1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: It's the Happy Families Podcast. It's the podcast for the 2 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: time poor parent who just once answers Now. 3 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 2: A lot of the good parenting messages which we talk 4 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 2: about now is framed around how we can communicate and 5 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 2: become better communicators, as well as understanding kids' motivations and 6 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:23,479 Speaker 2: also as well as understanding how families operate. 7 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: And now here's the stars of our show, my mum 8 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 1: and Dad. 9 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 3: Every now and again on the Happy Families Podcast, we 10 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 3: get to make big announcements. We get to share things 11 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,200 Speaker 3: with you that we think are going to be really 12 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 3: really interesting for you and have significant ramifications for the 13 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 3: way that we do business in the way that we 14 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 3: try to help your family to be happier. Today, one 15 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,919 Speaker 3: of those conversations is going to happen, and I'm really 16 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:49,520 Speaker 3: excited to be able to introduce you to Michael Gross. 17 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 3: Michael has for the last thirty odd years been involved 18 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 3: in parenting education around Australia and even overseas. He's written 19 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 3: a handful of books and run a business called Parenting Ideas. 20 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 3: Michael's been well acquainted with parents throughout the nation for 21 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 3: a very long time and he joined me on the 22 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 3: Happy Families Podcast today Michael, thanks for joining me. 23 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 2: That's a pleasure justin thanks for having me on. 24 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 3: I'm really curious, Michael, what were the big issues that 25 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 3: parents worried about most back in the nineteen nineties when 26 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 3: this all began. 27 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 2: It was behavior. It was how do I get my 28 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 2: kids to behay? Was the big issue. So I guess 29 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 2: back then parenting was code for managing kids. You know, 30 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 2: I'm going to a parenting seminar. Oh, you're going to 31 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 2: to a seminar to learn how to manage the kids. 32 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:39,320 Speaker 2: And there's a reason for that, because society then undergone 33 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 2: a huge shift. So right up to the early seventies 34 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 2: or mid seventies, we lived in a hierarchical society, which 35 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 2: was sort of, you know, member up there when we 36 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 2: were down there. Adults were up there. Kids were down there, 37 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 2: and that's why we legally hit them in schools, and 38 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 2: that's why, you know, sort of corporate punishment was around. 39 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 2: And then there was a a huge shift, a huge 40 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 2: shift in the seventies and into the eighties, and parents 41 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:09,799 Speaker 2: and school and teachers had been left behind. So suddenly 42 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 2: it was no longer corporal punishment anymore. No longer wasn't 43 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 2: hierarchical respect, because respect used to be hierarchical. Come on, 44 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 2: you respect your elders, you know you call you call 45 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 2: them auntie and uncle and all the rest of it. 46 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 2: And you call your teacher mister and missus. So very 47 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 2: much that hierarchical society. And then there was a shift 48 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:32,960 Speaker 2: into a more flat earth, and teachers struggled with the 49 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 2: whole notion of behavior management, and parents did too, so 50 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 2: a lot of their tools were taken away, which was 51 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 2: largely coercion or however else do you go to do 52 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:45,359 Speaker 2: this sort of thing? And how do I get my 53 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 2: kids to cooperate? And what it actually had shifted really 54 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 2: was the notion of respect. Now longer was it hierarchical respect. 55 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 2: It was more mutual respect. We've got to treat each 56 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:59,359 Speaker 2: other respectfully. So if you know back in the day, 57 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 2: back in the Ford from fifties and sixties, that a 58 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 2: parent could be fairly mean to a child under the 59 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 2: name of I'm the parent, I'm a hierarchic, I'm doing 60 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 2: this for your best interest, I'm making the decisions, and 61 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:14,959 Speaker 2: so by and large that would fit, that would work. 62 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 2: That approach didn't work in the late eighties because a 63 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 2: whole bunch off happened in our society and so teachers 64 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,959 Speaker 2: and parents, Parents in particular really struggled. So when we 65 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 2: when I worked at Monash and Out, we called it 66 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 2: the Monash Parent Teacher Education Center. We had hundreds and 67 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 2: hundreds of people come to our courses up there, and 68 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 2: it was all about how do I get my kids 69 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 2: to cooperate with each other and how do I how 70 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 2: do I how do I discipine my kids. So of 71 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 2: course what we talked about then was the notion of consequences, 72 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 2: so as a lot of it was natural consequences, logical 73 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 2: consequences as well, so that was a big issue. Sibling 74 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 2: riberry was a big issue. And if you're raising