A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
• Parents are the largest supplier of alcohol to under 18s • Teens three times more likely to drink full serves if parents supply Teenagers whose parents supply alcohol in early adolescence are three times as likely to be drinking full serves of alcohol at age 16 as children in families that do not supply [...]
Parents may not always see it, but efforts to limit their children's screen time can make a difference. A new study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, found children get more sleep, do better in school, behave better and see other health benefits when parents limit content and the amount of time their children spend on the [...]
We often attribute the narcissistic tendencies of others to parenting practices or early social experiences. But new research reveals that economic conditions in the formative years of early adulthood may also play a role. The research shows that people who entered their adulthood during hard economic times are less narcissistic later in life than those [...]
Here's the thing: what if it's over-baked? What if the claims made for neuroscience are so extreme that most neuroscientists would disown them? What if the constant references to "brain scans of neglected children" actually just meant one brain scan, from one highly contested study? What if synaptic development were a bit more complicated than [...]
Research reveals some parents go through a grieving process when their child is diagnosed with a mental illness, and it often goes unnamed. Shannon Chapman talks about her experience, and how you can move through the process in a mentally healthy way. Just over a year ago, my son experienced severe anxiety around going to [...]
On the weekend I gave a short talk entitled Father & Son – Side by Side at an event ran by Kids Giving Back. In short, the day involved 30+ fathers with their teenage sons cooking meals and delivering them to people who needed them; women’s shelters, youth refuges, services for homeless people etc. [...]
Last week an article on the Generation Next Blog discussed how schools are struggling to deal with the perceived rise in teenage “binge drinking.” Having been a high school teacher my whole professional life I have seen first hand how schools are expected to take an increasing responsibility in teaching students about these kids [...]
Too busy for a ‘Thumbs Up?’ My 5-year-old son attends swimming lessons each and every Sunday. It’s a busy pool with multiple classes going on at once. During lessons parents sit around the pool and watch their offspring splash around, offering words of encouragement, the occasional ‘thumbs up’ and many smiles of pride. [...]
For parents who think they can relax when their children finish the HSC and turn 18, neuroscience has some bad news. New techniques for tracking brain growth show radical change extends into at least the mid-20s, suggesting responsible parenting should too. Just as the first pictures showing a vulnerable isolated earth from the moon helped [...]
The recent SMH article outlining author Mem Fox's genuine concern about the increasing use of technology as a replacement for parental interaction with their kids was spot-on, and should raise alarm bells - but will it? I know I'm not Gen X, Y or Z - happy to admit I am a Baby Boomer - [...]
