Lucy Treloar regards head lice as a great leveller, although they do precipitate the odd social crisis. My youngest son is standing leaning against the kitchen sink, his head bowed away from me. I’m looking intently, very, very intently, into the furrows I’m ploughing through his...
Recent discoveries about brain development have gone some way towards unlocking the mysteries of the teenage mind, writes Dr Tom Whelan. The word puberty is derived from the Latin ‘pubescere’ which means ‘to grow hairy’. As such, it accurately signifies the beginnings of that strange and...
Mother Emily Shepard leads the way for kids losing their sight and hearing to a little-known genetic condition with no cure. “Why would you want to know?” I’d asked our ophthalmologist when she thought my son, Louis, then three, might lose his sight. He’d been diagnosed with...
Researchers, Christopher Mayes, Deana Leahy and Kristen Lyons ask "Has selling ‘good bugs not drugs’ for kids’ health gone too far?" Does your child have a “gut-friendly” lunchbox? It’s Healthy Lunchbox Week, a back-to-school initiative of Nutrition Australia. School lunches are essential for long-term child health...
Here’s how you and your child’s school can help, report Christine Grové and Kelly-Ann Allen With COVID-related school closures and long periods of remote learning, many kids across Australia have not physically been at school for most of the past two years. Because of the...
Maxine Clark’s son begins to ponder the more obvious markers of his Jamaican heritage. “Your mum’s brown,” a little girl at my son’s childcare centre announced matter-of-factly to him when I arrived to pick him up last week. It wasn’t a criticism; it wasn’t an insult....
Even more kitchen and garden goodness in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program for Early Childhood Perfect for little hands and curious minds, the Kitchen Garden Program for Early Childhood is a play-based, hands-on program that helps teach children about fresh, seasonal, delicious food. Setting up the program is...
Lea Waters reports how positive psychology can unlock your child’s potential and enhance their well-being It’s widely accepted in today’s culture that good parenting requires a balance of warmth and control. Research shows that parents who respond to the needs of children in loving ways, whilst...
5 things research from twins taught us about health, behaviour and what makes us unique, reports Jeffrey Craig Researchers often compare the differences between identical and fraternal twins to better understand health and behaviour. The first major insight is that genes and environments almost always combine to...
Once a form of ‘social camouflage’, school uniforms have become impractical and unfair, writes Johanna Reidy As the start of a new school year looms, school uniforms are being dusted off or new ones bought. At the same time, age-old debates about the pros and cons...
