How do you know when your teen’s gaming habit levels-up from hobby to obsession? 

Once teens are on their gaming consoles, it can be really tough to get them to press pause. Even to go to the toilet, eat dinner or go to sleep. 

Bec Sparrow uncovers the red flags to look for if your teenager’s gaming is becoming obsessive, and gives you practical tips on how to turbo boost your tech and gaming boundaries. 

You pick up your teenager from a party, see wasted kids stumbling around, vomiting in bushes and you realise they’re no longer playing pin the tail on the donkey. 

How do we teach our kids to have a healthy relationship with alcohol? And is it ever okay to give your teen booze?  

In this Parental As Anything: Teens, Paul Dillon, the director of Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia, joins host Bec Sparrow to talk you through how to set boundaries, how to keep your child safe and what to do if your teen is asking for booze. 

From fancy drink bottles to the latest tech, teenagers want lots of stuff they (and you) can’t afford and don’t need.

So how can you push back from the constant barrage of demands? 

In this bite-sized Dear Bec episode, Bec Sparrow explains why giving teens what they want isn’t always good for them and that what they really crave, money can’t buy.  

OMG. You catch your teen hassling for nude pics. What the hell do you do?  

How to have those awkward conversations with your teenagers about sexting, consent and protecting yourself online.  

Teenage sex. Anxiety. Underage drinking. Porn. Phone addiction.  

Is your teenager stressed at school?  

Have they got a worrying porn habit?  

Are you having dramas with another parent who has different rules to you?  

In the new season of Parental As Anything: Teens, teen educator Bec Sparrow finds practical solutions for your teenage-sized problems and we want your questions!  

Parents of teen boys, we’re looking at you especially.  

Send an email to [email protected]

Brand new episodes coming soon, make sure you follow us on ABC Listen or your favourite podcast app.  

Nothing truly prepares you for becoming a parent, but some of the best advice comes from other mums or dads – even famous ones like Hamish Blake.

In this special episode, Maggie Dent hands the reins over to the Parental As Anything community for you to share your best parenting hacks. Even comedian Hamish Blake shares his top tip for keeping kids entertained.

The advice provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. If you require further advice specific to your needs, please consult a professional.

Starting high school is a massive change for both you and your tween. How do you get them ready and help them through the ups and downs of Year 7?

Youth coach Claire Eaton and Maggie Dent share their practical tips for the weeks before they start, routines to keep them on track and handling the rough patches.

The advice provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. If you require further advice specific to your needs, please consult a professional.

Like it or not, children will learn to swear from school, videos, even their parents. So what can you do to stop your child being a pottymouth? 

In this Help Me, Maggie episode Maggie Dent explains why children might swear, how to discourage them from using offensive words and what to say if you slip up and swear in front of them. 

The advice provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. If you require further advice specific to your needs, please consult a professional. 

• Host: Maggie Dent 
• Producer: Josie Sargent 
• Consulting Producer: Carmen Myler 
• Executive Producer: Kim Lester 
• Sound design: Isabella Tropiano 

Sleep deprivation is a silent epidemic among our teenagers, according to paediatric and adolescent sleep specialist, Dr Chris Seton.

With screen time, social media and gaming competing for our teenager's attention, sleep disruption is at an all-time high.

Dr Seton tells Maggie Dent about the devastating effects sleep deprivation has on our teenagers. From social, emotional and mental health problems to declining academic performance, it is a wake-up call for parents to make sleep a priority.

The advice provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. If you require further advice specific to your needs, please consult a professional.

Credits

Presenter: Maggie Dent

Producer: Maria Tickle

Executive producer: Monique Bowley

Consulting producer: Carmen Myler

Sound engineer: Nathan Turnbull

Field recordings: Rebecca McLaren

If your child is struggling to read or write, they may be among the 10 per cent of people who have dyslexia. What is it? How can it impact a child’s education, self-esteem and mental health? 

Maggie Dent speaks to Sarah Asome, a school principal and mum of dyslexic children, from advocacy group CodeREAD, and psychologist Dr Craig Wright from Understanding Minds. Together they discuss the signs of dyslexia, seeking a diagnosis and what parents can do to support their child at school and at home. 

The advice provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. If you require further advice specific to your needs, please consult a professional. 

• Host: Maggie Dent 
• Producer: Josie Sargent 
• Consulting Producer: Carmen Myler 
• Executive Producer: Kim Lester 
• Sound design: Isabella Tropiano 
• Field recordings: Rebecca McLaren