Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families

What do you do when your 17-year-old refuses to go to school, skips classes and has no idea what he wants to do instead?
Justin and Kylie tackle a tricky question from a parent whose son is struggling with Year 11. They explore vocational schools, apprenticeships, TAFE, distance education and the idea that education doesn’t have to mean sitting in a classroom until Year 12. The goal is to help young people keep learning, contributing and moving forward without forcing them into a path that clearly isn’t working.
KEY POINTS:
Why school isn’t the only way to get an education
Vocational schools and hands-on learning
School-based apprenticeships and TAFE
Why “earning or learning” is a useful family expectation
Helping teenagers build character, reliability and practical skills
Why a 17-year-old doesn’t need their whole future figured out
Finding purpose through contribution and solving real problems
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE:
“You need to be either full-time earning or full-time learning.”
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Boys: Building Strong Young Men from the Inside Out by Justin Coulson
The Industry School
School-based apprenticeships
TAFE and vocational education
Lift the Load 50 for 50 fundraiser for Top Blokes
ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS:
Talk to your child’s school about alternative pathways.
Look beyond university and traditional Year 12 pathways.
Explore apprenticeships, TAFE, vocational schools and practical training.
Help your teenager find something that builds skills and a sense of contribution.
Take the pressure off having their entire future figured out at 17.
Focus on reliability, communication, initiative and integrity.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s Mrs Happy Families’ birthday week, so Justin puts Kylie on the spot with questions she hasn’t seen before. There are childhood confessions, a $2 garage sale bargain, a surprising celebrity crush, competitive board games, laundry, parenting wisdom and one deeply meaningful question about how she hopes her six children will remember her.
Kylie also opens up about setting herself a big goal, learning to value the progress rather than just the number, and the moment she realised she could be proud of herself.
It’s funny, honest and unexpectedly moving.
KEY POINTS:
Why Kylie thinks her daughter Abby is most like her
The $2 garage sale find that became a handmade baby quilt
Why laundry is Kylie’s favourite household job
Kylie’s surprising running anthem
The competitive streak Justin insists she has
The parenting moment that made Kylie most proud
What Kylie hopes her children remember about her
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE:
“I would rather be 10 kilos lighter at the end of the year and not reach my goal of 20 kilos than to be sitting where I was at the beginning of the year without any hope or a desire to make the changes necessary.”
ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS:
Ask yourself what you hope your children will remember about you when they are adults.
Notice the progress you are making instead of focusing only on whether you have reached the goal.
Ask your children what they love most about you. Their answers might surprise you.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than eight in ten Australian kids were still using age-restricted social media platforms months after the under-16 law came into effect. So is the legislation working?
Justin speaks with Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells about what has happened since the social media minimum age law began, why compliance has been slower than expected, and what the new Digital Duty of Care could mean for families.
The proposed laws go much further than social media. They cover AI chatbots, online games, messaging platforms and other digital services, with new responsibilities for tech companies to identify and reduce risks to children.
They also tackle harmful content, addictive design features, algorithmic feeds and the growing challenge of keeping kids safe from pornography and other dangerous material online.
KEY POINTS
Why more than 80% of children were still using age-restricted platforms
Why enforcement against big tech takes time
What the Digital Duty of Care would change for parents
How AI chatbots, gaming and messaging platforms could be covered
The harmful content platforms would have to address
What "safety by design" could mean for kids
How algorithmic feeds could change
The challenges created by VPNs and children accessing pornography
Why group chats and private sharing are harder for parents to monitor
What the government says is changing for young Australians
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE
"We want you to be able to say, this is the law and you can point to the law to try and address these daily fights that people are having in their home."
ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS
Talk with your kids about what they are seeing online, including content shared privately in group chats.
Check which social media, gaming, messaging and AI platforms your child is using.
Look at the feed settings on platforms your family uses and understand whether algorithmic recommendations can be changed.
Keep talking about pornography and harmful online content before your child encounters it.
Use Australia's changing online safety laws as a starting point for conversations about what is and isn't acceptable online.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if improving your wellbeing was far simpler than you thought?
In this Doctor’s Desk episode, Justin and Kylie unpack a huge new scientific review published in Nature that analysed 183 wellbeing studies involving nearly 23,000 people worldwide. The conclusion? You don’t need the perfect routine, expensive programs, or hours of free time to feel better.
You just need to do something.
From exercise and mindfulness to yoga, gratitude, therapy, and simple self-awareness practices, the research shows that consistent small actions have a powerful impact on mental health and happiness. Justin and Kylie also share their own honest experiences of trying to prioritise wellbeing in the middle of busy family life.
If you’ve been waiting for the “right time” to take care of yourself, this episode is your reminder that small steps still count.
KEY POINTS:
A major Nature study reviewed 183 wellbeing interventions
Exercise combined with psychological support had the strongest results
Mindfulness, gratitude, yoga, and compassion practices all improved wellbeing
Consistency matters more than perfection
Small actions done regularly can create major emotional shifts
Parents don’t need hours of free time for self-care to work
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE:
“Don’t overthink the perfect wellbeing routine. Just do something.”
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Nature systematic review and meta-analysis on wellbeing interventions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Mindfulness and positive psychology practices
Boys: Building Strong Young Men from the Inside Out by Dr Justin Coulson
ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS:
Choose one simple wellbeing habit you can realistically repeat this week
Aim for consistency over intensity
Pair movement with reflection, mindfulness, or connection
Notice how you feel when you stop prioritising your wellbeing
Give yourself permission to start small rather than waiting for perfect conditions
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if protecting our kids too much is actually holding them back?
In this powerful conversation, Dr Justin Coulson sits down with extreme athlete, sports psychologist, and author Ant Williams to unpack why so many kids struggle with pressure, discomfort, and resilience — and what parents can do differently.
From diving beneath Arctic ice to coaching elite athletes under extreme stress, Ant shares the mindset shifts that help people stay calm, capable, and courageous when life gets hard. Together, they explore the parenting habits that unintentionally weaken resilience, the fine line between support and overprotection, and why kids need opportunities to struggle, fail, and recover.
If your child avoids hard things, melts down under pressure, or constantly says “I can’t”, this episode will change the way you respond.
KEY POINTS
Why resilience is built through challenge — not comfort
The difference between being a safety net and a shield
How parents accidentally reinforce anxiety and avoidance
Why kids need evidence they can handle hard things
The long-term risks of wrapping children in cotton wool
How your reactions to stress become your child’s template
The simple “fish hook” strategy for staying calm under pressure
Why modelling courage matters more than preaching confidence
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE
“Our reaction becomes their template.”
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Let It Be Tough by Ant Williams
Resilience: Developing strength, calm, & kindness in our kids [a Happy Families Webinar]
ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS
Resist rescuing your child from every uncomfortable situation
Encourage small, manageable challenges that build confidence
Talk openly about your own fears and how you handle them
Stay calm during stressful moments — your child is learning from your response
Focus on supporting your child, not shielding them
Help kids reflect after setbacks instead of immediately fixing things
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.