Australia is about to ban under-16s from social media. Here’s what kids can do right now to prepare write Daniel Angus and Tama Leaver If you’re a young person in Australia, you probably know new social media rules are coming in December. If you and your...
New research shows most teenagers are stuck in a cycle of poor diet, low activity, and too much screen time – but parents can help turn things around. Too Much Fast Food, Not Enough Greens When a cheeseburger costs less than a punnet of strawberries, it’s no...
As the year ends, it’s the perfect time to reassess friendships. Mental-health author Elizabeth Jane says one-sided relationships can quietly drain energy and confidence. Recognising the signs and setting boundaries can protect wellbeing and create space for healthier, reciprocal connections. As the year winds down, many...
Even the most mindful parents slip into old habits, explains Dr Amanda Mullin, When Old Voices Sneak In We all start out with the best intentions. I’ll be more patient, we promise. More understanding. More aware. And then one day—somewhere between the school run and a supermarket...
Author and journalist Virginia Tapscott, in her new book All Mothers Work, argues that to value care properly, we must start by changing the words we use. We often talk about mothers “returning to work” as if the countless hours spent feeding, cleaning, teaching, and comforting their children...
Can you imagine spring cleaning for a good cause? Besides the fact that culling is good for the soul, we've found another happy reason to pump your cleaning tunes and get to work. Babies are getting infections because their parents cannot afford clean nappies. It is a shocking but...
Many children who resist school aren’t being defiant — they’re overwhelmed. Learn how to spot the signs of school refusal and support your child with empathy and early help. When school mornings turn into battles As Term 4 begins, many parents are bracing for the return of...
‘I was 170th on their list’. Marg Rogers, Margaret Sims and Michelle Gossner report on the growing regions in “childcare deserts”. Imagine living in a town where three or more families are competing for a single early learning place. This is the reality for many families in...
Fewer friends, more time stress: the essential charts from this year’s HILDA survey, writes Inga Lass, Ferdi Botha, Kyle Peyton and Roger Wilkins. Every year, one of Australia’s biggest longitudinal surveys provides a range of insights on how the nation is changing. The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics...
Robert Spillane presents a controversial view that ADHD may be overdiagnosed and over-medicalised. When I was studying clinical psychology in the 1960s, my teachers were adamant that when it comes to children, ‘hands off’. In those halcyon days, children misbehaved; they did not suffer from...
