Lisa Johnson wavers about giving straight answers to kids’ curly questions. “Mummy, what does ‘rape’ mean?” Five simple words, one short question, but when coming out of the mouth of a chirpy eight-year-old boy, quite disturbing. So disturbing, in fact, that my friend, the mother of...
Shankari Chandran draws the positives from potential negatives. On 18 October 2003 at precisely 8.24pm, I unreservedly loved my mother-in-law (who I call Mum). At 8.25pm, I handed our newborn daughter to her, and as Mum tenderly cuddled her, I felt an uncomfortable tingling sensation. I...
It can feel overwhelming to talk to a child about difficult things that are happening in the news or at home. In this resource, we share suggestions for talking with a child about difficult current events, listening to a child’s feelings, and loving them during challenging...
Edmund Wedam Kanmiki, Abdullah Mamun and Yaqoot Fatima, report it could be setting kids up for a lifetime of health issues. School holidays can be a special time for extended families to gather. Children may see their grandparents at seasonal gatherings or as part of childcare...
A Murdoch Children's Research study found a COVID infection left some children with difficulty sleeping, having nightmares and withdrawing from friends. Research at a Glance: The research has outlined the significant toll of the pandemic on children’s mental well-being, academic results and physical health. But it...
Adrian R. Camilleri, looks at what to expect in 2022 and beyond COVID-19 has dramatically changed how businesses and consumers behave. We’ve seen panic buying, the rise of the “homebody economy” and a strong shift towards contactless shopping. As we emerge from the worst of the pandemic,...
‘Welcome to our world’: families of children with cancer say the pandemic has helped them feel seen, while putting them in peril, writes Jenny Davies. For billions of people across the world, life as we knew it stopped in 2020. Families and friends were separated. Masks mandated....
Do you want more kids but your partner doesn't? You're not alone....
When I first became a mother in 2013, Carla Pascoe Leahy reports, I realised my experiences of motherhood did not match the kinds of messages circulating around me. As a society we talk about motherhood either in cheesy sentimentalities – think of gift catalogues for Mother’s...
Martin Hensher and Mary Rose Angeles calculated the impact of ‘long COVID’ as Australia opens up. Even without Omicron, they’re worried Over the past two years, we’ve learned COVID-19 survivors can develop a range of longer-term symptoms we now call “long COVID”. This includes people who...
