In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Kimberly Rich — a grief educator, death doula, end-of-life companion, and founder of Tomorrow Mourning. After the sudden loss of her mother in 2021, Kim dedicated her work to changing how we approach death, dying, and grief, with a strong focus on supporting children and families through loss.

We talk about why grief is a guaranteed part of life — and yet something we rarely prepare children (or adults) for. Kim shares why children often have a greater capacity to talk about grief than we give them credit for, and how avoiding the topic can actually create more fear and confusion.

This conversation explores the many forms grief can take — not just death, but also pet loss, divorce, moves, identity changes, and even parenting transitions. We dive into practical ways parents can support grieving children, especially when a pet dies, including how to model grief, invite (but not force) participation in rituals, and create space for kids to remember and share.

We also discuss the power of community in grief — why showing up matters long after the first few weeks, how to identify “safe people” for both parents and children, and why grief doesn’t need fixing — it needs witnessing.

This is an honest, gentle, and deeply human conversation that I truly believe every parent needs — not just when grief arrives, but long before it does.

You can connect with Dr. Kimberly Rich on Instagram at @tomorrowmourningllc or visit her work at Tomorrow Mourning.

If this episode resonated, I encourage you to listen with your child, or use it as a starting point for a conversation you may have been avoiding.

🇦🇺 Australia – Support Lines

Kids Helpline
📞 1800 55 1800
💬 Webchat & email available
👧🧒 Ages 5–25
🕒 24/7
Support for young people experiencing grief, loss, or emotional distress.
🔗 kidshelpline.com.au

Lifeline Australia
📞 13 11 14
💬 Online chat available
🕒 24/7
Support for adults, including parents navigating grief or supporting a grieving child.
🔗 lifeline.org.au

Beyond Blue
📞 1300 22 4636
💬 Webchat available
🕒 24/7
Support for anxiety, depression, and grief for adults and parents.
🔗 beyondblue.org.au

Headspace
👧🧒 Ages 12–25
💬 Online & in-centre support
Mental health support for young people, including grief and loss.
🔗 headspace.org.au

🇺🇸 United States – Support Lines

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
📞 Call or text 988
💬 Chat available
🕒 24/7
Support for anyone in emotional distress, including grief and loss.
🔗 988lifeline.org

Crisis Text Line
📱 Text HOME to 741741
🕒 24/7
Text-based support for teens and adults experiencing grief, overwhelm, or crisis.
🔗 crisistextline.org

The Dougy Center
👧🧒 Support for children, teens, and families grieving a death
Resources, groups, and education (not a crisis line, but excellent grief support).
🔗 dougy.org

National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG)
Resources for parents supporting grieving children.
🔗 childrensgrief.org

In this episode of Your Parent Coach, I’m joined by Teresa Ramirez — award-winning author of Raising Kind Children and founder of Journey in Kindness — for a powerful conversation about how kindness can quite literally save lives.

Teresa shares what led her to make reducing violence in schools her life’s work, and why kindness is not “soft” or passive, but a practical, evidence-based tool that shapes families, schools, and communities. We talk about the CEO of the family mindset, how parents model values whether they realise it or not, and why children must be involved in shaping the culture of kindness at home.

We dive into real, actionable strategies — from daily check-in questions that build trust, to helping kids understand the difference between people-pleasing and genuine kindness with boundaries. Teresa also shares why filling your own “kindness tank” matters (especially for burnt-out parents), and how small, intentional acts can create ripple effects far beyond what we can see.

This episode is a reminder that children may not remember every rule we set — but they will always remember how we made them feel.

Find Teresa and her book below:

https://www.journeyinkindness.com/

In this episode, I’m joined by someone very close to my heart — my sister-in-law, Taylor. Taylor is currently in high school and about to step into Year 11, so we decided to have a very real, very honest conversation about navigating high school from both sides.

We talk about what it’s actually like starting high school, making friends, feeling overwhelmed, and finding your way when everything feels new. Taylor shares what she wishes more parents understood about Year 7 — from friendships and timetables to pressure, kindness, and why asking for help matters more than people think.

Then we flip the script. Taylor asks me what to expect heading into Year 11 — socially, emotionally, and academically — and we unpack the pressure teens feel to “lock in,” grow up fast, and carry everything on their own.

This episode is for parents who want insight straight from a teen, and for teens who need reassurance that they’re not behind, broken, or doing it wrong. It’s also a great one to listen to together.

You’re going to be okay. And you don’t have to do this alone.

In this episode of Your Parent Coach, I’m joined by Safiya Omosanya, a mum of three and a trauma-informed cycle-breaking coach, for a deeply honest conversation about what it really means to break generational patterns.

Safiya shares how her middle daughter became the catalyst for her conscious parenting journey, and why learning to regulate herself first completely transformed her relationship with her children. We talk about why behaviour is often a mirror, not the problem, how triggers are powerful clues for healing, and why kids need emotionally regulated caregivers more than perfect strategies.

