Jodi Wiley is very keen for books and reading to be as integral to her children’s lives as they are to hers. A whole new world emerges upon becoming a parent. For example, the baby aisle in the supermarket is suddenly relevant: nappy prices are compared...
Researchers Sarah Dickie, Julie Woods, Mark Lawrence and Priscila Machado show you how to spot them For years, the term “junk food” has been used to refer to foods considered bad for you, and not very nutritious. But junk can mean different things to different people. Official dietary...
Researchers Melissa Tham, Cynthia Leung and Peter Hurley report that 4 key challenges remain About 100 early childhood experts are meeting in Canberra today for a national summit on children who are five and under. This is part of the Albanese government’s work to develop an early...
Monica Wright struggled to find a diagnosis for her daughter’s unusual behaviours, but persistence paid off. I have a four-year-old daughter. When people first meet her, they usually describe her as lively, clever, outgoing, friendly, affectionate and talkative. As they get to know her better they’d...
Elizabeth Westrupp and Christiane Kehoe look at ways parents can help their children to share their feelings. Emotions are core to our human experience, but seeing “negative” emotions in our children – anger, fear, jealousy, envy, sadness, resentment – can make us uncomfortable. Strong emotions in our...
Leslie Loble looks at why we should all value the opportunities EdTech can provide and learn to understand it as a learning tool ChatGPT and its powerful capacity to generate original text has taken the education sector by surprise. Not only are universities hurrying to adapt...
Catherine Page Jeffery looks at the pros and the cons The surgeon general is the “nation’s doctor” in the United States. They are tasked with giving Americans the “best scientific information” about their health. Late last month, the current US surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, warned 13 is...
Women are often told their fertility ‘falls off a cliff’ at 35, but is that right? Asks Karin Hammarberg It’s a fact women’s fertility declines as they age. But the common description of fertility decline after age 35 as a “cliff” is more anxiety-provoking than factual. If...
‘I had it first!’ All children argue, writes Amelia Church, and while this can be tedious for parents and carers, it’s not necessarily a problem. Conflict can help develop social skills, including learning to negotiate, and accommodate the needs of others. But if the conflict is physical, if...
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....
