A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Research across many years and many cultures has found around 35-40% of people say they feel insecure in their adult relationships. While 60-65% experience secure, loving and satisfying relationships. How secure or insecure we are with our romantic partners depends, in part, on how we bonded with our parents at a young age. From the [...]
This article explores the benefits of bedtime stories, beyond what is known about reading to children generally. The main benefits it relates are psychological: this regular ritual helps kids to wind down, to be comforted, to connect with their parent and to engage their imaginations. It also covers one important physiological benefit, that reading to [...]
Among all the other demands of life, it's easy to forget that strong family bonds don't just happen. Hard work and planning go into families that even get along, to say nothing of being friends. With the right forethought and support, however, it's entirely possible to ensure that siblings are friends both as children and [...]
This information from Parentline helps carers of children suffering from the most common form of the most common mental health condition: social anxiety disorder. Although highly treatable, the article acknowledges that SAD can be difficult to diagnose in children given that young kids are often shy. However, it's also important to help kids with an [...]
This article by Liz Marchant covers some practical considerations of planning for school holidays, but goes more in-depth on negotiating with employers around flexible working arrangements and other options which allow parents to be present for more or all of their children's time off. Excellent practical advice on an issue that's increasingly become the norm [...]
Dear Parent: I know. You're worried. Every day, your child comes home with a story about THAT kid. The one who is always hitting/shoving/pinching/scratching/maybe even biting other children. The one who always has to hold my hand in the hallway. The one who has a special spot at the carpet, and sometimes sits on a [...]
When a teenager is really upset, parents often feel the need to do something — gather information (“Who hurt you and what’s their phone number?”), launch into a profound lecture, or maybe try a problem-solving technique they heard about in a TED talk. A better first response: Grab a glitter jar. It’s an idea psychologist [...]
My son, Aiden Dennis, was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) at age 5. He is now 11 years old and, with a little inspiration from a waffle, he’s also the author of an award winning book that aims to help other neurodiverse kids like himself. This is his story, but it’s also mine. [...]
Cyberbullying peaks when students are on summer break, but parents are leaving teachers to deal with the fallout when the school year resumes, educators and experts say. Melbourne teacher Joel Hamilton* has had enough of your children. Specifically, he's had enough of you. "Teachers are fighting a losing battle against parents," the primary school educator [...]
We know from new research that children whose mothers are depressed may respond differently to stress, have altered immunity and be at greater risk of psychological disorders. This work adds to the body of research showing children can be affected in negative and long-term ways by their mothers’ mental ill-health. But what about dads? Men’s [...]
