A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Leading children's author Mem Fox finds it ''heartbreaking'' to see small children left alone with smartphones and tablets to entertain themselves, saying an increasing reliance on technology to teach children how to read could inhibit their empathy and social skills. Fox said parents must keep reading books - either paper or ebooks - with their [...]
It has long been acknowledged that bullying at a young age presents a problem for schools, parents and public policy makers alike. Although children spend more time with their peers than their parents, there is relatively little published research on understanding the impact of these interactions on their lives beyond school. The results of the [...]
Is it April Fool’s day? Of course it isn’t. So why am I reading ridiculous headlines like this? Melbourne schools ban playground games because of lack of resilience The report stated that schools were banning Tiggy because kids would just give up when they were tagged, and quoted the Victorian Principals Association president Gabrielle [...]
Teenagers should spend no more than two hours on the internet each day, doctors warned as they advised parents to remove laptops and gadgets from their children’s bedrooms. Many mothers and fathers remain “clueless” about the impact excessive media exposure can have on their children and need to “get with it”, it was suggested. Dr [...]
I bet there’s certain things kids say that grate on you. I bet there are slang terms that, quite simply, you don’t understand. Every now and then you’ll come across a helpful list of the latest “kids speak” like this one. Go on, read it. It’s brilliant. I’ll bet if you think back, [...]
The teen years are often fraught with door-slamming, eye-rolling and seeming insensitivity, even by kids who behaved kindly before. Some parents worry that they're doing something wrong, or that their children will never think of anyone but themselves. New research shows that biology, not parenting, is to blame. In adolescence, critical social skills that are [...]
Recently, my 5 year-old son has started proclaiming, “I’m booooorrrrred.” My reaction? Good. When I was a kid I distinctly remember my gran telling me that, “Only boring people get bored.” She never really elaborated, and I’m still not too sure what she meant, but I like it. And I’ve started saying [...]
I have recently returned from a trip to Africa. In the weeks leading up to my trip I was often asked, “Why would you go to Africa to talk on technology?” Because the world is truly a global village! I have seen it with my own eyes. Other than perhaps extremely remote areas, almost [...]
A few months ago I wrote a piece highlighting the different rates of ADHD diagnosis in Australia compared to those in France. It appeared that ADHD could be something of an “Aussie thing.” Last weekend, I read an article in the Sydney Morning Herald that highlighted the risks associated with ADHD medication, and rates [...]
WHEN it comes to making the classroom more "scientific", there is good, solid research into the best ways of helping children with dyslexia or autism, or encouraging kids to become bilingual. And then there's the other stuff. via Separating neuromyths from science in education - opinion - 02 September 2013 - New Scientist.
