If we define ‘being nice’ as what you do to make someone else happy with you, then being too nice is a big problem, because whether or not you feel good depends on the other person’s response. Dr Andrew Wake explores the negatives of niceness. Michael*...
The Secret Life of Pets 2 and a trailer to view! Full of the misbehaving dogs and cats this new film has Katie (Max and Duke’s owner) in her new life with a husband and baby Liam. Once again this film has the family taking a...
In 2019, July is the 50th Anniversary of man landing on the moon and these new books celebrate earth’s satellite moon in their own way. I Would Dangle the Moon Written and illustrated by Amber Moffat (Midnightsunpublishing.com, hardback, $29.99) Age Group 3-6 years. Available late June 2019. If...
In the beginning, there will be a lot of scribble says Joelie Hancock – round and round, repeated strokes, spots or jabs at the paper. This play is very important. It is the child’s way of experimenting, finding out how things work and gaining control...
Janet Tubbs examines the characteristics of children with this syndrome. Because Asperger's is so widely misunderstood, parents often feel guilty about their child’s behaviour, believing it reflects on their parenting skills. Asperger’s syndrome (AS) is a form of autism that falls midway on the autism spectrum, between...
Toy Story 4 The fourth installment of the Toy Story franchise is still engaging the littlies with all the favourite toys coming to life again in their newest adventure. Young Bonnie suffers some anxiousness and feels shy amongst the other children as she starts the first day...
Rob Pegley looks at the family bookshelves to find that 'ABC' books have a way to go to appeal to the 21st century child. Our children’s book collection is much like that of any other household. It includes a handful of ‘ABC’ books from various publishers....
Sarah Cummings finds that her explanation to her son of her friend’s death prompts a serious bout of separation anxiety. Late last year, my best friend Katie died of breast cancer. She left behind a one-year-old son and a loving husband. Obviously, I knew that her...
Elizabeth Bate is driven batty by cultural confusion over her son’s superhero party. When my husband, Martin, offered to dress up as Batman as a surprise for our son Sam’s fifth birthday party, I was enormously relieved. In this modern age of competition, children’s birthday parties...
Rob Pegley investigates the fascinating, and often downright frightening, world of children’s classics. Like most parents of preschool children, we try to shield the kids from television programs of a slightly adult nature with borderline offensive content. Even something as universally accepted as The Simpsons fails...