teens, 75 00:03:56,720 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 2: and I remember this very very vividly, the biggest issue 76 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 2: for teens with around teams with drugs and parenting was 77 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 2: it was a fear bit of money around in schools 78 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 2: and at that time linked to drugs. So if you 79 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 2: and the thoughts were that if you can create a safe, 80 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 2: happy family, kids are less likely to take hard drugs 81 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 2: as they move on, and so there was that link there, 82 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,040 Speaker 2: So that was a huge issue. You always had to 83 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:28,839 Speaker 2: address that. So yeah, it was that's probably the number one. 84 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 2: And my first presentation which I used to used to 85 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 2: run in the nineties was called Devils, Darlings and Discipline 86 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 2: and it worked gangbusters. It was better my first topic. 87 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:46,279 Speaker 2: My first topic was parenting the primary school child, and 88 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 2: people stay stayed away in droves. As soon as I 89 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 2: changed that to Devils, Darlings and Discipline, it worked well 90 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 2: and I used to talk about the nation more about 91 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 2: focusing on yourself was parent So a lot of parents 92 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 2: struggled to get cooperation from the kids. They're always telling 93 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 2: the kids what to do. And the notion of Adlerian psychology, 94 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,560 Speaker 2: which was the psychology which we learned at Monash, was 95 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:13,840 Speaker 2: that you don't tell kids what to do, you focus 96 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 2: on yourself, which is an interesting notion. So it's a 97 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:21,719 Speaker 2: flip and it's a really it's more a communication method 98 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 2: and how do we communicate to get what we want 99 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 2: with kids? And as you've seen over the journey, a 100 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 2: lot of what we talk about is how do you 101 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 2: communicate with the kids, how do you get messages across 102 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 2: how do you talk to your teenager so that your 103 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:38,039 Speaker 2: teenager will listen rather than tell. So you know, a 104 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:41,599 Speaker 2: lot of the good paroding messages, which we talk about 105 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 2: now is framed around how we can communicate and become 106 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 2: better communicators, as well as understanding kids' motivations and also 107 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 2: as well as understanding how families operate. And I guess 108 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 2: if there's one shift that I've noticed in the time 109 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 2: is way back then, it was more parenting was more 110 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 2: family focused. There was a lot of people who came 111 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 2: to our courses, and when I ran my own courses 112 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 2: and wrote a lot of it was about, Hey, you 113 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:13,080 Speaker 2: can get your family to gel, how you can decrease 114 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 2: sibling rivalry. That's always an issue, that's a golden issue 115 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:21,040 Speaker 2: which continues to this day. But how do you get 116 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:23,279 Speaker 2: your family to gel? Do you? And how do you 117 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 2: get it all together? And that's been a massive shift 118 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:34,479 Speaker 2: because and my research project for my masters but then 119 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 2: was looking at family size, and I noticed that parenting 120 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:46,360 Speaker 2: changed when size changed. So families with four kids, it 121 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 2: was very much a group based parenting. We're all in 122 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 2: this together. If there was a discipline issue, while we're 123 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 2: all going home, we're a going to miss out because 124 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 2: you're messed up. Mum and dad were less likely to 125 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 2: be involved in the minutia of kids' lives, and so 126 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 2: those kids had more space away from psychological space. If 127 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 2: you had two kids, all less, parenting was very much 128 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 2: an individual endeavor. Mum and dad would say, I'm parenting 129 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 2: you John, and I'm parenting you Mary. And I'm disciplining 130 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 2: you John, I'm discipling you you Mary. So it was 131 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 2: very much more individual parenting. And that's common sense because 132 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 2: because the more kids you have, and you know this, 133 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 2: the more kids you have, the more you give them space, 134 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 2: the more you know about you don't know every little 135 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 2: thing which has happened, and you're more concerned about making 136 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 2: the family jail. So what's happened since I started is 137 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 2: we've dropped a kid off the We've we've dropped one 138 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 2: child has dropped off the off the perch. In other words, 139 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 2: when my parents raised raised me back in the fifties 140 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 2: and early sixties, the mean number of children in families 141 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 2: was four. That was in nineteen sixty one. When I 142 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:02,040 Speaker 2: had my kids in the eighties, the mean number of 143 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 2: kids was three. Now we know in families the mean 144 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:08,160 Speaker 2: number of kids is too, So over generations we've dropped 145 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 2: off one and now we've moved away from a more 146 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 2: family centric to a child centric way of parenting, and 147 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 2: that's neither good nor bad, it just is. But that's 148 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 2: been a shift, a definite shift. 