Latest news with #DrJustinCoulson
News.com.au
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Parents debate what is appropriate for young girls to wear at the beach
A heated discussion kicked off on popular television show Parental Guidance last week when the subject of what is and isn't appropriate for young girls to be wearing came up. Tammy, one of the 'upfront' parents on Nine's reality TV series, sparked debate after revealing that she didn't want her four sons — between the ages of 9 and 13 — bringing home the girl wearing 'short shorts'. She made the comment during a sit down conversation with her sons, and partner Mark, about consent and what should be done if kids receive a naked photo. Parental Guidance, hosted by Ally Langdon and parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson, tackles how different parenting styles approach topics such as children's lives online, consent, peer pressure and body image. Following the 'short shorts' comment, other parents weighed in on how Tammy and Mark approached the conversation. Sofia, who is one of the parents from the 'positivity' style, questioned the remark from the fellow mum. 'So, the thing at the moment that we're noticing is the girls, they're wearing short shorts. I am saying to our boys, don't bring home the girl wearing the short shorts,' Tammy said. 'I'm not judging the girl with the short shorts, I am judging the girl's mum.' Sofia said that Tammy was being 'very judgmental' and pointed out that she was a mother to only males. 'And cause you have all boys as well, you know how men judge women and go 'well she wore that, so it was OK for me to then do such and such',' Sofia said. Tammy doubled down, saying if she had a daughter she would not let a 12-year-old leave the house in a 'Brazilian butt bikini'. Joanne, from the traditional parenting style, then jumped in and argued that girls should be able to wear whatever they want — but caveated that by saying she did think there were ages where things became appropriate. 'A 12-year-old in a G-string on the beach makes it very difficult for my husband to walk down comfortably,' she said. Sofia asked if that meant that women needed to 'dress appropriately' so that Joanne's husband, Nathan, 'felt comfortable'. Joanne then asked how Sofia would feel if there were a 'row of backsides' in front of her at the beach, and the positivity parent responded she wasn't really thinking about it. At this point, co-host Ally Langdon intervened. 'Can we also notice the theme in all of this? That we've turned the focus to the girls,' she stated. Daniel Principe, a youth and masculinity educator who appeared on the show as an expert, said conversations or thought processes he was scared of were that someone 'had it coming' or that there were certain kinds of people we should 'respect less'. 'I think we need to address that — that it shouldn't change the respect, decency and care that that person is owed,' he said. Dr Coulson pointed out that there was a general concern about oversexualisation of children at a young age. Mr Principe said he did worry about oversexualisation, but the biggest issue was why society placed more importance on a sexy selfie, rather than creativity and academic performance or athleticism. Just like the parents in the show, many social media users were divided about what was the best approach. 'I'm a woman and it makes me incredibly uncomfortable seeing what some children and women wear,' one social media user said. Another said: 'I'm a parent of both a boy and girl. I don't care what anyone says, putting a 12-year-old girl, or allowing them to wear a G-string bikini is not on! You are sexualising your child! If you think it's OK, why not let them go topless at the beach also.' This viewer argued: 'Mothers and fathers need to educate their sons. Women can wear what they want and feel safe.' Another added: 'I'd never allow my daughter at 12 wear a G-string bathing suit.' 'Maybe a 12-year-old shouldn't be wearing a G-string but that's not an excuse for her to be objectified, as long as she's comfortable.' 'A 12-year-old shouldn't be wearing a G-string at the beach. Keep your child safe,' one said. Another weighed in: 'Why are we still saying this crap in 2025.' 'The bigger question is why are parents buying this type of clothing for their kids? This could be considered putting their children at risk, dare I say it trying to sell them,' one said. This viewer asked the question: 'Who's sexualising them? MEN! So who is the real problem? Hmmm? MEN!' Channel 9 declined to comment on the heated debate.
