You may feel uncomfortable talking about it, but mental health affects one in seven kids. Anna Gibson reports on the early warning signs. Mental health is the way we think about ourselves, what’s going on around us and how we respond to life’s challenges and joys....
From March 13, NAPLAN testing for 2024 will begin, writes Rachel Leslie. Over the following two weeks, all Australian students in years 3,5,7 and 9 are expected to sit tests in literacy and numeracy. Results are then aggregated for schools and other demographics and made public....
And what makes a good one? Asks Chris Speldewinde In Australia we have a long history of taking children outdoors to learn about the natural environment. But thanks to computer games, tablets and busy lifestyles, children aren’t getting as much exposure to nature as they used...
One incident served as a stark reminder to Victoria Baker of the risks associated with innocently sharing children's information online. In a digital age where sharing every moment seems like second nature, my husband and I have made a conscious decision to protect our child's privacy...
It’s time to change the shape of our packaged lives, argues Professor Rob Moodie. Quite a while ago, our family of four moved back from Switzerland to Australia, as I had changed jobs from the United Nations (where I was running the Division of Country Programs...
5 questions your child’s school should be able to answer about bullying, write researchers Nina Van Dyke and Fiona MacDonald As children returned to classrooms in 2024, school communities confronted bullying in person and via technology. In-person bullying and cyberbullying affect significant numbers of children and young people...
Start the conversation early, writes Nicole Lee, and be honest and avoid judgement With several drug overdoses already this festival season, and recent news of three new recreational drugs identified by the drug checking service in Canberra, many parents of teenagers will be wondering how they...
3 ways screens can get kids moving Researchers Juliana Zabatiero, Kate Highfield, Leon Straker and Susan Edwards look at how screens can help children be physically active. There have been concerns about screens making kids more sedentary and less active since TV was introduced more than half a...
How to know when your child is ready for ‘phone privacy’, writes Joanne Orlando Smartphone ownership among younger children is increasing rapidly. Many primary school children now own smartphones, and they have become the norm in high school. Parents of younger children may occasionally (or routinely) look...
As a new school year starts, reports Sai Praneeth Jasti, many families should be making sure they have the right backpack for their child. While children can have firm ideas about how their school bags look – and schools have practical requirements about what students need...
