Mental Health Consequences of Hard Border Closures on FIFO Children
In March 2020 Western Australia shut its borders. While there may be well-meaning policies behind the border closures, there’s no escaping the fact that this decision has irrevocably changed ...
What to Do When Parents and Grandparents Disagree
In Australia, two-thirds of parents are both working and raising young children. And many of those families are turning to grandparents to fill the vital role as carers for their kids. In fact, almost...
Having Parents in Love Is Great for Your Kids.
Being in love feels amazing. And it’s incredibly good for you. New research shows having parents in love is also incredibly good for our kids.
As humans we love love. We crave love and affection, ...
Finding Joy Out Of Crisis
Life is less cluttered. It’s slower-paced. We have more time for one another. This was the consensus during a family dinner conversation last week. I had asked my family what was working for us ...
How to Help Your Anxious Child Transition Back to School
I recently wrote about how to find joy during crisis. Much of what I included came from my Facebook community, who shared their stories of joy and happiness out of a stressful and difficult time. This...
Delaying Sex in the Teen Years – It’s Good But Not For The Reasons You Think
Do you remember how sex-obsessed you were as a teen? Or your friends? Even if you weren’t doing it, chances are you were talking about it, asking about it, and thinking about it. Sure, it starts...
How to Deal With Child to Parent Aggression
Aggressive behaviour by a child towards a parent is one of the least studied areas of domestic violence. This is due in large part because parents are reluctant to admit that it happens. Many ...
Helping Children Face Their Fears
Doubt and fear seem to be intrinsically woven into the hearts of some children. Their worries and anxieties cause them to shrink, lean out, and avoid. Sometimes, as parents, we fail to recognise that ...
How to Get Your Teen to Take COVID-19 Seriously
Last Saturday night (only 36 hours before all restaurants and cafes were closed by the government) my 17-year-old daughter grabbed the car keys, called out “See ya Dad!” and ran down the front ...
What to do When You’ve Made a Mistake With Your Child
I recently received an anonymous message from a devastated mum. After reading one of my articles about why we should never threaten our child with abandonment – like “If you don’t get in the car...