Personalised learning is billed as the ‘future’ of schooling, writes Maya Gunawardena: what is it, and could it work? It is not uncommon for kids to complain about school, but studies show significant numbers of Australian students are actually disengaged with their education. A 2017 Grattan Institute...
Anyone can save a life, including kids, report Janet Bray and Kathryn Eastwood With over 26,000 cardiac arrests occurring every year in Australia and over 76% of them occurring in the home, some of our youngest Australians are learning how to help. But why kids? It’s simple....
I’m at my wit’s end, what can I do? Clinical child psychologist, John McAloon has some thoughts for families aiming to achieve a desirable outcome Everyone with young children experiences parenting challenges. And these are often exacerbated by parental exhaustion, financial or relationship difficulties, and work stress. I’m...
Toy libraries across Australia are booming as more families turn to borrowing toys to save money, reduce waste and reconnect with their communities after COVID-19. Memberships at Australia’s 380-plus toy libraries have surged over the past two years, with new figures showing that over 130,000 families...
Catherine Wade looks at what parents can do during their child's 'tweenage' years The teenage years can be among the trickiest times for a parent. You have been used to being your child’s voice of reason. Then, all of a sudden, your authority is challenged by...
Sarah Hamilton examines the epidemic of parents oversharing online. If a baby takes their first steps in a quiet family room and nobody Tweets about it, did it happen? Technology has infiltrated nearly every aspect of our lives, leaving our children little chance of sliding under...
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....
At a press conference recently, paralympian Dylan Alcott recalled the pain of being a child with a disability. He said he missed out on childhood friends, writes David Armstrong “I had no friends when I was five,” the Australian of the Year told reporters. “I even...
Thomas Britz looks at the children’s puzzle game that harbours a mathematical paradox or two Have you played the puzzle game Tangram? I remember, as a child, being fascinated by how just seven simple wooden triangles and other shapes could offer endless entertainment. Unlike LEGO, the Tangram...
The ‘right’ school for your child is probably right around the corner, writes Rosemary O’Brien. I’m at the gym, in the change rooms, after my weekly circuit-training session. Sam is there too – she does the same Thursday-evening session. She has a question for me. It’s...