This conversation is compassionate, real, and incredibly validating, especially if you didn’t receive a healthy parenting blueprint growing up. Safiya also shares practical nervous system tools parents can start using right away, including Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), and why repair, accountability, and self-work are the foundations of safe connection.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, triggered, or like you’re repeating patterns you swore you wouldn’t - this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen with an open heart, and know that growth starts with awareness, not shame.

You can connect with Safiya on Instagram at @safiya_thecyclebreakingmom.

Connect with me @melwhiteparentcoach on IG and follow the podcast @yourparentcoachpodcast on IG

In this episode of Your Parent Coach, I’m joined by Stacey Schaffer — a child, adolescent, and young adult therapist with over 20 years’ experience supporting families through grief, trauma, and anxiety.

Stacey brings both professional insight and lived experience to this conversation, and we talk about what children carry in their bodies long before they have words for it, why behaviour is often a signal (not the problem), and how being “perfect” has never been the goal of parenting.

We also explore why parents don’t need the right words, how presence matters more than advice, and why worrying about your parenting is often a sign that you deeply care. This episode is a reminder that healing happens through humanity, not perfection — and that generational change begins with parents who are willing to show up and listen.

Links:

Find Stacy here: https://stacyschaffer.com/

Get her book: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Childrens-Therapist-lessonsihavelearnedalongtheway-ebook/dp/B0F5N6V1YK

If you would like to be a guest on this podcast please email mel@melwhiteparentcoach.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode of Your Parent Coach, I’m joined by Leora Aksman-Glosz and Oriana Blanco from reconnect 2thrive — two deeply experienced practitioners who bring over 35 years of combined experience supporting children, families, and educators.

This conversation is a beautiful reminder that parenting isn’t about fixing behaviour and it’s about understanding what sits underneath it.

This episode is for parents who want to understand their children more deeply, feel less alone in the hard moments, and be reminded that connection is built through small, consistent & human moments.

You can find Leora and Oriana at reconnect2thrive:

Website: https://reconnect2thrive.com.au/

Instagram & Facebook: @reconnect2thrive

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with another parent who might need it, and don’t forget to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future conversations.

If you want to be on an episode or request a guest email - mel@melwhiteparentcoach.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Your Parent Coach — and welcome to 2026. I honestly can’t believe I’m saying that.

In this short episode, I wanted to gently ease us back into the year together. Not to reflect or set goals, but to pause, take a breath, and acknowledge just how intense the Christmas–New Year period can be when you’re parenting tweens and teens.

If you’re feeling exhausted, flat, overstimulated, or emotionally drained right now, I want you to know this straight away: you are not alone. What you’re feeling is valid, real, and incredibly common — especially coming off the back of school holidays, summer heat, disrupted routines, and the mental load that so often falls on parents.

This episode is my way of being that calm voice in the background, reminding you to slow down, recognise what you’ve carried, and give yourself credit for getting through it.

I also share what’s coming in 2026 — including exciting guests, parent interviews, the launch of my Curious Parenting Community, and a sneak peek into a book I’m currently writing specifically for mums parenting teenagers.

• Why the post-holiday season can feel so heavy as a parent
• The mental load of summer school holidays (especially here in Australia)
• Why you deserve recognition for making it through Christmas and New Year
• How to start thinking about lightening your load instead of carrying it all
• The launch of the Curious Parenting Community on Skool
• What The Curious Parenting Method™ is — and why it’s designed specifically for tweens and teens
• Why adolescence is the phase where parents need more support, not less
• What I have planned for 2026 — including my upcoming book

I invite you to pause and ask yourself:

• How full is my cup right now?
• What have I done for me lately?
• Who am I letting support me?

You don’t need to burn yourself out before the school year even begins. This phase of parenting was never meant to be done alone and I’m here to support.

• Join the Curious Parenting Community.
• Website: www.melwhiteparentcoach.com
• Instagram: @melwhiteparentcoach
• Youtube - watch eps.

If you’ve been listening for a while, thank you. I truly appreciate you showing up each week — it means more than you know.

If this episode resonated, I’d love for you to share it with one other parent who might need some support or just a new perspective.

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow the podcast, and you can now watch episodes on YouTube as well.

I’ll chat to you again very soon 💛

— Mel

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this very timely episode of Your Parent Coach, I’m joined by Melbourne-based conscious parenting mentor and mindfulness practitioner Kavita Patidar. As a mother of two, Kavita brings a deeply intuitive, grounded, and compassionate lens to raising children in a world filled with screens, social media, and constant digital noise.

Together, we explore how to protect childhood, nurture emotional resilience, and build a stronger inner world in our kids, one that isn’t shaped by algorithms but by connection, presence, and creativity.

With school holidays approaching, this conversation couldn’t come at a better time. Kavita shares practical tools, rituals, screen strategies, and creative alternatives that help families slow down, reconnect, and reclaim the magic of childhood.

Listen before December 10th! The Social Media Delay is coming - be prepared on how to support your tween/teen.

Link to join our Whatsapp support group for Mum's for FREE: https://chat.whatsapp.com/EgoNS8qkcPR1LPVFKXJINH

Follow me on IG: @melwhiteparentcoach & @yourparentcoachpodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.