Whether you’re adding meat or not, writes Roberta, the secret to making creamy mushroom pasta without cream is to add some pasta cooking water. A good splash of the starch-rich water that pasta is cooked in gives any sauce a lovely creamy texture without the need...
As Australia navigates rising ADHD diagnoses, expanding pharmaceutical interventions, and new support frameworks like Thriving Kids, critical reflection and transparency remain essential. The Therapeutic State: When Morality Becomes Medicine Where people were once judged for simply behaving badly, psychiatry now often treats those same behaviours as medical...
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...
NSW daycares face a whopping $500k in fines if there's a breach of safety rules. Will this ensure safety? asks Erin Harper The New South Wales government has proposed huge fines to crack down on childcare providers who breach safety rules. New laws, introduced to the state parliament...
After speaking with many parents who have lost children to suicide, here’s what Debbie Swibel wishes all parents could know. For many parents, the thought of speaking to their children about suicide sparks fear and anxiety. It feels daunting, too confronting, or not suitable for their...
Bullying in schools can have a devastating impact on victims. Research shows it can lead to reduced academic performance, depression, anxiety and even suicidal behaviour. So, preventing and reducing bullying is an urgent priority for governments as well as families and schools. However, a common obstacle to...
Coercive control: the silent abuse harming children nationwide Barnardos Australia is warning that children across rural and regional Australia are becoming the hidden victims of coercive control — a form of domestic violence that uses intimidation, surveillance and financial restriction rather than physical assault. Although often invisible...
The 2025 Uniting Families Report shows housing stress, money worries, and care responsibilities are cutting too many parents off from the community support every child deserves. Why a Village Matters We’ve all heard the saying “it takes a village to raise a child”—but for many Australian families, that...
Why Planning for Hidden Health Costs Matters Australia’s animal shelters are under pressure, with pet surrenders climbing as families face rising living costs, relocations and downsizing. In the last financial year, more than 81,000 animals entered RSPCA shelters nationwide, while Companion Animal Network Australia (CANA) recorded...
Nisa Salim, a textile scientist explains how to ‘unshrink’ them When your favourite dress or shirt shrinks in the wash, it can be devastating, especially if you followed the instructions closely. Unfortunately, some fabrics just seem to be more prone to shrinking than others – but...
