Rnz: It Takes A Village

The Japanese bonsai - a "perfect little tree" that thrives only with lots and lots of care - is a good metaphor for children raised to be reliant on high levels of support, says clinical psychologist Judith Locke. Despite their parents' best intentions, 'Bonsai children' learn to expect that it's other people who'll make them happy and successful, she tells Susie Ferguson.

Learning to manage difficult feelings is the biggest job of childhood. says psychologist Angela North, and kids need a parent's help to do this. Along with Dr Steven Mackenzie, Angela has written the new book Mindfulness At Play - a guide to help adults be in the moment with a child's emotional experience.

Kathryn talks with parenting coach and education consultant Joseph Driessen about parents can help their children develop independent learning habits.

Declining regular school attendance has been the focus of a lot of political debate here, and in term one last year only 46 percent of students reached the benchmark for regular attendance. It's also a hot topic across the Tasman where a Senate inquiry is looking into the problem in Australian schools. Michael Hawton is an Australian registered psychologist, a former school teacher and the founder of Parentshop which is a resource hub for parents, educators and child family specialists. He says school leaders report that student anxiety is a most significant concern and it is having an impact on them staying away from school.

There's nothing wrong with dyslexic people, they just need help to navigate a world wired for language processors rather than visual thinkers, says retired psychologist Laughton King. He says parents and teachers need to focus on helping dyslexic kids rather than sabotaging their learning.

Watching your teenager get behind the wheel can be nerve-wracking for any parent, but neuroplasticity educator and parenting expert Nathan Wallis has some suggestions to make it slightly less scary for all concerned.

Māori academic Linda Tuhiwai Smith tells Kathryn Ryan she often cried while writing her new series of therapeutic storybooks for kids.

Parents determined to protect their children from life's everyday challenges can inadvertently stifle their emotional development, says clinical psychologist and mother of two Jacqui Maguire.

The newly developed Common Practice Model is going to inform how literacy and maths is taught in primary and secondary schools in the coming years. But what does that mean, and what are the teaching principles behind it? Work carried out by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research was used by the Ministry of Education to develop the common-practice model. Kathryn speaks to Mohamed Alansari, a senior researcher at the New Zealand Council for Educational Research.

As the school holidays near an end and term 2 is about to begin, many children have their friend groups sorted, others are still finding their feet. Today we're talking about loneliness at school and how to survive lunchtime. Ellie Gwilliam is a content editor and presenter for Parenting Place and the mother of three daughters. Parenting Place is a charity sharing resources for parents, and offering family coaching and courses.

Author and parenting coach Maggie Dent shares advice for parents who are wondering what to do when their child only wants them or your co-parent to do things for them.

Advice for parents with children experiencing feeding challenges - when it's more than just "fussy eating". Rebecca Barnard is a Christchurch based Occupational Therapist whose private practice supports children who have a range of complications that impact their ability to eat, try new foods, and enjoy mealtimes. These could be phyiscal, sensory or psychological. How should parents identify they're in challenging territory - what are strategies to resolve feeding challenges, and what help is available?

Parents can help their teenage children avoid patterns of emotional overreaction, says psychologist Michael Hawton. His new book The Anxiety Coach is a guide for parents on how to help young people manage their emotions and develop resilience.

The average Kiwi child first encounters internet porn at 12. To prevent the unsafe and unrealistic sex depicted in porn from being normalised for a child, therapist Jo Robertson recommends parents offer contrasting information a couple of years beforehand.

What are parents or caregivers to do when there's not much left in the tank? Not being too hard on yourself is a good start, says clinical psychologist Karen Nimmo.

Motivated by the isolation many tamariki were feeling during the lockdown, child psychologists Sarika Rona and Lisa Cherrington wanted to write a book to help tamariki with the emotional challenges of separation. Their new picture book The Awhi Warrior is about Teina, a little boy who is upset that he can't visit his Nanny Mihi and give her an awhi, a hug, during lockdown. Together they explore the power of the atua, the gods of te ao Maori, and Teina learns he can connect with his ancestors and the spiritual world to feel supported and loved. Kathryn speaks with Sarika Rona, an educational psychologist and co-author of the book.

Upside Youth Mentoring has been operating for 16 years predominantly in the Auckland region. It runs programmes for at risk children aged 9 to 13 and matches them up with volunteer mentors. Jenny Horst is the CEO of Upside Youth Mentoring Aotearoa and she says the mentors help young people to navigate life's difficulties.

Dr Jean Annan is an educational psychologist and has worked as a university lecturer, researcher and a teacher. Her new book is '7 Dimensions: Children's Emotional Well-being' which is a simple framework for adults to make sense of the abundance of information about young people's thoughts and feelings.

Tired parents hoping to train newborns to sleep through the night need to adjust their expectations, parenting expert and neuroscience educator Nathan Wallis says.

Wellbeing and emotions facilitator Cat Levine talks to Kathryn about recognising and dealing with children with back to school anxiety . Also the impact the Auckland flooding has had on thousands of pupils and students.