It Takes A Village

Nine to Noon's Kathryn Ryan interviews parenting experts to help you navigate the trends, trials & tough calls of modern family life.

Hosted by Kathryn Ryan

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Sleep, exercise and diet: Associate Professor Tamlin Conner

Poor-quality sleep affects the mental health of 18 to 25-year-olds twice as much as physical exercise and diet, according to a new University of Otago study.
teenager sleeping

Why do so many girls and young women hate their bodies?

A new report into the way many girls and young women regard their bodies paints a sobering picture, with 72% of young people surveyed reporting feeling negatively about their appearance at some point in the day - and for quarter of them, it's an all-day feeling.
Body tape measure

How the brain heals from trauma

Neuroscience educator and parenting expert, Nathan Wallis talks to Kathryn about how the brain heals from trauma, and the latest research around neuroplasticity.
MRI Image Of Head Showing Brain

Baby on the Way, Hannah Davison

Hannah Davison is the co-founder and author of the My Big Moments series of personalised books for children aged two and up. She talks to Phillipa Tolley about Baby on the Way, a picture book for children which doubles as a guide for parents to help prepare siblings-to-be for a new addition to the whānau.
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Family tramping: tips for getting kids into the backcountry

Father of three, and Federated Mountain Clubs executive member Jamie Stewart shares ways for families to get out into the wilderness this summer.
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Children, language and imitation

Speech and language therapist Christian Wright talks about the cornerstone of language development: imitation.
Mother hand holding and playing with newborn baby,

What's top of mind for Kiwi parents?

A nationwide survey of New Zealand parents explores how families coped with Covid lockdown. Our regular parenting commentator Nathan Wallis was an advisor on the survey, conducted by health insurer nib. He discusses the findings, including the impact of lockdown on children's behavior, parents' stress levels and relationships.
silhouette of family on the beach at dusk.

Now We Are Eight: A snapshot of life for 6000 Kiwi kids

For the first time, 6000 children taking part in the country's largest longitudinal study have been able to give their own thoughts and insights into their lives. The latest report from the University of Auckland's Growing Up in New Zealand study focuses on life for the children born in 2009 and 2010 at the age of eight. Many of the children reported a firm sense of cultural and gender identity, increasing freedom and high levels of participation in sports and music. The cohort at eight had moved around a lot - three quarters had moved at least once - and almost half had moved two or more times since birth. Growing Up in New Zealand principal investigator, Professor Susan Morton, joins Kathryn to further unpick the results of the Now We Are Eight report.
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Helping children manage their feelings

Education consultant and parenting coach Joseph Driessen talks with Kathryn about helping children identify and manage their feelings. He says it's important to create a family culture where children (and adults) accept and validate the feelings of others.
Little boy and his sister playing, pushing.

Raising teenage boys

Maggie Dent talks with Kathryn about the art of effective communication with teenage boys. She is the mother of four sons, a former teacher and counsellor who has become one of Australia's foremost parenting experts - and self described "boy champion". Her latest book is called From Boys to Men, and she is also the host of the ABC podcast Parental as Anything.
A group of teenagers and kids cooling off at Petone Wharf.

Children and self-control

How can parents help children to develop self-control - a key indicator of their future wellbeing as adults? Psychologist Sarb Johal discusses what's been revealed by new research findings from the Growing Up in New Zealand study.
sour boy

The importance of children playing outside

Advocate of outdoor nature education, Wendy Pirie says there are so many benefit of children running around outside and exploring their environment. She is the founder of an Early Learning Centre in Taradale, Hawkes Bay where children have 2 acres of natural play space.
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Getting ready for NCEA exams: What can students and parents do?

With just over a month to go to the start of NCEA exams, there'll be more than a few nervous students around the country.
Bored teenager reading book at desk at home, holding his head, free space

Preventing allergies developing in babies

What's behind a rise in childhood allergies, and can anything be done to prevent it? Sydney-based gastroenterologist Dr Vincent Ho, has written a new book called The Healthy Baby Gut Guide which looks at what parents can do to help babies develop strong immune responses in their first 1000 days.
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Covid-19 and schools: where to from here?

Senior Researcher at the New Zealand Council for Educational Research, Mohamed Alansari with what the learnings about learning at home during lockdown have been to date.
Children being homeschooled under the Covid-19 alert level 4 lockdown.