Alison Fogarty, Grace McMahon and Monique Seymour ask "Are you worried about your preschoolers’ anxiety?" Here’s how you can help. New research on a group of Australian preschoolers suggests more than 40% are dealing with an anxiety disorder. The study, led by Monash University and published in...
Many parents know the feeling: a movie is rated PG, but ten minutes in, the kids are hiding behind cushions. New Australian research suggests families want screen ratings that better flag scariness, self-harm, sexual violence and age suitability. New Australian research says parents want clearer screen...
More than 500 early learning and outside school hours care services across NSW and Victoria were visited without warning this week as regulators stepped up efforts to strengthen child safety in childcare settings. Here’s what parents need to know about the latest compliance blitz —...
When Kym Armytage’s son’s daily meltdowns didn’t ease with age, discipline or parenting books, she began to wonder what else might be going on. Her family’s experience led them to explore food intolerance — with professional help. When the “terrible twos” don’t pass My son has issues....
With more creativity than you might think, report Annabel Blake, Eduardo Velloso and Marcus Carter In 2022, the founders of chatbot startup Character.AI launched a platform where anyone could create interactive characters powered by artificial intelligence (AI). The app exploded, quickly growing to more than 20 million...
Many parents want social media platforms to do more to keep children safe online. But when safety tools involve scanning private messages, the question becomes more complicated: where does protection end and surveillance begin?...
They should be regular, reports Shane Rogers, not just a one‑off. Students’ mental health is one of the biggest challenges facing schools. In Australia, half of all adult mental health challenges emerge before the age of 14. It is also estimated that more than 50% of children...
We studied the bacteria on kids’ sports mouthguards. The amount can lead to bacterial buildup and potential health risks, report researchers Huseyin Sumer, Bita Zaferanloo and Vito Butardo Jr. Many young Australians are beginning their winter sports season, gearing up for sports such as football, hockey...
New research suggests it can also help mental health, reports Fotini Vasilopoulos, Pretend play is a significant and often magical part of childhood. Children have huge imaginations and use these to turn rocks into spaceships, tables into forts or pens into fairies. They might pretend to be...
Teenagers are growing fast, learning more independence and often making more of their own food choices. But many Australian teens are missing out on the nutritious foods they need, reports Catharine Fleming. Here’s what parents can do to help — without making every meal a...
