Tagged - Video for Teens about Online Reputation and Cyberbullying
Developed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority's Cybersmart program, Tagged is a short film for teenagers that encourages students to discuss the core ethical obligations of going online. It explores issues like the widespread impact of cyberbullying, how internet users can manage their digital reputation and how online interactions may have real-life consequences. Read full article
Teachers Talk - What to Do if Your Child is Being Bullied
NSW school teachers talk on video about what parents can do if their child is being bullied at school. Signs to look out for and how to communicate with the school. Every school in NSW has an anti bullying policy. Ask to see your child's school's policy. Read full article
I Was Not a Shy Child
I’m quite an outgoing person – not a ‘raving extrovert’ but do I love meeting people, finding out all I can about them, telling them something (okay, a lot) about me, and I thrive in other people’s company. I love talking and chatting and debating – you might’ve already figured that out about me by now. But I don’t fit all the stereotypes of an extrovert ... One of our boys was quite a tentative young man when he was a toddler and young primary school student. Read full article
Teen Motherhood will Always be a Challenge
It's difficult to comment on other people's personal circumstances without full knowledge of their backgrounds, values and capacities to cope. But what most people will agree on is that parenting while you are a teenager is always going to be a challenge. It's a big call learning how to parent well when you still need parenting yourself. This story about Soya Keaveny who came to the attention of the media at 12 when she was a bikini model and told journalists she was exercising two hours every day and doing 200 push ups to maintain a skinny look. Read full article
Primary School Students Forced to Visit Toilet at Same Time
This morning I read an article in the Australian newspaper The Age about a primary school in Melbourne that had recently trialled an approach to students visiting the toilet during class time. According to the article, principal Dr Kim Dray explained that the trial was part of signalling "a new level of respect for the toilets in the school." Quoting an email, the article confirmed that the policy was aimed at a "long term and persistent problem of deliberate toilet vandalism". ...I was outraged when I read this - to me it seems like a solution from the early 20th century - where the whole class is punished for the toileting requirements of one child. Read full article
Would You Love Bomb Your Child?
Oliver James is a UK-based clinical child psychologist who has recently written about a technique he calls ‘love bombing’ to help children overcome fears and anxieties that may be causing behavioural problems ... James says that this technique can solve many common behavioural problems in children, giving them a feeling of security so that many of the fears and anxieties causing their behaviour can be allayed. Read full article
Morbidly Obese Children - Should Community Services Intervene?
Dr. David Ludwig, an obesity specialist at Harvard-affiliated Children's Hospital Boston, contributed to an article in the American Medical Association Journal calling for consideration of protecting morbidly obese children in extreme cases by temporarily removing them from their parents. One of the arguments is that this would be better than risks associated with bariatric surgery for example. Discussion on Sunrise Channel 7 with Yvette Vignando about the Australian situation. Read full article
What Happened to Just ‘Muddling Through' as a Parent?
These days there is so much advice available to parents, it can be hard to know where to start. It’s good to have help available 24/7, but can all this information create a feeling of overload? Would we be better off ignoring the ‘experts’ with their conflicting opinions and just relying on good old-fashioned commonsense and gut instinct to help us navigate our parenting journey? Should we just chat to our neighbour over the back fence or have a chinwag with the playgroup mums if there’s a parenting issue that is troubling us? Read full article
Reduce Stress Overload - Tips for Parents - Podcast
Dr Helen Street features in this one hour podcast about parents and stress. Yvette Vignando interviewed Dr Street about: How to incorporate stress management into your daily life; How to focus on and define what you can control; Understanding how flexible thinking can help you handle life's stressful events; and Strategies for looking after yourself Read full article
My Child is Hitting, Biting, Pushing - Helping Children with Aggression
Has your child ever lashed out and hurt someone? Has another aggressive child ever bothered him? If your answer is yes, join the crowd! Almost all of us struggle with understanding and helping our children when they hurt others, and when they are hurt by other children. It's a shock to us the first time our sweet sons and daughters suddenly bite someone, or throw something at the new baby in the family. Here are some guiding principles for understanding and relieving children's aggression, so they can relax and enjoy their friends and siblings. Read full article