News.com.au
25-06-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
Three reasons parents and their millenial or Gen Z kids don't talk
Pride, trust issues and a fear of judgment are preventing Australian families from talking more about mental health, new research has found. Half of parents of 16 to 30-year-olds are uncomfortable talking to their children about their wellbeing, although a third want to. Worryingly, younger people found it even harder to communicate, with 62 per cent of respondents unable to confide in older family members. The next phase of News Corp Australia's Can We Talk? campaign launching today, in partnership with Medibank, will focus on how families can support each other with mental health challenges. The new research, by New Corp's Growth Distillery with Medibank, has exposed the intergenerational barriers holding families back from supporting each other. It found families often lacked the tools, language and 'mental health literacy' to communicate. Young people were most concerned about negative responses. It calls on parents to take the lead and spark conversations around mental health in a casual, empathetic way. Parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson said asking for 'consent' before raising a tough topic or sharing advice could be a 'gamechanger'. 'Asking for consent seems like a small thing, but can change a conversation drastically,' he said. 'What I find helpful with my daughter is to say, 'I've noticed this happening with you', and then, 'I have some ideas that could help if you're interested. If you're not, that's totally fine'. 'Or if you are the one opening up, start by asking if someone can just listen.' The father-of-six, and R U OK? ambassador, said there were many reasons why people felt reluctant to share issues with family members. Younger people often worried that a parent would interfere, judge them or deliver a lecture. On the flip side, parents may fear being seen as a 'failure', or want to avoid using their children as 'therapists'. But he said positive communication across generations in families helped build connection. 'We need to equip families to talk about these topics because many struggle,' he said. 'The more we communicate with each other, the more we can develop trust, be vulnerable and sense when someone's okay or not. It's important to be intentional about these conversations because if you are staring at a screen and not each other, it's hard to pick up when someone needs help.' The Growth Distillery research found all topics were harder to talk about with someone in a different generation. But relationship issues topped the list, with more than half reluctant to share across age groups, followed by social pressures (52 per cent) and stress (49 per cent). Relationships Australia CEO Elisabeth Shaw said research showed 18 to 25-year-olds were one of the loneliest groups, and it was important they had someone 'safe' to talk to, whether it was a family member or not. 'Knowing that in their darkest times, young people have someone to talk to, is a huge protective factor for mental health and suicide,' she said. 'But if they feel shut down, dismissed or ridiculed by family, or if there's disinterest, then that hurts more than if it were a casual acquaintance. 'What's important is to talk to somebody who is trustworthy and open to your experience.' She said in many ways, today's young people had more in common with their parents than ever before, such as social media use, online dating and multiple romantic relationships. 'The clash happens when the younger generation feels shut down and misunderstood. A way to take that into account is to enter their world, rather than taking the approach of: 'Do it my way and follow my recommendations'.'
Daily Telegraph
25-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Telegraph
Why Gen Z kids and their parents don't talk
Don't miss out on the headlines from Mental Health. Followed categories will be added to My News. Pride, trust issues and a fear of judgment are preventing Australian families from talking more about mental health, new research has found. Half of parents of 16 to 30-year-olds are uncomfortable talking to their children about their wellbeing, although a third want to. Worryingly, younger people found it even harder to communicate, with 62 per cent of respondents unable to confide in older family members. The next phase of News Corp Australia's Can We Talk? campaign launching today, in partnership with Medibank, will focus on how families can support each other with mental health challenges. The new research, by New Corp's Growth Distillery with Medibank, has exposed the intergenerational barriers holding families back from supporting each other. It found families often lacked the tools, language and 'mental health literacy' to communicate. Young people were most concerned about negative responses. It calls on parents to take the lead and spark conversations around mental health in a casual, empathetic way. Parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson said asking for 'consent' before raising a tough topic or sharing advice could be a 'gamechanger'. 'Asking for consent seems like a small thing, but can change a conversation drastically,' he said. 'What I find helpful with my daughter is to say, 'I've noticed this happening with you', and then, 'I have some ideas that could help if you're interested. If you're not, that's totally fine'. Justin Couslon has given useful tips that he says can be a 'gamechanger'. Picture Lachie Millard 'Or if you are the one opening up, start by asking if someone can just listen.' The father-of-six, and R U OK? ambassador, said there were many reasons why people felt reluctant to share issues with family members. Younger people often worried that a parent would interfere, judge them or deliver a lecture. On the flip side, parents may fear being seen as a 'failure', or want to avoid using their children as 'therapists'. But he said positive communication across generations in families helped build connection. 