" has actually been coping all along, and just needs someone to notice? Kate Mason is joined by Dr Helen Stallman, a clinical psychologist, award-winning researc...

en-au

29:23

How to Help Your Anxious Child Without Rescuing Them

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/10/06

What if helping your anxious child avoid something today is quietly making it harder for them tomorrow? Kate Mason sits down with Professor Vanessa Cobham, a clinical psychologist, University of Queensland professor, and one of the minds behind Fearless Triple P, a free program for parents of anxious children. Drawing on years of research and clinical work in Brisbane's public Child and Youth Mental Health Service, Vanessa reframes anxiety as a normal, useful part of being human a...

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38:13

How to Become the Dad You Never Had a Roadmap For

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/09/29

What if feeling lost as a dad wasn't a sign of failure, but the first step toward becoming the father you truly want to be? Kate Mason is joined by Jeff Hittner, leadership expert, executive coach, founder of Ambitious Dads, and devoted father of two boys. After learning he could not become a biological father, Jeff discovered that changing his mindset about fatherhood meant we can change our minds about anything. Today, he has interviewed more than 200 dads and uncovered si...

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38:40

What's Really Happening in Your Child's Brain During...

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/09/22

What if your child's most frustrating behavior wasn't defiance at all but their survival brain doing exactly what it was designed to do? Kate Mason sits down with Mary Willow, founder of Plum Parenting, parent mentor, author, and educator with more than 35 years of experience supporting children and families. With a remarkable background spanning nursing, midwifery, and early childhood education, Mary has helped thousands of parents across New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the U...

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35:17

Why "Keeping the Peace" Is Destroying Your Family...

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/09/15

What if the arguments in your relationship weren't signs of failure but invitations to finally understand yourself and the people you love most? Kate Mason sits down with Amy Armstrong, family resolution coach and founder of the Center for Family Resolution. Amy's journey began not in a textbook, but on her bathroom floor… heartbroken, disconnected, and reaching for something she couldn't name. That personal reckoning became the foundation for her powerful work helping individuals...

en-au

36:03

What Every Parent Needs to Know About Child Influencers

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/09/08

What if the photos and videos you lovingly share of your children online are entering a world you never imagined… and can't fully see? Kate Mason sits down with Crystal Abidin; Malay-Australian professor of internet studies at Curtin University, anthropologist, and mother, to explore one of the most pressing and least understood challenges facing modern families. Crystal's new book, Child Influencers: How Children Become Entangled with Social Media Fame, pulls back the curtain on ...

en-au

41:44

REPLAY - Unlocking Effective Communication Between...

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/07/14

This is an episode originally published in October 2023. It is one of my most popular. It’s so important for parents to have effective communication with their teenagers and using the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) can help. Kate and guest Jeanine Mouchawar discuss how understanding your own and your teen's personality type can improve communication and reduce conflict. Jeanine shares a five-step process for effective communication: calming oneself before a conversation, stati...

en-au

26:23

What Do Your Mistakes Reveal About Your Personality?

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/07/07

Have you ever forgotten something so obvious that all you could do was laugh and wondered whether your greatest frustrations might actually be the flip side of your greatest strengths? Kate Mason flies solo and bravely opens the door to life inside her spontaneous, flexible, perceiving brain. After 30 years of teaching personality, Kate shares her most memorable mistakes: leading the wrong child away at the zoo, concert tickets for the wrong day, and watching her cruise ship sail ...

en-au

29:08

REPLAY - A Cuppa With Kate n Tra – Why Opposites Attract

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/06/30

You don’t need to be opposites to attract. Sometimes two very like-minded people with like-personalities people find mutual attraction. But it does seem odd that it’s often two people are not the same in many, many ways who find attraction. For example, why does the introvert find attraction in the extravert? Do they help them learn to speak up more and join the party? And why does the extravert fall for the introvert? Do they help them learn to listen and reflect? Kate and Tracy are coming a...

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43:50

Matrescence: The Identity Shift No One Warns Mums About

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/06/23

What if the exhaustion and lost sense of self in early motherhood aren't signs you're failing but signs you're being remade? Kate Mason welcomes Benita Bensch, author, certified Motherhood Studies Practitioner, clarity coach, farmer, and mum of four boys, for a warm, honest conversation about matrescence, the profound identity shift of becoming a mother. Benita shares her own journey through postnatal anxiety and burnout, the "black hole" she hit with four children under four, and...

en-au

38:53

REPLAY - Empowering Parents: Tools for Raising...

