What do most people mean by “happiness”? asks Dr Caroline West and other philosophers. Is maximising pleasure and enjoyment really our ultimate aim, as some studies argue? Some influential studies show that the decision to have kids leads to greater suffering — at least for parents....
Dogs Australia is urging dog owners not to forget their pooches. The change in routine can cause many issues, including separation anxiety. As children go back to school, Dogs Australia is urging dog owners to prepare the family dog for the return-to-school routine changes. “The end of...
Australian schools are starting to provide food, but we need to think carefully before we ‘ditch the lunchbox’, report Brittany Johnson, Alexandra Manson and Rebecca Golley State Liberal leader Matthew Guy has promised a trial to provide free lunches in Victorian public schools if elected...
There are ways to level the playing field reports Johanna Reidy This year’s perennial back-to-school uniform discussion happens during a cost of living crisis. And we already know that the upfront and maintenance costs of school uniforms are a stress for families on lower incomes, in...
‘There’s a lot of places where you can’t be seen’. Social worker Ben Arnold Lohmeyer looks at when and where bullying can happen. Content warning: this article contains explicit language. School bullying is a huge and distressing problem. In 2015, 43% of Australian year 8 students experienced...
Back-to-school shopping has parents conscious of shoe waste New research reveals that despite Aussie parents claiming they want to do more to reduce their environmental footprint, shoe waste is still a growing problem As parents hit the shops for the back-to-school frenzy – new research by TreadLightly...
Two – thirds of children are wearing the wrong shoe size report Paediatric Podiatrists The Australian Podiatry Association (APodA) has launched a Back to School campaign aimed at educating parents and caregivers on the importance of selecting the right school shoe and the perfect fit. Your feet...
Social Worker, Priscilla Dunk-West gives some practical advice for parents. In Australia, around 21,000 divorces involving children occur annually. Separation and divorce can be an emotionally exhausting and difficult time, something which is recognised by the Family Court of Australia, which provides resources to assist people...
A push to raise the school starting age to 6 sounds like good news for parents, write Amanda Niland and Marianne Fenech. But there’s a catch The decision about whether to send a child to school “early” or “hold them back” can be a tortuous one...
Here’s how to protect the kids’ mental health, writes Rachael Sharman There’s an annual underground phenomena happening right now around Australia: couples who have decided to separate, but are putting on a happy face to perform their final Christmas as an intact family. January is known...
