BMX bike riding goes beyond physical fitness, enhancing mental health, social connectedness and personal growth, writes Dave Camilleri BMX riding (short for bicycle motorcross) is more than just a sport. I first started riding BMX in 1995. What was meant to be a mode of transportation...
Let’s not forget how it transformed our oral health, report by Oliver A.H. Jones Fluoride is back in the news, after incoming US “health czar” Robert F. Kennedy Jr called for its removal from drinking water. At the same time, the Australian Medical Association (Queensland) recently urged...
Board games are valued for their interaction, components, challenge and variety – and they don’t have to be about winning or losing, report researchers Ben Deery, Matthew Harrison and Jess Rowlings Are you tempted to just let your kids win on board game night? Don’t be....
Katharine Clifton has a less-than-enthusiastic response to her daughter being assessed as gifted. Almost six months ago, my daughter was diagnosed as gifted. It came about when she performed well beyond expectations in a vocabulary test at her three-and-a-half-year check-up and the maternal health nurse suggested...
The phonics versus whole-language debate is counterproductive when it leads teachers to mindlessly apply one approach to all children. We need teachers who have a repertoire of approaches that includes teaching phonics and also rich whole-language experiences. Moving Beyond the Debate: What Educators Need to Know For teachers,...
Daryl Higgins and Gabrielle Hunt report on why sleepovers can be a fun part of childhood, and can foster independence, friendship, and resilience. Feeling unsure about your child going to a sleepover is completely normal. You might be worried about how well you know the host family,...
A new school year can see friendships change – this is tough on kids, but parents can help, writes Karyn Healy The start of the school year means new classes, routines, after-school activities and sometimes even a new school. This can be a really exciting time for...
If your child has aches or pains in both legs and perhaps also in the arms, which occur in the evenings or nights, these may well be growing pains or nocturnal limb pain syndrome, writes David Champion. While various aches and pains in children are sometimes...
Educators David Wylde and Marilyn Heins discuss the differences between boys and girls and how they affect how we raise them. How Male and Female Brains Process Emotions Differently It is known that there are differences in development and function between male and female brains. In most...
Ellen Notbohm argues that we need to understand the causes of inappropriate behaviour in children with special needs, and examine what our own behaviour is telling them. Teaching appropriate behaviour is always at the forefront of discussions about raising children, particularly children with autism or ADHD...
