First a little understanding of the cognitive development in children ages 6 to 8, as seen by Jean Piaget Jean Piaget was a Swiss developmental psychologist who studied children in the early 20th century. His theory of intellectual or cognitive development, published in 1936, is still...

Emma Fox prepares expectant dads for Baby Boot Camp. I’m unusual in my circle of friends in that I had my first baby quite young, while they studied and found jobs. So I’ve seen quite a few friends experience their first baby through the lens of...

Ensuring kids have manners is a perennial preoccupation for parents and caregivers, writes Sophia Waters. But so is knowing what these are and when to use them How, then, do you teach good manners to children? Modelling good manners around the home and in your own interaction...

What can we do about it?  Steve D'Alessandro looks at our options This piece is part of a series on the great internet letdown. Read the rest of the series. It is difficult to spend any time on the internet these days without being inundated with advertisements. In...

In Norway, students get grades for their behaviour—could this work in Australia? Researchers Stephen Dobson and Corey Bloomfield think there is some merit in it. Student behaviour is one of the biggest issues facing Australian schools. A survey of Queensland teachers earlier this year found that...

Is it normal, or should I be worried? Asks Penny Van Bergen Everyone knows a kid who cheats at Monopoly or backyard cricket. Perhaps they have even cheated on a test at school. If you notice your own child is doing this, you may worry they are...

Coping skills can be taught, and with depression rates on the rise among young people, learning them is more important than ever, writes Associate Professor Erica Frydenberg Stress is part of everyday life, and coping is how we deal with it. But just as there are...

Melanie Charlton writes about innovative ways to satisfy her children’s desire for a pet  (particularly at Christmas) without bearing all the responsibility of owning one. It was a rainy Saturday afternoon, and the kids were agitated at being stuck indoors, so I suggested we go to...

Jacinta Parsons suffers the consequences of some wicked wordplay with her daughter. “Can you say Bubonic Plague?” I asked, pointing to a picture of a rat-type character in my two-year-old daughter’s storybook. Without hesitation, she began attempting the four-syllable historical reference to her once innocent rat....

Mia Cobb looks at the science of happier dogs and tips to keep them happy When you hear about “science focused on how dogs can live their best lives with us”, it sounds like an imaginary job made up by a child. However, the field of...