S3E6 (1-3y): Independence - Building capable, confident humans

"How will I ever love another baby as much as I love this one?" It is one of the most common worries parents carry into a growing family, and the answer is simple: love does not halve, it grows. In this episode, Jen and Hannah are joined by Nicola, who works at Ngala supporting families in Geraldton and is a mum to three teenagers, to talk about building families, sibling dynamics, and the extended relationships that shape a child's world.

Challenging toddler behaviours - or important steps in social and emotional development? Sure toddler ‘tantrums’ or ‘defiance’ can be tough to handle, but there’s always something underneath. In this episode, Jen and Hannah are joined by Helen, who has a degree in psychology and counselling and runs parenting workshops across the community to talk about social and emotional development in toddlers and the big changes that come with it.Helen explains why the toddler years bring such a huge range of emotions, how the parts of the brain that help us calm down and think rationally aren't fully developed until around five years old, and what this means for parents, including the role of co-regulation and lending your toddler your calm while they build these skills over time.Together the team unpack naming emotions to tame them and the gradual development of theory of mind that lays the groundwork for sharing and empathy, and why separation anxiety and parental preference are a completely normal part of development.From what a tantrum really is and how to handle one in the middle of the supermarket, to separating the emotion from the behaviour, giving toddlers real choices, and noticing your own nervous system in the heat of the moment, Jen, Hannah and Helen cover it all with warmth and honesty, and a reminder that good enough is good enough, and that connection is almost always the answer.Is this episode for you? This episode is perfect for parents with a baby aged 12 months –3 years who want to have a clearer understanding on their child's behaviour. 📞 Need more help? For those in Western Australia, you can call the Ngala Parenting Line on 08 9368 9368 for free expert support from our team.Follow the Podcast:Subscribe: 🔗 https://www.youtube.com/@UCctvj5LUZ1eAzSErNAmAvxA Website: 🔗 https://www.ngala.com.au/Timecodes:(00:00) Introduction: it's never just a behaviour(01:15) Helen introduces herself and her work with parents(01:35) What social and emotional development looks like in toddlers(02:35) Talking about emotions and naming them to tame them(04:05) Social interaction, parallel play, sharing and theory of mind(06:45) Separation anxiety and parental preference(10:30) What a tantrum actually is and how to handle one in public(11:50) Separating the emotion from the behaviour(12:00) What's underneath a tantrum: the developing toddler brain(13:30) Pushing boundaries as a developmentally promising sign(15:45) Performative parenting and giving toddlers real choices(17:40) Strategies for big feelings: co-regulation and your own nervous system(19:35) All emotions are safe: modelling and re-parenting ourselves(21:45) Distraction, redirection and getting anger out physically(26:50) Connection, humour and why we are their best toyFollow Ngala 🌐Instagram 🔗https://www.instagram.com/ngala.official/Facebook 🔗https://www.facebook.com/Ngala.Official/LinkedIn 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/ngala/?originalSubdomain=auProduced by Podwave Studios: https://podwavestudios.au/🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe.Music from #Uppbeat⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/the-summit⁠License code: FTQLZK6PIYUYDCXK#parenting #parentingtips #toddlers #ngala #perthparents #parents #podcast

"I don't even wanna tell you what I'm doing to get my toddler to sleep." If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. Jen and Hannah are joined by Corina, a Mothercraft Nurse of more than 30 years who has spent 16 of them at Ngala on the parenting line, and a mum to three grown boys, to talk about the tender, tricky world of toddler sleep. Corina explains how toddler sleep differs from infant sleep, why 11 to 14 hours over 24 hours is the range, and why night waking is completely normal as memory, curiosity and connection all surge. Together they unpack sleep readiness over the clock, the shift from two naps to one, warm boundaries at bedtime, and why the wind down matters as much for the parent as the child. From the move out of the cot into a bed, to toddler-proofing the whole room, to the middle of the night reset after illness or a holiday, Jen, Hannah and Corina cover the full sleep landscape with warmth and a clear message: if you have been there for your child when they needed you, you have done nothing wrong, and you can always gently shift things back.Is this episode for you? This episode is perfect for parents with a baby aged 12 months –3 years who want to have a clearer understanding on their child's behaviour. Resources: https://www.ngala.com.au/resources/toddler/sleep-and-settling/ 📞 Need more help? For those in Western Australia, you can call the Ngala Parenting Line on 08 9368 9368 for free expert support from our team.

In this episode, Jen and Hannah welcome back Jill, a child health nurse of 25 years who has spent most of her career in the Wheatbelt and the last eight years with Ngala, to talk toddlers, mealtimes and nutrition, one of the topics parents ask about most. Jill explains why twelve months marks a real pivot, from milk as the main source of nutrition to family meals and the five food groups, and why a toddler's growth slows even as their energy needs climb. Together they unpack the division of responsibility, why it helps to zoom out and look at what a toddler eats across a week rather than a single meal, and how platters, tongs and low pressure mealtimes can turn "yuck, nope" into curiosity. From early dinners and second breakfasts, to water, milk and why toddler formula isn't needed, to iron, meat free families, safe foods and why banning "bad" foods backfires, Jen, Hannah and Jill cover the whole mealtime landscape with warmth, honesty and a reminder that every parent gets desperate sometimes, and that's okay. Is this episode for you? This episode is perfect for parents with a baby aged 12 months –3 years who want to have a clearer understanding on their child's behaviour. Resources: www.ngala.com.au/resources/toddler/feeding/ 📞 Need more help? For those in Western Australia, you can call the Ngala Parenting Line on 08 9368 9368 for free expert support from our team. Follow the Podcast: Subscribe: 🔗 https://www.youtube.com/@UCctvj5LUZ1eAzSErNAmAvxA Website: 🔗 https://www.ngala.com.au/ Timecodes: (00:00) Introduction: you can't force a toddler to eat (00:45) Jill introduces herself and her work as a child health nurse (01:15) The range of toddlerhood and the shift from milk to family meals (04:15) Why growth slows and nutrition shifts to muscles, energy and brain development (06:15) The division of responsibility: parents decide what, when and where (07:45) Zooming out: looking at intake over a few days, not a single meal (09:15) Platters, tongs and low pressure mealtimes (10:45) Sitting together, modelling and why it matters after a big day (12:15) Early dinners, second breakfasts and feeding toddlers when they're hungry (16:45) What should toddlers drink? Water, milk, dairy and toddler formula (19:30) Listening to tummies and letting go of finishing the plate (20:45) No good food, bad food: why banning treats backfires (23:45) Meat free and dairy free families: protein and iron alternatives (28:15) We all get desperate: bribes, sensory preferences and every child's own pace (29:45) When to see a GP or child health nurse, oral care and mealtime rituals Follow Ngala 🌐 Instagram 🔗https://www.instagram.com/ngala.official/ Facebook 🔗https://www.facebook.com/Ngala.Official/ LinkedIn 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/ngala/?originalSubdomain=au Produced by Podwave Studios: https://podwavestudios.au/ 🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe. Music from #Uppbeat⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/the-summit⁠License code: FTQLZK6PIYUYDCXK #parenting #parentingtips #toddlernutrition #toddlers #ngala #fussyeaters #perthparents #parents #mealtimes #podcast

All the (sometimes) messy details of toilet training or, as we prefer to call it, toilet learning. In this episode, Jen and Hannah sit down with Kat, who has spent ten years working with children and families, to reframe one of parenting's biggest milestones as a learning journey rather than a race, where mistakes and accidents are part of the process, not a problem to fix.