Sheree Gleeson observes her sons and their friends as they negotiate their alliances. With four boys between us, the bond between my closest friend and I sometimes gets a robust work-out. Last week, Abby phoned. “I’m sending your two home and Finn to his bedroom,” she...
Laura O’Connell’s son has come a long way in his social relationships. Some years ago, our son Aidan had difficulty settling into school. At first, we put this down to moving interstate too frequently. By the time he was in Year 4, he’d been to five...
Cars have taken over our neighbourhoods. Matthew Mclaughlin, Hayley Christian, Jasper Schipperijn and Trevor Shilton look at ways to create safer, quieter and more play-friendly streets You might remember your time as a child playing outdoors with friends and walking to school. These activities had tremendous benefits for...
After years of COVID, fires and floods, researcher Jess Harris writes, kids’ well-being now depends on better support Every student in every school in Australia has experienced unprecedented disruptions to their schooling over the past three years. On top of the disruptions and stress of COVID-19...
Former teacher Sarah Pietrzak finds herself a little tested by her son’s reaction to the impending literacy and numeracy assessments. “Please Mum, don’t make me do it. I’m going to fail, aren’t I?” My eldest child looked at me imploringly. And in that moment I understood....
Damien O'Meara and Liam Burke report that Aussie kids’ TV has been leading the way in queer representation Peppa Pig’s first same-sex couple, a pair of lesbian polar bears, were recently introduced after a petition to include a same-sex family received nearly 24,000 signatures. Children’s television has...
Here’s what they said, writes researcher Sharon Bessell What does a “fair go” look like for Australian children? We asked 130 children aged between seven and 13 years what makes communities strong, supportive, and fair. Many felt communities are about care and connection. As one ten-year-old girl...
Researcher Sharon Bessell asked children how they experienced poverty. Here are 6 changes needed now An eight-year-old boy is often hungry, but knows if he tells his mum, she will eat less herself and go hungry. He hates the thought, so he stays quiet. An 11-year-old girl...
Overweight and obesity is the second-largest contributor to Australia’s disease burden and health costs, including significantly driving Australia’s high-cost diseases (for example, musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers). It’s estimated to cost the Australian economy $11.8 billion, and if obesity rates continue to increase, will cost Australia...
How you can get your kid to eat breakfast before school and yes, it’s OK to have dinner leftovers or a sandwich, writes researcher Evangeline Mantzioris The cereal bowl is sitting there getting mushy and gross. You ask your child to eat for the 20th...
