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Pop Culture Parenting

Pop Culture Parenting

juyi 154 Episodes Aug 24, 2026

This podcast looks for the sweet spot between parenting textbooks and real life. It is hosted by Dr Billy, a developmental paediatrician, and Nick, a parent learning as he goes, who talk honestly as two dads about the day-to-day realities of raising children. Iconic TV and cinema scenes from the 1980s and 1990s are used to frame Billy's practical parenting advice. Listeners are invited to subscribe and suggest which parenting topics and movie moments should be covered next.

Episodes

Anger and Lethal Weapon - Ep 136
Anger and Lethal Weapon - Ep 136 Aug 24, 2026 3962 Every parent knows the feeling. Your kid goes from zero to meltdown in seconds, over something that seems completely trivial. In this episode we use Lethal Weapon as our jumping-off point to explore what\'s actually happening in a child\'s brain when anger takes over. We talk about why children\'s brains are wired to detect and react to emotional triggers before they\'re wired to interpret them,
Anger Reflection - Ep 137
Anger Reflection - Ep 137 Aug 24, 2026 7482 The response to our anger episode was one of the most moving we have ever received. In this reflection we hear from parents who grew up around anger they couldn\'t name and are working hard not to repeat those patterns, from a dad who recognised himself in his own mother\'s rage during the most vulnerable weeks of early parenthood, from someone who works with young people in custody for whom ang
Healthy Habits Reflection - Ep 135
Healthy Habits Reflection - Ep 135 Jul 24, 2026 6399 Episode 135 is out now! Healthy habits reflection goes deep into the gap between the habits we want and the reality of our lives. We hear extraordinary listener stories, questions and advice. A music professional who survived her own real-life Fletcher and came out the other side with a powerful question about what we teach kids to normalise in the pursuit of excellence. A dad whose chaotic c
Healthy Habits and Whiplash - Ep 134
Healthy Habits and Whiplash - Ep 134 Jul 8, 2026 3823 Healthy habits. We all want them for our kids and for ourselves, but as Whiplash reminds us, the pursuit of improvement can sometimes drift into pressure, perfectionism and burnout. In this episode we explore what the science of habit formation actually tells us about lasting change, including why healthy habits are built more by our environments than our willpower, why people with strong self-con
The Arrival Of A Baby Reflection - Ep 133
The Arrival Of A Baby Reflection - Ep 133 Jun 25, 2026 6077 What an episode. We asked the PCP community and they delivered some of the most beautiful reflections and advice about the arrival of a baby. We answer question about feeling ready, repairing bonds, jealousy and the foundations of connection. We hear practical advice and phenomenal reflections from people who have overcome challenges that no one should have to. Thank you to everyone who shared t
The arrival of a baby and The Incredibles - 132
The arrival of a baby and The Incredibles - 132 Jun 16, 2026 4430 This one might seem like it\'s just for new parents but it\'s for all of us. There\'s no moment quite like a new baby. You\'re handed the most enormous responsibility of your life wrapped in a very small blanket. Using The Incredibles as our jumping-off point, we explore what a newborn actually needs from the people around them. Why responsiveness matters more than perfection, and what support r
Rewars and Punishments Reflection - Ep 131
Rewars and Punishments Reflection - Ep 131 Jun 3, 2026 6794 Rewards and punishments reflection goes deeply into how developmental theory and the evidence can be used in the real world to guide our kids. We hear amazing listener reflections, questions and advice including a mum whose seven year old caught her mid-bad-parenting and handled it better than she did, a dad fighting the daily battle between connection and control, and a teacher who runs a no-dete
Rewards, Punishment and Star Wars - Ep 130
Rewards, Punishment and Star Wars - Ep 130 May 21, 2026 3905 Rewards and punishments are a part of daily life for anyone supporting children, sometimes consciously but often without us even realising. In this episode we discuss the developmental psychology behind them, how it can help us to guide our kids to healthier choices and behaviours and where we might be caught out (\"it\'s a trap!\"). We want them to choose the light side of the force by understan
Chaos and Control Reflection - Ep 129
Chaos and Control Reflection - Ep 129 May 12, 2026 7376 Well this was a big one diving deeply into chaos and control. We go deep into the balance between chaos and control in family life, especially when anxiety, neurodivergence, and survival mode are in the mix. Through honest listener stories, questions and practical insights, we explore why control can feel safe, how to loosen it without everything falling apart, and how real balance comes from sa
Live Q&A: Supporting Neurodivergent Kids
Live Q&A: Supporting Neurodivergent Kids May 12, 2026 3819 From focus and sleep struggles to masking, emotional overwhelm, and feeling “different,” tonight we’re diving into how to support neurodivergent kids with a strengths-based, compassionate approach. This conversation builds on our recently released PCP Guides bundle on supporting neurodivergent kids, where we explore topics like attention and executive function (Finding Nemo), celebrating neurodiv
When to Worry Reflection - Ep 127.
When to Worry Reflection - Ep 127. Apr 15, 2026 7690 In this reflection episode we hear from so many parents & professionals about their worries regarding children they care for. We discuss early development, neurodiversity, teenagers, schools and the best practice approach to assessment and building support around kids. Thank you to every single person who sent in a message. We can only read a fraction but every message helps choose what we cov
Chaos, Control and Point Break - Ep 128
Chaos, Control and Point Break - Ep 128 Apr 15, 2026 4101 What a movie, what a topic! So much of life is the balance between chaos and control and mental illness Mental illness can present when we become either overwhelmed by unchecked emotion and unpredictability or constrained by rigid, overprotective attempts to stay safe. Just like riding waves children can learn how to successfully ride the waves of chaos and control in their lives with the right su

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