In this episode of #alwayschildfocused: Questions, we invited Michele Silver from The Mediation Team back to the podcast to discuss the benefits of mediation for your children. This very earnest episode may include some challenging ideas for separating parents however this is an episode that we believe is so important for an #alwasychildfocused approach to post separation parenting.

In this episode of #alwayschildfocused: Questions, we invited Michele Silver from The Mediation Team to chat with Ben & Jakki about how mediation works and why it can be a more advantageous approach for separating parents. This is a fascinating podcast about an often times misunderstood approach to Family Dispute Resolution that every parent traversing the family court process should listen to.

This was destined to be a super-fun episode of #alwayschildfocused: Questions and it did not disappoint! We were thrilled to have Sav, the professor and owner of Gracie Jiu Jitsu Botany and Vicki - both of whom fit into that special category of human being who have a passion for coaching children as well as children with additional needs.   Gracie Botany is just around the corner from our head office and even from the outside - looks like one of the happiest places in Sydney (Sav at left and Christian at right in the image) .   What does jiu jitsu have to do with children? Everything as you will discover listening to this laughter filled podcast. With outcomes that include confidence building and resilience whilst incorporating a team environment - this is a sport and self defence that both parents and children can build on for life.   Sav and Vicki have promised to return to the podcast soon and we honestly can't wait!   Find out more info about Gracie Botany, jiu jitsu and self-defence at www.graciebotany.com.au

Our Service Manager Jakki happened across the Inspiraminds stall at a local weekend markets recently and within a few minutes she invited Dominique onto the podcast to discuss her passion. You’ll only have to listen for 60 seconds to be as captivated as we were.   Inspiraminds provides a series of books to support children’s understanding of big feelings and emotional regulation. Now we think you’ll agree that a fair amount of adults have trouble regulating their emotions so why wouldn't we want to support our children to be better at it?     What an amazing skill to learn! And with characters like Raging Riley, Claudia Cool, Sensitive Sam and Pressured Penny (hey! Stop thinking about the people you went to school with who might be like these characters and focus!!) we think this is an invaluable resource for any parent of pre-school and primary school aged children.   Find more information about Dominique and Inspiraminds at www.inspiraminds.com

Of all the important responsibilities our Service Manager Jakki has in her role, the most important is with the child. Right after that is having a close working relationship with Independent Children's Lawyers (ICLs) who are often appointed by the court to represent the child throughout family court matters.   In this episode we had the great privilege to have Julie Shedden as our guest - with her decades of experience in family law that includes working as a family lawyer, an ICL and a Family Court Registrar - and we were going to make the most of this unique opportunity.   Jakki was able to ask Julie questions about what the role of an ICL is and how she approaches her role with immense diligence to protect children she is representing. Family Law is filled with unique roles that support the court in making their determinations and we are grateful to Julie for sharing her passion and expertise with us and our families.

Pamela Cominos, Principal of Cominos Family Lawyers joins us in this straight to the point, no nonsense episode about the role of family lawyers.   Benefit from Pamela's decades of experience in this episode as she outlines what family lawyers should want for their clients and their children. According to Pamela, a good family lawyer will be a peacemaker who is able to tell their clients 'the kind truth' when it comes to children.   So whilst this could be challenging listening for some parents - it also features some incredibly valuable content from an expert in her field so make the effort!   For more information about Pamela and Cominos Family Lawyers visit http://cominosfamilylawyers.com.au

On this podcast one of our Wollongong contact workers Leanne join us to discuss visits in Wollongong library. Great for all ages, Wollongong library has lots of quiet places and great opportunities for children to build their relationship with the parent they don’t live with. A great wet weather option for Wollongong visits - make sure you have a listen

Central Coast Contact Worker Debbie joins the #alwayschildfocused podcast to talk about her experience doing visits in Tuggerah Westfield. Starting out with Iplay (formerly known as Timezone) for air hockey followed by food and drink at some of the cafes (or more likely McDonald’s) which kid of any age doesn’t want to spend time with the visiting parent here?

Leanne join us again on the alwayschildfocused podcast to discuss Thirroul Park north of the Wollongong CBD. The park boasts new play equipment including a flying fox (always a winner!), access to the beach (ankles only) and a short walk from some great cafes for some snacks. This is the perfect location for children to have nice bonding experiences with the parent they don’t live with and demonstrates why community based visits provide more opportunities for varied experiences.

Contact Worker Debbie joins the #alwayschildfocused podcast again, this time to discuss visits at the picturesque Lions Park in Woy Woy - complete with pelicans. Perfect for outdoor picnics and playing ball games, there is also opportunity for fishing for an organised visiting parent! Fishing with your child? Yes please!

This episode is an absolute must listen to for any parent going through separation. This is the ultimate #alwayschildfocused episode   This episode introduces our Assistant Service Manager Natalie - our highly skilled and experienced child and family therapist. Nat drops by to discuss with Jakki the effects of separation on children, some of the signs to look out for and how parents can support their child through separation and contact visits. Also in this episode Nat names two books that she strongly recommends to parents going through separation and as promised here are there details and where to buy them:   'Living Between Mum and Dad' by Melanie Walsh - available on Amazon Australia   'My Parents are Separating and I am Whole' by Andrea Seidel - available on Bookdepository

Jakki and Sam return to support parents who are about to read their first report and as Jakki mentions right at the top of the podcast - it can be confronting for both parents. So this podcast is really about validating those common emotions that parents feel when they read their first report, with Jakki and Sam discussing how you should process those feelings and what supports parents can put in place to manage those emotions and prepare for the next visit.   Holding Hands recommends families who have completed their first visit listen to this podcast while they are waiting for their report.

First visits are challenging for everyone. For the visiting parent there are the nerves and excitement in the lead up to the day; for the residential parent there may be anxiety about being separated from your child for a few hours and of course we know from research that children pick up on their parents emotions.   Jakki and Sam are back in this episode to guide you through these emotions - and it's important to recognise that you are experiencing these emotions as that is a positive first step.   Holding Hands recommends families who have completed the intake process and are commencing visits to listen to this podcast.

Child Familiarisation Sessions are an important part of the intake process at Holding Hands and should form a part of children's contact visits. These sessions are the first time your child and the parent they live with have to meet your allocated contact worker. This opportunity to start building trust often decreases any anxiety a child has in the lead up to their first contact visit - which we think all parents would agree is incredibly important.   Join Jakki, Sam and Ben as they discuss this all important pre visit session and the benefits it has for your child as they commence contact visits.   Parents who have completed their intake assessments and have a child familiarisation session scheduled with Holding Hands are strongly recommended to listen to this podcast

Intake Assessments at Holding Hands are conducted by our Senior Contact Workers which is why Jakki is introducing one of our Senior Contact Workers Sam on to the podcast. Take the opportunity to be introduced to sam as she explains why we do intake assessments and what happens during an intake assessment .   This episode is highly recommended for parents who are about to have their intake assessment interviews with Holding Hands.

Perfect for parents who have courts orders for supervised contact or those families making their initial enquiries with contact service providers. Get to know our Service Manager Jakki as she discusses what contact is and how community based children's contact visits are facilitated at Holding Hands.   This episode is strongly recommended for parents who have just received court orders for contact visits or have agreed to contact visits in mediation or as part of a parenting agreement.