When her daughter was eventually diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, Sue McLachlan finally understood the reason for her daughter’s many rituals. When my daughter was about four years old, I was impressed that she had a genuine concern for hygiene. She loved to have her bath each...
Tara Lister is determined to enjoy every second of every first before they become lasts. The day my baby came home was a rude awakening. Until then I had been surrounded by midwives, advice and meals on demand, and I felt invincible. Cool, calm and collected;...
Adolescent years can be a turbulent time for children and parents, as teenagers lack the skills and maturity to handle emotional stressors....
After serving more than 220 million cups of barista-made coffee and hot drinks at restaurants across the country last year, Macca’s latest research shows Aussie parents have a love affair with coffee. “Australia has a unique relationship with coffee compared to the rest of the world,...
Research reveals mums almost never prioritise themselves when sick. The latest research suggests that mums too often leave themselves last on the priorities list, with almost half (44%) of mums saying they rarely or never visit the doctor when they start feeling sick. When they do become...
Felicity Thomas reflects on her experience of having Sydenham’s chorea in childhood. Life-changing moments often come in the midst of despair, breeding inner strength, resilience and compassion. This was certainly so for me at the age of 12 when I was diagnosed with a rare illness...
An attentive canine can boost a shy reader’s confidence reports Helen Lewis Since COVID-19 hit British shores, 3.2 million pets have reportedly been purchased. Animals provide a valuable sense of companionship and a wide variety of species, including dogs, cats, fish, birds and horses have helped...
The arrival of two guinea pigs marks the end of Jodie McEwen’s pet procrastination. I’m just not an animal person; love of creatures is not in my nature. My dad tried to pass on his love of animals, so we had rabbits, guinea pigs, fish, birds,...
Starting behind: more than half of young Australian kids living in adversity don't have the skills they need to learn to read, report Sharon Goldfeld, Hannah Bryson, and Jodie Smith Around one in three (36%) Australian children grow up in families experiencing adversity. These include families...
When a beloved family pet disappears, the hardest thing to cope with is not knowing what happened, explains Gill Canning. It was the first day of the school holidays. “Has anyone seen Ziggy?” I asked my three boys at lunchtime. They shook their heads. No one had...
