The Side of Justin Coulson You Don’t Usually Hear (Happy Birthday Dr J!)

Behind the parenting advice is a dad, a husband, a son and a grandad who’s still learning as he goes.

For Justin Coulson’s birthday, Kylie takes the microphone and asks the questions we don’t usually hear on the Happy Families podcast. From the grandmother who made him feel like the favourite to the moment he burst into tears at the news he was becoming a grandad, Justin shares the memories, mistakes and moments that shaped him.

He also reveals the question from one father that changed the way he thinks about parenting. It’s a reminder that being a better parent starts with looking at ourselves.

KEY POINTS

• The childhood memories and family relationships that shaped Justin

• The overwhelming joy of becoming a grandfather

• Why his enthusiasm for research is sometimes mistaken for arrogance

• The parenting question he’s never forgotten

• The hard-won lessons behind his books

• What he hopes to achieve in the year ahead

QUOTE OF THE EPISODE

“How do I be the father that my son needs me to be?”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Happy Families: https://happyfamilies.com.au

• Justin Coulson’s parenting books

ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS

• Ask yourself what kind of parent your child needs you to be right now.

• Think about the parenting habits you inherited from your own parents. Which ones do you want to keep, and which ones do you want to change?

• Give yourself permission to keep learning. Even the experts have lessons they learn the hard way.

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