'We need to equip families to talk about these topics because many struggle,' he said. 'The more we communicate with each other, the more we can develop trust, be vulnerable and sense when someone's okay or not. It's important to be intentional about these conversations because if you are staring at a screen and not each other, it's hard to pick up when someone needs help.' Half of parents of Gen Zs and Millenials are uncomfortable talking about their wellbeing. The Growth Distillery research found all topics were harder to talk about with someone in a different generation. But relationship issues topped the list, with more than half reluctant to share across age groups, followed by social pressures (52 per cent) and stress (49 per cent). Relationships Australia CEO Elisabeth Shaw said research showed 18 to 25-year-olds were one of the loneliest groups, and it was important they had someone 'safe' to talk to, whether it was a family member or not. 'Knowing that in their darkest times, young people have someone to talk to, is a huge protective factor for mental health and suicide,' she said. 'But if they feel shut down, dismissed or ridiculed by family, or if there's disinterest, then that hurts more than if it were a casual acquaintance. 'What's important is to talk to somebody who is trustworthy and open to your experience.' She said in many ways, today's young people had more in common with their parents than ever before, such as social media use, online dating and multiple romantic relationships. 'The clash happens when the younger generation feels shut down and misunderstood. A way to take that into account is to enter their world, rather than taking the approach of: 'Do it my way and follow my recommendations'.' Originally published as Three reasons parents and their millenial or Gen Z kids don't talk
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Parents in one Aussie state could be CHARGED for smacking their children
Parents in Queensland could soon face criminal charges for smacking their children as the state moves to potentially outlaw corporal punishment in the home. The Queensland Law Reform Commission (QLRC) is currently reviewing the state's Criminal Code, which provides a legal defence for parents, carers, and teachers who use physical discipline, so long as it is deemed 'reasonable'. The proposed changes aim to remove or significantly limit this defence, granting children the same legal protection from assault as adults. Under the new laws, any form of punishment that causes injury, such as striking with a wooden spoon or belt, would be outlawed. The use of any force on a child's head, face, or neck would also be explicitly banned. The review has been welcomed by more than 100 health and welfare experts, including the Daniel Morcombe Foundation and Bravehearts. Among the strongest advocates is Dr Justin Coulson, a parenting expert, father-of-six, and host of Happy Families, Australia's most downloaded parenting podcast. 'We have over 60 years of evidence showing that smacking is unhelpful,' Dr Coulson told Daily Mail Australia. 'It does not benefit children and is best avoided.' He explained that smacking operates on a 'dose-response' model, where outcomes worsen as smacking becomes more frequent or severe. 'The more often children are smacked, the worse the outcomes tend to be,' he said. Sunrise co-host Natalie Barr also weighed in on the smacking debate, expressing her support for the proposed reforms. 'As a mum of two, I hear the old arguments like, "We were hit as kids and turned out fine",' Barr said on Thursday's program. 'But those arguments don't really hold up anymore. We didn't have seatbelts either.' But social commentator Prue MacSween has criticised the move, describing the proposed law changes as an unnecessary intrusion into family life. 'No one condones extreme discipline that will harm a child,' she told this publication. 'But I came from a generation that got a smack on the backside when I deserved it and it hasn't caused long-term mental angst for me. These experts are confusing this form of parental discipline with corporal punishment or abuse.' MacSween said parents being unable to properly discipline their children had created a generation of children growing up with no boundaries or respect. 'Parents are being sidelined by these bloody intrusive do-gooders, probably the same people who have influenced our shocking education system that is churning out kids who don't even know the basics,' she said. Dr Coulson acknowledged the concerns about government overreach but said it had a role to protect children, a vulnerable group in society. 'Some will roll their eyes and say "It's just a tap,' but that 'tap' can become the default parenting tool,' he said. 'When smacking becomes the go-to method, it dulls a parent's ability to respond constructively. It can escalate - some parents begin to smack harder or more frequently.' The father-of-six said other countries had already passed similar laws. 'Around 67 countries have introduced legislation banning smacking to protect children,' Dr Coulson said. 'These nations have acknowledged the harm it causes - to relationships, academic performance, and mental health - and decided to take action.' The expert said some parents confused punishment with discipline. 'Usually, you can't solve the problem in the heat of the moment,' he said. 'First, you diffuse the situation. Then, when everyone is calm, you can address the issue constructively.'
