A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
'Family-school and community partnerships are re-defining the boundaries and functions of education. They enlarge parental and community capacity; they create conditions in which children learn more effectively. In these ways they take education beyond the school gates'.* The Family-School and Community Partnership Bureau recently commissioned a report into the effects parental engagement on children’s educational [...]
"There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” Nelson Mandela A new report released in Canberra on 15 March by the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) entitled The Wellbeing of Young Australians, puts Australia’s youth on the middle to lower end [...]
So Christmas is over and many young people will now be the proud owners of some sort of new technology. It is important to set boundaries around the use of new technology such as iPhones, iPads computers and internet access. This gives peace of mind to both parents and teenagers as both feel they are [...]
Famous for his book Raising Boys, author and Generation Next speaker Steve Biddulph has just published a new book Raising Girls. He wrote the book out of concerns for increased mental health issues which many girls now face and are facing earlier and earlier. "Anxiety and depression have doubled in the last 10 years. Girls' [...]
Worldwide 793 million people still cannot read In countries such as Kenya, Nepal and America children are getting together and discovering the world of the written word. For many of them it is opening new doors, not only to the joy of reading but it is also building within themselves a sense of self worth, [...]
Steve Biddulph, author of Raising Boys and Generation Next speaker talks about the importance of giving boys different bonding experiences as they grow. He says that boys experience 3 main developmental stages as they go through life: 0-6 years old: bonding with mum and learning to love A recent study published in the journal [...]
Media is everywhere. Increasingly children are directly targeted and marketed to by media and advertising who are projecting images that are age inappropriate. The sexualisation of children by the media can be seen in adult style clothing for young girls, sexual references on clothing for boys and girls, music videos, billboards and magazines. Melinda Tankard [...]
97% of children play video games* 2% are addicted The recent story of an Adelaide mother who is struggling with her 17 year old son’s addiction to the online fantasy game Runescape probably rang alarm bells with many parents who suspect or know their teenager is in front of a screen far too often and [...]
Body image is the No. 1 concern for young people aged 12 to 24. Signs include obsessing about their weight, their shape, their size. Parents should focus on a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Praise your daughter for her accomplishments not her looks.* The new Lottie doll has arrived and it is a welcome change from the [...]
70% of smokers say they want to quit. Most smokers start when they are teenagers. Tobacco is addictive, out of the 3 million smokers in Australia, 70% want to quite but find the habit very hard to kick even though they are aware of the health risks. Saturday 1 December 2012, saw a new turning [...]
