‘I had it first!’ All children argue, writes Amelia Church, and while this can be tedious for parents and carers, it’s not necessarily a problem. Conflict can help develop social skills, including learning to negotiate, and accommodate the needs of others. But if the conflict is physical, if...
Catherine Wade looks at what parents can do during their child's 'tweenage' years The teenage years can be among the trickiest times for a parent. You have been used to being your child’s voice of reason. Then, all of a sudden, your authority is challenged by...
What do most people mean by “happiness”? asks Dr Caroline West and other philosophers. Is maximising pleasure and enjoyment really our ultimate aim, as some studies argue? Some influential studies show that the decision to have kids leads to greater suffering — at least for parents....
Social Worker, Priscilla Dunk-West gives some practical advice for parents. In Australia, around 21,000 divorces involving children occur annually. Separation and divorce can be an emotionally exhausting and difficult time, something which is recognised by the Family Court of Australia, which provides resources to assist people...
Here’s how to protect the kids’ mental health, writes Rachael Sharman There’s an annual underground phenomena happening right now around Australia: couples who have decided to separate, but are putting on a happy face to perform their final Christmas as an intact family. January is known...
No wonder you don’t feel like sex, write researchers Emily Harris and Sari van Anders A man sits on the couch, watching TV. His partner, a woman, prepares dinner, while mentally ticking off her to-do list. That includes returning her partner’s shirts she’d ordered online for...
The Claus come out as Morgan and Sheree Gleeson set aside peace and goodwill to debate their divided Christmas convictions… SHE SAYS… The magical dust of Christmas glitters on the cheeks of childhood so briefly… (Max Lucado) When I was little, the night sky was deeply mysterious. I...
Sarah Pietrzak has learned that it’s best not to ask people, even friends, about their family planning. I could have bitten my tongue off after the words left my mouth, although I suspect that the person I was talking to would have happily done it for...
Here’s what the science says, writes Mary Steen Soon after a baby is born, it’s getting more common these days for the father or non-birthing parent to be encouraged to put the newborn directly on their chest. This skin-to-skin contact is often termed “kangaroo care”, as...
Problems conceiving are not just about women. Male infertility is behind 1 in 3 IVF cycles, report researchers Karin Hammarberg, Georgina Chambers and Rob McLachlan For the first time, IVF clinics in Australia and New Zealand have reported data about the scale and range of male fertility...
