Whether you’re adding meat or not, writes Roberta, the secret to making creamy mushroom pasta without cream is to add some pasta cooking water. A good splash of the starch-rich water that pasta is cooked in gives any sauce a lovely creamy texture without the need...
As Australia navigates rising ADHD diagnoses, expanding pharmaceutical interventions, and new support frameworks like Thriving Kids, critical reflection and transparency remain essential. The Therapeutic State: When Morality Becomes Medicine Where people were once judged for simply behaving badly, psychiatry now often treats those same behaviours as medical...
Robert Spillane presents a controversial view that ADHD may be overdiagnosed and over-medicalised. When I was studying clinical psychology in the 1960s, my teachers were adamant that when it comes to children, ‘hands off’. In those halcyon days, children misbehaved; they did not suffer from...
Parents don’t need to try harder to ease parenting stress, writes Elizabeth Sharda. Forget self-reliance and look for ways to share the care. I wrap up my workday and head for home, making a quick stop to grab the supplies my sixth grader needs for a...
After speaking with many parents who have lost children to suicide, here’s what Debbie Swibel wishes all parents could know. For many parents, the thought of speaking to their children about suicide sparks fear and anxiety. It feels daunting, too confronting, or not suitable for their...
Bullying in schools can have a devastating impact on victims. Research shows it can lead to reduced academic performance, depression, anxiety and even suicidal behaviour. So, preventing and reducing bullying is an urgent priority for governments as well as families and schools. However, a common obstacle to...
Coercive control: the silent abuse harming children nationwide Barnardos Australia is warning that children across rural and regional Australia are becoming the hidden victims of coercive control — a form of domestic violence that uses intimidation, surveillance and financial restriction rather than physical assault. Although often invisible...
Lisa Burling looks at outdated myths and the new awareness of advanced wound dressings. Every parent knows the routine: a tumble in the playground, a grazed knee, and a dash to the bathroom cabinet. For generations, we’ve reached for a plaster, dabbed on some antiseptic cream,...
Martha Wegner is often a reluctant audience to her family of extroverts. A Constant Stream of Stories “Mum, are you listening to me?” I turn around once again to face my youngest child. “Of course I’m listening to you. Aren’t I always listening to you?” Undaunted by...
The 2025 Uniting Families Report shows housing stress, money worries, and care responsibilities are cutting too many parents off from the community support every child deserves. Why a Village Matters We’ve all heard the saying “it takes a village to raise a child”—but for many Australian families, that...
