Episode #192. Free to Learn: How Embracing Play Makes Children Happier, Self-Reliant, and Lifelong Learners. Professor Peter Gray, Boston College

Episode #6: The Door Is Open — Your Big Feelings, Growing Brains Resources. In this special episode of Big Feelings, Growing Brains, Sharon Ward and Professor Selena Bartlett bring the series together and introduce the practical resources created with parents, educators, health professionals and community members. Throughout the series, we have explored the real challenges families are facing, including screen transitions and meltdowns, anxiety and school refusal, food and fussy eating, readi...

Raising children is not something families should have to do alone. It takes a village: parents, grandparents, educators, health professionals, community workers, neighbours and friends who can offer practical help, calm advice and a reminder that no one needs to have all the answers. In Episode #5 of Big Feelings Growing Brains, we explore the everyday moments that can feel big for families: supporting children in building early reading skills, navigating toileting, asking for help, and find...

Simple food and lunchbox ideas for big feelings, growing brains Feeding children is rarely just about food. It can be about time, cost, tiredness, sensory needs, routine, allergies, lunchboxes that come home untouched, and the pressure families can feel to get every meal right. In Episode #4 of Big Feelings Growing Brains, we heard many thoughtful, practical ideas from educators, health professionals and families who understand these everyday challenges. Their conversations reminded us that f...

School avoidance is becoming an increasingly common challenge for families, schools, and communities. For some children, walking through the school gates can feel overwhelming. Anxiety, bullying, social pressures, learning difficulties, emotional distress, and feeling unsafe can all contribute to school refusal and disengagement. In Episode 3 of Big Feelings, Growing Brains, we explore what may sit beneath school avoidance and what families, educators, and communities can do to help children ...

Why do some children seem calm one moment and completely overwhelmed the next when it is time to switch off a screen? In Episode 2 of Big Feelings, Growing Brains, we explore what is really happening in the developing brain when children move from highly stimulating digital environments back into everyday life. Together, parents, educators, and wellbeing leaders discuss why screen transitions can trigger big emotions, what children are trying to communicate through their behaviour, and practi...