Happy Families Blog

Recently there has been a groundswell of popular opinion extolling the value of letting our kids be bored. A recent New York Times article argued, ‘Boredom teaches us that life isn’t a parade of ...

Dear Dr Justin, My 9-year-old son lashes out at his younger siblings when they bother him and often ends up hurting them. He feels terrible afterwards, but he can’t seem to get his anger or his ...

You enter the kitchen. Your child looks at you like she’s hiding something. You see cake crumbs on the counter and the tips of her fingers. ‘Did you eat the chocolate cake?’ Your child smiles ...

My childhood friend Joel was fearless. When he was about six, Joel’s parents installed a balcony on the back of their pole home. For some reason, the builder couldn’t install the safety railing...

Dear Dr Justin I have been reading a lot about how yelling isn’t good for my kids, but I can’t seem to get them to listen if I don’t raise my voice! Any suggestions on how I can stop yelling?...

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 ...

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...

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...