Happy Families Blog

When it comes to holidays, I’m normally a do it yourself kind of guy. I’m big on exploration, activity, and getting off the beaten track. I want to go my own way. For me it’s all about ...

In a 2018 survey half of the parents questioned believed that smart phone usage negatively affected their child’s mental health. And nearly half thought their child was actually addicted to the ...

Think of the times that your parenting has been its best. Those times where you were unconditionally there for your child and it felt “right”. When I ask parents to tell me about those times, ...

Dear Dr Justin, My 15-year-old son was hanging out in his bedroom with one of his friends. When I walked by, I saw my son’s friend frantically trying to stash a packet of cigarettes into his bag!...

                             Time-out is still the most often recommended form of discipline. Paediatricians, parenting experts and child development experts continue to recommend it...

Hi Dr Justin, I worry – consistently – about my kids’ safety when they’re not at home. I’m thinking about getting them to use a location tracker so I know they’re safe. What do you ...

Teaching our kids responsibility is one of our jobs as parents. And it’s an important one. We all know adults today who don’t handle responsibility well – maybe it’s finances, maybe it’s ...

Hi Dr Justin I hate saying no to my kids. I keep softening up, getting talked around, giving in. I’m getting walked all over. How do I set limits and still feel like I’m being a good mum? This...

School holidays are fast approaching. For the kids, there have been 10 or so weeks of sport, music, schoolwork, sitting still and navigating friendships. For the parents, it’s been 10 weeks of ...

Parenting with or without Parental Controls Dear Dr Justin, A few weeks ago we found our ten-year-old son looking at an explicit website on his iPad. He says he found it accidentally when he was ...