Grit or quit? asks Sarah Jefferson Grit. Don't quit. That's the mantra many parents may have in mind when they, like me, spend what feels like years ferrying children to a seemingly endless variety of sports and activities. From enduring sheets of almost vertical icy rain...
Year 1 and Year 8 can be surprisingly tough transitions (if your child is struggling, they are not alone), write Nina Van Dyke and Cynthia Leung. When we talk about “school transitions”, we generally refer to three specific points: starting primary school, starting secondary school, and...
Cassy Dittman asks how should parents respond? The new year often means a new season of kids’ sports. Many families may be pondering whether to commit to another season or discovering their child is now saying they’d like to quit their usual sport. My husband and I...
Watching her son spend yet another game on the sideline prompts Rebecca Chaney to reflect on whether a winning-is-everything mentality belongs in children’s sport. My 12-year-old son’s football team won a hard-fought match on the weekend, but my son isn’t happy. My son played well, with...
Australian parents want schools to teach more sex education topics and teach them from an earlier age, writes researcher Jacqueline Hendriks Decades of research have shown when relationships and sexuality education are delivered well, it can improve the sexual, social, and emotional health of young people....
Our research shows how, writes Gavin R. Slemp, Dianne Vella-Brodrick and Jacqui Francis About three quarters of Australian teachers experience substantial stress in a typical work week, according to a 2021 survey. Another 2019 Australian study showed more than half suffer from anxiety, and about one...
Adam Guastella, Kelsie Boulton and Natalie Silove guide parents and what they should know about getting a neurodevelopmental assessment With childcare and schools starting the new year, parents might be anxiously wondering how their child will adapt in a new learning environment. Some parents may be concerned...
Andrew Whitehouse and David Trembath report on their new guideline for clinicians and families Australian’s first national guideline outlining the best ways of providing clinical support to autistic children and their families will be launched in Canberra today. The guideline, which we co-authored with others, represents a...
Open-plan classrooms are trendy, write Anika Stobart and Jordana Hunter but there is little evidence to show they help students learn. If you step into a newly built school these days, chances are you will see classrooms that look very different to the classrooms most of...
Andrea Travers wonders if over-protecting our children is harmful. From advertising to the evening news, the message is ‘Be afraid’. We can never let up, never let go. Our children are always at risk in so many aspects of their lives, from educational underachievement to stranger...
