CONNECTING WITH YOUR KIDS
This podcast is designed for busy parents seeking practical strategies and tools to support their children's development of essential life skills. Join Andy McNeilly and Ash Morphet as they share insights and straightforward ideas that can be implemented at home to foster a more connected and engaged family environment, while building strong relationships.
Andy's three books, "Connecting with Your Kids", "Connecting with Your Teens", and "Connecting with Your Students" are available for purchase online at https://andymcneilly.com.au.
This podcast is here to support and encourage you on your parenting journey. Our insights are based on personal experience and professional knowledge, but they’re not a substitute for medical, psychological, legal, or other professional advice. While we both work in education, the views we share are our own and not those of our employer. Every child and family is different, so please use your own judgment and seek professional guidance where needed. Listening to this podcast does not create a professional-client relationship.
If you have any questions or would like to make contact with us, here is our email address: cwykpodcast@gmail.com
CONNECTING WITH YOUR KIDS
Episode 12 - The Power of Being Energetic
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In this episode, we explore how being energetic helps children stay motivated, engaged, and positive in everyday life. Through practical ideas, relatable stories, and simple strategies, parents and carers will learn how to encourage healthy energy, enthusiasm, and active participation at home and school.
Being energetic isn’t just about being busy — it’s about approaching life with excitement, curiosity, and a willingness to have a go. When children develop positive energy, they often become more confident, resilient, and ready to embrace new challenges.
In this very real world, good doesn't drive out evil. Evil doesn't drive out good. But the energetic displaces the passive.
SPEAKER_00Welcome to Connecting with Your Kids, a podcast dedicated to helping you cultivate connected relationships with your children while learning life skills.
SPEAKER_01Hi, I'm Andy McNeely, a parent, educator, relationship coach, and author.
SPEAKER_00And I'm Ash Morfitt, a proud parent, school teacher, and sports coach.
SPEAKER_01Join us as we explore valuable concepts and share practical strategies that will positively impact both children and the adults in their lives. This is connecting with your kids. Welcome, Ash! Woo!
SPEAKER_00Settle.
SPEAKER_01Settle. It's being today where the 12th podcast is being energetic. I'm just trying to be energetic. Pick your times, mate. Okay, so we're on being energetic. So I just talk like I normally talk. So there's a time and a place to be energetic, isn't there? Absolutely. Yeah. And I find for me, sometimes I get a bit flat and tired and stuff, and I I'm okay being like that. Yeah. But if I've got to get stuff done, I want to have that energy to drive me and keep me going. And some of my energy that I create creates more energy. And I'm going again, Ash. Sorry, for calming down. I'm calming down. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Hey, that I know that for me, sometimes like I'm a pretty energetic person. You know, I'm a very positive person and I'm I'm in my head in the game a lot of the time. Sometimes if I'm really overwhelmed with stuff in life, whether it's work or stuff outside of work, for me that my I think it's just my energy goes down, and it's probably noticeable to my friends and my family and my workmates and things like that. And so it's a good indicator for me to know, all right, maybe I'm burning the candle at both ends. I'm doing a bit much in my life. And it's sort of, for me, it manifests in that low energy, and I don't have that energetic persona, I suppose, that I wouldn't normally have.
SPEAKER_01I think that's something we all got we all go through. But have you ever been like that? And you're sort of a bit flat or whatever. Just imagine someone knocks on the door and someone you haven't seen for ages and you're tired and stuff. You know, would you imagine yourself saying, Look, I'm a bit tired, let's catch up another time. I haven't seen you for a long time, but you know, let's not catch up. Or would you just you just the energy comes out of nowhere? Yeah. Well, I'm excited to see you. Come in, let's you know, have a chat, and great to catch. You just it comes out of nowhere. Can flick the switch. Yeah, you totally can flick the switch. But then when they go and the door shuts, I think, oh, I'm so tired. Yeah, yeah. So there's the time, the place. There's also there's also time to say, no, I need to take care of myself and step back and be calm. Yeah. Rest and build that energy. Sometimes it's physical, sometimes it's mental. Yeah. There's a combination.
SPEAKER_00How would you define like and well being energetic?
SPEAKER_01Give it a definition or yeah, probably in simple terms, it's like you know, feeling active and alert, you know, when you're quite enthusiastic, showing that enthusiasm. And you you you can sort of move, speak, and act with vitality and motivation. That's all it really means.
