
Should my teenager get a job?
Most kids begin earning money at a relatively young age.
Many get paid for chores or for baby-sitting, car-washing, or odd jobs around the neighbourhood. By around the age of 15, many children are ...

Expecting a baby?
Every now and then a book comes into our lives at the perfect time. This article is about a book that is just what I needed, just when I needed. My wife and I are expecting a baby. It’s our 6th ...

Here comes NAPLAN again
The following is an edited and updated version of an article I originally published on “The Punch”. NAPLAN testing is scheduled, as always, for May of this year in schools around the country. ...

The ONE thing your kids need from you TODAY
In my work, I travel a lot. I’m in and out of cabs, trains, and planes regularly. Whenever I catch a taxi, my occupation invariably comes up. I write and speak about parenting. And when my cabbie ...

My son is hurting people
To Dr Justin Can you please offer me advice on how to deal with lying, deliberately antagonistic behaviour and violent outbursts in my 5.5 year old son. I use loss of certain privileges for a ...

I’ve got the POWER – Or do I?
Kids push boundaries. It’s normal. It’s appropriate. It’s a pain! But let me ask you a question. Do we want to avoid power struggles?
Power struggles are important markers of our children’s ...

I am not the maid – how to get 5 star service from the kids at home
Do the kids at your place think you're just there to do their bidding? You're not alone! Thankfully though, there are dozens of strategies for teaching our children that we do not exist solely to ...

Responding to Toddler Tantrums
Hi Dr Justin My three year-old has been having total meltdowns every time I say ‘no’. He loses it when he can’t have his own way. My friend told me her psychologist said to ignore the tantrum...

Surviving Your Teenager’s First Love (and all the others)
Remember when you first had a girl or boyfriend?
If you were like most teens, you constantly thought about that person and wanted to be with them. Your days were spent obsessing about when you could ...

Whose House Rules?
Do you remember when your children were younger and they would go to play at their friends’ house? From time to time they might come home and tell you about how different the ‘rules’ were for ...