149 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 3: After the break, we're going to talk a little bit 150 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 3: more about these trends and how things have changed, and 151 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 3: also find out what Michael's most proud of after thirty 152 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 3: years of parenting education. 153 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:34,559 Speaker 1: It's their Happy Families podcast. 154 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 3: For a happier family, Try a Happy Families membership, because 155 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:41,840 Speaker 3: a happy family doesn't just happen. Details at happy families 156 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:45,800 Speaker 3: dot com dot au. It's the Happy Famili's podcast, the 157 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 3: podcast for the time or parent who just wants answers? 158 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 3: Now hanging out today with Michael Gross from Parenting Ideas 159 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 3: celebrating the best part of thirty years as a parenting educator. 160 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 3: I just thought, what a fascinating story to hear a 161 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:00,960 Speaker 3: school teacher who's ended up a university doing a master's 162 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,080 Speaker 3: to become a better educator, who leaves education entirely to 163 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 3: start helping parents and families, and thirty years down the track, 164 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:09,880 Speaker 3: we're looking at those big issues that used to exist. 165 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 3: As I'm thinking about all the things you've talked about, Michael, 166 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:14,559 Speaker 3: and so many things that i'd love to pick up on, 167 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:18,080 Speaker 3: but timing is going to get away from us. I'd 168 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:19,680 Speaker 3: love to know what are you most proud of when 169 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:22,319 Speaker 3: you think about the last thirty years as as somebody 170 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 3: who's helping families. 171 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 2: That's a really good question. There's the things. There's the 172 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 2: ego things that you're sort of proud of and the 173 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 2: success that tick the box. And there's also the sort 174 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:36,960 Speaker 2: of legacy and things. I'll actually touch on a couple 175 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 2: of those. I was really proud to have been the 176 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 2: first person to conduct a perenting seminar in federal politicians 177 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:46,960 Speaker 2: in Parliament House in two thousand and four, which was 178 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 2: a real whop, a really great experience, and then we 179 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 2: conducted I kicked off a tour and Australian tour which 180 00:09:55,120 --> 00:10:01,040 Speaker 2: was fairly funded, where we traveled around Australia parenting seminars 181 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 2: back in two thousand and four and that was a 182 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:06,720 Speaker 2: great experience and that's something which is and hap me 183 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:08,680 Speaker 2: to grow as a person as well because we got 184 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:11,920 Speaker 2: in front of so many different audiences. I also love 185 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:15,559 Speaker 2: the fact that we for about six years we do 186 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:19,440 Speaker 2: an annual tour in the UK and spoke there and 187 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:24,600 Speaker 2: that was fascinating because we went from places such as Petersley, 188 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:28,079 Speaker 2: which is where Billy Elliott was filmed, which was very 189 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 2: low socio economic through to top end private schools as 190 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:35,960 Speaker 2: well and talking to parents there. So they were fascinating experiences, 191 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 2: so from an experiential point of view, and I've been 192 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 2: really fortunate to have a broad breadth of experiences. I 193 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 2: guess the thing you're proud of is you know, you'll 194 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 2: always love the fact that the work you do has meaning. 195 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:55,320 Speaker 2: And I think I've been able to sort of be 196 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:58,920 Speaker 2: on the pulse of raising kids for a long period 197 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 2: of time and I've probably influenced you do. When you're 198 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:07,959 Speaker 2: right about how you raise kids, you're certainly influencing people 199 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 2: in a positive way. And I guess that probably the 200 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 2: nicest thing. I know, it's a weird thing to say, 201 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 2: but when I look at my own three kids, and 202 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:19,600 Speaker 2: I've got kids, you know, in all in their mid thirties, 203 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:22,320 Speaker 2: they've all got kids, one has two, one has three, 204 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:24,560 Speaker 2: one has two, and they're all doing pretty well. They 205 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 2: do it in their own way and so and they're 206 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:31,600 Speaker 2: all they don't take advice from me, but they do 207 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:35,440 Speaker 2: listen as well, so which is could they probably take 208 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:38,880 Speaker 2: more practical parenting, advice from the from from their mother 209 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,800 Speaker 2: or my wife who is a terrific hands on parent. 