Victoria Minson asks What are the national standards? Recently, we heard claims of shocking abuse and neglect in Australian childcare centres on ABC’s Four Corners program. While 91% of services met or exceeded the national standards as of February 2025, there have also been reports of centres...
Funny and Engaging Early Reader Books to Build Kids’ Vocabulary Early Reader books—sometimes called Junior Fiction—sit between picture books and more advanced chapter books. Aimed at children aged 6 to 8, these books feature more complex plots, rich vocabulary to support reading growth, and plenty of...
Lucinda Bertram tries to deal tactfully with her daughters’ prolific artistic output. “Oh, it’s lovely,” I hear myself saying as, yet again, my daughter walks proudly towards me at the end of the preschool day, holding a mountain of biscuit and tissue boxes glued together. “It’s...
There are big conversations parents need to have to empower their children to be safe in the digital world. Why the Show Is Causing Concern Netflix’s new crime drama Adolescence has sparked anxiety among parents and child protection experts. The series follows 13-year-old Jamie Miller, who is...
It's ‘Literally just child gambling’, write researchers Taylor Hardwick and Marcus Carter Roblox is one of the world’s most popular online platforms for children, offering a variety of “experiences” including games and virtual spaces. Most of the experiences are free, but they offer upgrades, bonuses and...
Adolescence is a technical masterpiece that exposes the darkest corners of incel culture and male rage, reports Kate Cantrell and Susan Hopkins Filmed in a one-take style, Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham’s new crime drama Adolescence is being hailed by critics as a technical masterpiece. Out now...
Emma Bateman highlights the differences in parenting styles between mums and dads. At the playground, my arms are folded tightly around my waist and I’m scowling. Not at my two-year-old son, who is smiling crazily, but at my husband, John, who is dangling William precariously about...
The 2025 CBCA Book of the Year Shortlist has just been announced. The List of Notables was published at the end of February. This year's shortlist features some of the best known names in Australian children’s literature, such as Isobelle Carmody, Freya Blackwood, Matt Stanton and...
Mouthguards are crucial for kids in sport to protect their teeth, jaw, and soft tissues With 100,000 sport-related concussions occurring in Australia each year, parents and young athletes are being urged to prioritise mouthguard protection as the 2025 junior and amateur AFL and rugby seasons kick off....
It takes some time before Amelia Sommer adjusts to, and appreciates, the role that her mother is prepared to play in her children’s lives. Once, when my 10-month-old daughter would not stop crying, and I was trying to placate her as well as cope with her...