SPEAKER_00Yep, yep. And we notice you know, when we're teaching, coaching, or whatever we're doing with kids, we notice that people that are energetic are sort of that sort of more alert and alive, getting lots done. Yeah, often we see it with mood levels are sort of higher or a better mood, increased resilience, stronger physical health, and engagement levels are really high as well. Um, lots of motivation and initiative, and sometimes we talk about having that sort of ripple effect, like the energy of one can then I suppose transport itself, and it's almost that contagious energy that you see with others.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you're exactly right. And I've I know someone, uh a friend of mine, who's become a friend. I work with him on a professional level, and um I've engaged him uh in a professional level at our workplace, and he is someone who just doesn't stop. I I've never spoken to him and he's been quiet or flat. He just brings everyone up around him, yeah, and he runs workshops and seminars, and he's written a book called uh All Work No Play, and his name's Dale, and he is just energetic, yeah, and he has that ripple effect, it's contagious being around him. I don't know if he ever sleeps, he's just so energetic. He's enthusiastic, and he's a great person to be around. I just want to be around him. And when I sort of started writing books and um podcasting, he every time I share something with him, he's just so like, wow, that's fantastic! He's so positive, enthusiastic. If I ever need a kick up, just contact him. Even if I'm a bit flat, he'll just bring me up. He just has positivity and energy. He oozes it. Great person. That's that real ripple effect, isn't it? Yeah. Just getting that energy from someone else. And he does posit podcasts, it's called energetic radio. I recommend it. Really, really great, uh, enthusiastic person.
SPEAKER_00Yep. Hey, I've got a quote. Yeah. Um, this is by um Jules Verne, who's a French writer and known as one of the founders of science fiction. Um, might be Jules, might be Jules. I don't know the pronunciation. Oh, it's French. He's French, actually. So it's probably Jules. Jules Verne. Anyway, we digress a little. We do. I'm gonna bring it back. Um the quote is an energetic man will succeed where an indolent one would vegetate and inevitably perish. Indolent is an old word. Yeah, it kind of means like avoiding activity or exertion, a little bit lazy. Yeah, it's actually do you know that word's uh Latin? It comes from Latin root.
SPEAKER_01Oh, really? It does. There you go. I sound so smart, but I just look it up. Yeah. Yeah, just use Google. Yeah. Just to make me sound good. Oh well. That's the same reason I wear glasses. Yeah, exactly. So we've got some ideas. We do to um help foster that uh that skill of uh building energy and being energetic uh at home with those ones you love.
SPEAKER_00Because it might be hard for some of our listeners who maybe don't have that natural energetic persona themselves to then try and bring that and instill that in their kids. Because we often talk about modelling any of these skills that we do. Yes. But it can be hard sometimes if that's not your go-to.
SPEAKER_01Especially you might be listening to this podcast on the way home after a busy day, a busy week, and you think, you're just tired, you just want to sit down on the couch. And then here you are listening to something and say, Oh, let's do something at home to be energetic. Oh, I don't think I can be bothered. Yes. So hopefully, one of these ideas will be like, Oh, that's actually easy, I can do that. It's simple. I don't need much. That sounds like a bit of fun. Build a connection, yes, yeah, and have a bit of fun. So you want to kick us off?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, the first idea we would suggest get up early and see the sunrise together before cooking your favourite brickie. Nice one, nice one.
SPEAKER_01I go to get there. All right, go for it. Here's one, an old one takes back takes us all back to our childhood, maybe have a pillow fight.
SPEAKER_00Yes, that's good. I like that one. Simple, good. All right, idea number three go for a long walk or bike ride together. Again, that links in with that connection, building connection with your kids.
SPEAKER_01Yes, bit of fun. Uh number four, blow up a balloon and play indoor tennis, soccer, volleyball, or any other sport you can think of.
SPEAKER_00That is a regular in my house.
SPEAKER_01Blowing up balloons in all the time. It's good fun, innit?
SPEAKER_00All the time.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'm sure we've got a lot of adults going, Oh, I remember doing that as a kid.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. We've got younger kids, and that's yep, that happens all the time. But here's my tip Yep. Doing it just before bed, bringing that energy up is maybe not the best idea, and I've learnt that the hard way. Yeah, well, maybe it is. Well, and sometimes, well, get k kick us away with this last idea. Yeah, last one. Create a dance party in the lounge room one evening, pump up the volume and have fun.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, cool. Or do it at lunchtime. Yeah. Or maybe do it for breakfast. Imagine that having a dance party at 10am or 9 a.m.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, energy happening.
SPEAKER_01I know. Well, I'm gonna finish off with a quote for us, Ash. This is from uh William William Birnbach. He's uh uh highly influential advertising pioneer. He said, In this real world, good doesn't drive out evil, evil doesn't drive out good, but the energetic displaces the passive.
SPEAKER_00There we go, a little quote to finish. Yeah, that's nice. I like it. Be the energetic one if you've got the energy to, if you can do it.
SPEAKER_01Yes. Well, thanks very much, everyone. Thanks, Ash. It's been great again. Yep, love doing this, Andy. Love your energy you bring to it. And maybe a little bit high at the start. Well, you did bring me down. We've bought it. Time and a place isn't there. Exactly. Thanks everyone. We will catch you next time. Talk to you soon.
SPEAKER_00Thanks for listening to Connecting with Your Kids with Andy McNeely and Ash Morfitt.
SPEAKER_01The ideas in this podcast are inspired by three books I've written Connecting with Your Kids, Connecting with Your Teens, and Connecting with Your Students. For more information, see the podcast.