Episode Sub Title: ““STEM Mum, Big Heart: Jaz Diab’s Lessons in Resilience”

In this inspiring and open-hearted episode, host Tim Curtis speaks with Jasmin (Jaz) Diab, nuclear scientist, STEM nerd (self confessed!), and mum of a remarkable five-year-old with achondroplasia, Zoe and little baby boy Remy. Jaz shares her experiences parenting a child with achondroplasia (a form of dwarfism), the lessons she’s learned about resilience, and how curiosity, honesty, and community have helped her navigate challenges.

Key themes and takeaways:

• How Jaz uses curiosity and science to advocate for Zoe and break down barriers
• The importance of building community, both locally and through the short-statured network
• Jaz’s parenting style: honest, open communication and letting go of perfection
• Helping kids develop self-awareness, confidence, and problem-solving skills
• Why self-kindness and reframing have been crucial for Jaz’s own resilience as a parent
• The power of role-modelling language, patience, and co-regulation in tough moments
• This episode shines a light on embracing difference, building strong villages around kids, and supporting them to thrive on their own terms.

👉 Learn more at: resilienceshield.com/kids

(Even) More About Jaz: Jasmin draws upon 22 years of service as an Australian Army engineer officer with a focus on security and safety in high risk environments. Jasmin is a nuclear engineer with an extensive knowledge and experience in the Australian nuclear and national security landscape and loves a good complex challenge

Resources:

Women in Nuclear (WiN) Australia — A network supporting women in nuclear science and technology; Jasmin is likely engaged with groups like this.

Special Operations Engineer Regiment (SOER) — Australian Army’s dedicated combat engineer unit supporting Special Operations Command.

Little People of Australia — National support network for people of short stature and their families.

Growing Stronger: Achondroplasia Resource (Johns Hopkins Medicine) — Detailed medical overview of achondroplasia.

Short Statured People of Australia Facebook Group — Community space (private group; request to join).

Welcome to Holland – by Emily Perl Kingsley — Full text of the poem.

In this introductory episode of the Building Resilient Kids podcast, host Tim Curtis shares the motivation behind launching the podcast and outlines what listeners can expect from the series. It will provide you the 'Who', 'What' and 'Why'.

Tim is a co-author of the bestselling book The Resilience Shield and author of Building Resilient Kids. He gives the context for his passion on resilience which was initially shaped by his military experiences; his being a resilience nerd.... and his accompanying deep interest in human growth and performance through adversity.

Key themes covered:

1. Why resilience matters for kids
2. The vital role of parents, carers, educators, coaches, and the wider community in fostering resilience
3. An introduction to the Resilience Shield model and its applicability to building resilient kids:

BRK POD- SERIES PREVIEW:

You will meet the experts behind Tim's interviews in the book Building Resilient Kids; discovering not only their professional insights but also find out a bit about them on a deeply personal level including their personal strategies (and even their “resilience superpowers”).

References:

www.resilienceshield.com

Buy the Book 'Building Resilient Kids': Click here