A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Working out what’s going on in the minds of younger Australians can be both confusing and frustrating. Are they happy, worried, feeling like they don’t belong, or all of the above? A new survey of 47,000 children across Australia, aged between 6 and 18, may give us a better sense of what makes them tick. [...]
It's disheartening to consider that even the most naturally attractive model cannot match the beauty of her own images once they've been airbrushed. Yet even this level of perfection is flogged as achievable, provided you buy whatever it is she's selling.To ease the insane pressure placed on girls, governments and media standards bodies must create [...]
My 4-year-old recently called out to me that he was all dressed for school and going to play outside. A moment later, I watched him appear outside the kitchen window and begin to happily blow bubbles — in his pajamas. It can be alarming to parents when children begin telling lies like this (as well [...]
When tragic events like the Las Vegas shooting occur, it can be hard to know what to say to your kids. After all, it doesn’t make sense why someone would do something so horrific. So how can you possibly explain it to your kids? Many parents’ first instinct might be to avoid the subject and hope their kids [...]
Without a doubt, this time of year is all about winning. Thanks to the last few weeks of finals fever, the media has been full of tales about underdogs triumphing and boys from the wrong side of the tracksmaking good because of the saving grace of sport. The football grand finals are one thing, but should we be concerned [...]
A program that focuses on strengthening parenting skills also improves symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in 3-8 year-olds, according to researchers at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. FPG scientists completed a rigorous review of evidence that demonstrated the effectiveness of the “Incredible [...]
High blood pressure during pregnancy poses serious risks to mothers and babies. It may also increase the risk for childhood obesity, a new study reports. Chinese researchers studied 88,406 mother-child pairs, with complete data on maternal blood pressure during pregnancy and multiple follow-ups between ages 4 and 7 for the children. About 10 percent of [...]
The truth is, what you say is not nearly as important as your attitude. Your child feels your warmth and love even when you don't say a word. But what about those times when you're not feeling all that much love? Those hot moments when you're trying hard to keep things from blowing up, and [...]
My 13-year-old daughter literally cringes when I touch her. Any attempt at showing affection to my once cuddly and affectionate daughter is now met with resistance. You know, the I’m-a-teen-and-I’m-way-too-old-for-this attitude that consumes our children sometime between the ages of 11 and 16. When I fall victim to this melancholy temperament, I’m quickly driven into [...]
Most parents and caregivers know they shouldn’t hit kids. They’re also aware that emotional punishments—shaming, yelling, ridiculing—have unhappy unintended consequences. But the same adults often believe it’s okay to isolate kids when the adult doesn’t like the way the child is behaving. Adults Need Timeouts (for Themselves) We all get overwhelmed sometimes. That’s when we’re [...]
