Zoë Bishop believes that by getting kids into gardening, we sow the seeds of a successful future. We all want our kids to survive. It is an instinct that takes hold of parents early and then drives our actions for the rest of our lives. To increase...
Lucinda McKnight looks at War, social media and the urgent need to update how we teach English The war in Ukraine is being described as the first social media war, even as “the TikTok war”. Memes, tweets, videos and blog posts communicate both vital information...
Timothy Heffernan reports on what the online furore #Swedengate, tells us about Swedish food culture and social expectations From meatballs and cakes to soups and seafood, Sweden is known for its hearty cuisine. It’s also renowned for its quality of life, topping many countries in happiness,...
Vicki Englund finds herself on the outer in a community of much younger mothers. It’s funny when you look back on the things about motherhood you hadn’t anticipated. When my husband and I decided to try to have a baby, at rather advanced ages on both...
How cold is too cold for a walk? Here’s how to tell, writes Melissa Starling As winter sets in, you might be wondering: how do you know if your dog is warm enough? And how cold is too cold to take them for a walk? It’s a...
What are parents’ favourite TV shows to watch with their kids? How important is it that kids’ TV is Australian? Which are the best streaming services for children? A Swinburne-based research team, Australian Children’s Television Cultures, have completed a nationwide study of parents about how Australian...
Consistent school attendance is important in any child’s education but for many children in out-of-home care, going to school every day is no easy thing. Researchers Kitty Te Riele, Anna Sullivan, Daryl Higgins, Jesse King, Joseph McDowall, Michael A. Guerzoni, Rhonda Coopes and Sharon Bessell...
More than 100 Australian kids have had multisystem inflammatory syndrome after COVID, write Nicholas Wood and Philip Britton. One of the rare complications of COVID in children is an inflammatory illness called paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS-TS) that occurs in the weeks following the time of...
Kathryn Kelly is relieved to find a diagnosis for her daughter’s mysterious tummy pains. Sometimes our life seems like one long detective story. For years, our eldest daughter, Katrina*, suffered from mysterious tummy pains, soiled undies and extreme grumpiness. She also produced amazing amounts of gas –...
The transition into adolescence can be brutal for kids’ mental health, writes Zara Mansoor – but parents can help reduce the risk The transition from childhood to adolescence is a vulnerable time for the development of mental health difficulties and brings a marked increase in anxiety...