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/06/16

This is an episode originally published in August 2024. It is one of my most popular. Have you ever wondered what builds resilience in us and our children? In this episode, Kate chats with Tania Johnson, co-founder of the Institute of Child Psychology. Tania shares her journey, from fostering four First Nations children to her academic accomplishments and her profound insights into attachment theory and resilience. Together, they explore the power of purposeful parenting, the importance of al...

en-au

29:04

Your Partner Isn't Gaslighting You. Or Are They?

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/06/09

Have you ever walked away from a disagreement with your partner absolutely certain of what was said…only to have them remember it completely differently? What if that isn't manipulation at all, but simply the way human memory actually works? Kate Mason welcomes back Associate Professor Celine Vangolde from the University of Sydney, whose research explores memory, trauma, child testimony, and psychological abuse. Celine's work sits at the intersection of science and real-life relationshi...

en-au

33:06

Your Child Doesn't Need Perfect Parents. They Need...

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/06/02

What if the secret to raising happier children wasn't about perfect parenting techniques…but about the quality of the relationship between you and your parenting partner? Kate Mason is joined by author, family therapist, and family systems expert Dr. Jenny Brown for a return visit that builds beautifully on their first conversation. Jenny brings decades of clinical experience alongside her deeply personal journey of applying this work within her own marriage and family. Draw...

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45:12

Why Does Modern Family Life Feel So Overwhelming?

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/05/26

Modern life is fraying us. But we can learn how to come back to ourselves. In this thoughtful and deeply relatable episode Kate welcomes back educator, social worker, author, and speaker Stephanie Malia Krauss to explore why so many parents, teachers, carers, and children feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and disconnected. Drawing from her book How We Thrive: Caring for Kids and Ourselves in a Changing World, Stephanie explains how chronic busyness, overstimulation, technology, anxiety...

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26:43

The Truth About the Memory of a Child

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/05/19

Your memory might feel certain, but it is not a recording. In this fascinating episode of Parenting and Personalities, Kate speaks with Associate Professor Celine Vangolde from the University of Sydney about how memory really works, especially in children. Celine explains why two people can live through the same moment and remember it differently, why memories are reconstructed rather than replayed, and how emotions, context, language, stress, and other people’s stories can change...

en-au

39:21

REPLAY - This is an episode originally published in...

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/05/12

Are you raising resilient children? In this episode, Kate Mason and Tania Johnson dive into the importance of building resilience and emotional strength in both parents and children. From the benefits of play to the power of independent problem-solving, they explore how cultural differences impact our approach to parenting. Discover practical strategies for fostering resilience and learn why it's crucial to let kids experience failure and take risks. Listen For: 5:03 Teaching Conflict Resol...

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18:20

What Your Household Habits Reveal About Your Personality

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/05/05

What if the reason you and your partner drive each other absolutely crazy over the washing, the cushions, or even the toilet paper roll has nothing to do with bad habits and everything to do with personality? Kate Mason takes a warm, witty, and surprisingly eye-opening dive into the everyday irritations that quietly shape our closest relationships. Drawing on the melancholic and phlegmatic temperaments and the Myers-Briggs judging and perceiving preferences, Kate explores why some of us...

en-au

32:00

When “Good Parenting” Backfires

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/04/28

What if the real challenge in parenting is not about doing more, but about understanding how we show up? In this conversation, Kate Mason speaks with family therapist Dr Jenny Brown about the quiet pressure many parents carry to get everything right and the self-doubt that often follows. With decades of experience and a foundation in Bowen family systems theory, Jenny explores how a parent’s emotional responses, anxiety, and level of involvement shape a child’s development in powe...

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43:55

Solo Mum By Choice: Lorena Otes on Redefining Family

Parenting and Personalities ·

2026/04/21

What if the "right" path to parenthood looked nothing like the one you imagined and turned out to be exactly the one you were meant to take? Kate Mason sits down with Lorena Otes, author of Solo Mum By Choice, dance teacher, and mother who made one of the most courageous choices a woman can make: to become a parent entirely on her own terms. Lorena opens up about navigating 12 rounds of IVF, genetic discoveries she never expected, the emotional and financial reality of solo fertil...

en-au

100 results

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