210 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:44,440 Speaker 2: So and that's that's nice. And I've been able to 211 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 2: sort of maintain that relationship, not in a dominating way, 212 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:50,360 Speaker 2: but they actually looked at some of the ideas which 213 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,559 Speaker 2: I've had and sort of put them into practice. So yeah, 214 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 2: lots of things. It's very fortunate to be able to 215 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:01,200 Speaker 2: talk and write about something which is meaningful, something which 216 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:04,679 Speaker 2: is ethical, and something which probably leaves a legacy which 217 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:07,319 Speaker 2: I'll never see. But it's a nice thing. But most 218 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 2: people in their jobs do a good job and they 219 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 2: don't see the results of it as well. Because the 220 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 2: person when you walk into the shop and you say 221 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:17,200 Speaker 2: something nice to them, if you're the shopkeeper and they 222 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:19,079 Speaker 2: walk out with a smile on their face, that's a 223 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 2: trivic legacy as well. So we all want to sort 224 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:24,040 Speaker 2: of have a positive impact on others. So I guess 225 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:26,920 Speaker 2: that's the proudest thing. Michael. Our time is up. 226 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:28,800 Speaker 3: We need to wrap things up, but just before we do, 227 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:33,800 Speaker 3: thank you for sharing your experiences, your insights, your memories, 228 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 3: your recollections of some thirty ish years of parent education. 229 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 3: I mentioned at the beginning of the podcast, there's some 230 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:43,600 Speaker 3: major news that we were going to share at the 231 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 3: conclusion of our conversation. 232 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:47,680 Speaker 2: Would you like to share it? Thank you? Justin I will. 233 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:53,200 Speaker 2: I began a company called Pounding Ideas ninety eight I 234 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:56,400 Speaker 2: think it was, and it's been my baby, my pride 235 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 2: and joy. We've grown it over the years and we 236 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:01,520 Speaker 2: work a lot with school as well, so we have 237 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 2: schools memberships as well as talking with mums and dads. 238 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:07,960 Speaker 2: And I've reached the stage and age in my life 239 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 2: where it's time to move on and do other things. 240 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:13,840 Speaker 2: What do you do with Parenting Ideas? But what you 241 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:16,800 Speaker 2: do with Parenting Ideas, which has got a terrific name 242 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:20,080 Speaker 2: for quality parenting education, is you look for someone who 243 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:24,560 Speaker 2: has the experience, expertise and credibility to take it over. 244 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:28,520 Speaker 2: And that person happens to be the person who's running 245 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 2: this podcast, which is doctor Justin Coulson. So yeah, we've 246 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 2: been working together for a while to make this happen. 247 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 2: So as of yesterday, Parenting Ideas is now under the 248 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 2: auspices of doctor Justin Coulson. Is that the news you're 249 00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 2: talking about? 250 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:46,319 Speaker 3: I think that might be the news. Yeah, So what 251 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 3: I really wanted to do was bring you on the 252 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 3: podcast and celebrate the great work and the legacy that 253 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:54,960 Speaker 3: you've created for parents in this country. I actually haven't 254 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:58,560 Speaker 3: shared this in the conversation yet, but I was a 255 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 3: high school graduate in nineteen ten, ninety three, and I 256 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 3: still remember around about that time my mum going to 257 00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:08,920 Speaker 3: air an affair on the New South Wales Central Coast 258 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 3: so that she could listen to a Michael Gross parenting 259 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:15,079 Speaker 3: seminar back in the early nineteen nineties, because I was 260 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 3: giving hers so much grief obviously that she. 261 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 2: Needed some help and help I believe that you were helpful. 262 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 3: She came away and was grateful for the opportunity that 263 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 3: she had to hear you and be involved. So you've 264 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 3: actually been a part of my life and my family's 265 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:32,480 Speaker 3: experience since the nineteen nineties at the very least. So 266 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 3: thank you for what you've done, thank you for the 267 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 3: legacy I've left, and thanks for trusting me with the 268 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 3: opportunity to take on parenting ideas and see what we 269 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 3: can do to grow that and make it part of 270 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 3: the happy family's family. 271 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 2: That's a pleasure. Thank you. I'm glad I know that 272 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 2: that ties things up, and that's what we talk about. 273 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 2: You just don't know who's sitting there in an audience 274 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 2: or reading your book or your article or whatever, who's 275 00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:57,400 Speaker 2: been touched by it. So lovely. Thank you, Thank you, Justin. 276 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:00,400 Speaker 3: And to our Happy Families podcast audience. Be a little 277 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 3: bit self indulgent to be sharing that news, and I 278 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 3: hope that you'll join with me in celebrating what has 279 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:12,160 Speaker 3: been a remarkable parenting education journey for Parenting Ideas and 280 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 3: Michael Gross really really honored and delighted to be able 281 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:17,720 Speaker 3: to take on the role of running that as well 282 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 3: as Happy Families. As always, the Happy Families podcast is 283 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 3: produced by Justin Rulan. 284 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:24,640 Speaker 2: And the executive producer is Craig Bruce. 285 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:27,320 Speaker 3: If you'd like more info about making a family happier, 286 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:29,360 Speaker 3: you can check out all the information that you need 287 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:32,480 Speaker 3: at Parenting Ideas dot com dot a you or Happy 288 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 3: Families dot com dot au.