A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
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 [...]
GrogWatch is outraged that Cricket Australia has censored the messages of the WACA sponsor Healthway to ensure alcohol sponsors aren’t upset, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald. Not only is the alcohol industry failing to self-regulate its own ads, but its now managing to squash health messages. This is not going unnoticed and concerned parents are hitting [...]
Dolly Doctor and Oral Sex: is advice to girls clear? Melinda Tankard Reist Dolly Doctor this issue deals with oral sex. Parents with younger Dolly readers in the family may want to be aware of that and be prepared to talk about it with them (Dolly has featured’ Readers of the month’ who are 11). [...]
Losing your virginity and double standards for men and women: Girlfriend October 2013 Melinda Tankard Reist The article ‘Like a Virgin’, in the October issue of Girlfriend, argues, quite rightly, that there is a double standard when it comes to men losing their virginity and women losing theirs. “It’s time we stopped talking like virginity [...]
Parents who provide alcohol to someone else's child, thus jeopardising that child's mental development, display an abhorrent lack of competency, not just as a parent but as a member of society, as a human being. There is no excuse for such a crime. Parents who do such a thing should face several years in prison. [...]
Maggie Dent's suggestions for parents who are survivors of child abuse: Find a safe trustworthy person to explore your 'child' story of the painful moments of childhood, so that the story can then be viewed through adult eyes and be transformed. Pursue personal growth and healing by reading, listening, doing seminars, doing online trainings, sharing [...]
In Australia nearly one in two marriages end in separation and divorce. This directly impacts many children in our schools and adults in our workplaces, parishes and social networks, and quite possibly our own family too. Coping with the family changes that result can be challenging for children and their parents, and for those supporting [...]
Parents who yell at their adolescent children for misbehaving can cause some of the same problems as hitting them would, including increased risk of depression and aggressive behavior, according to a new study. A good, warm relationship with Mom and Dad doesn't protect teens from the negative effects of parents' yelling, cursing or lobbing insults, [...]
Many teenagers want to quit smoking and make serious attempts to do so each year. However, most are addicted to nicotine and have little knowledge about the quitting process. In most cases young people go ‘cold turkey’, quitting abruptly without any assistance or medication. Not surprisingly, quit rates are very low. Here are 5 tips to [...]
