Happy Families Blog

In 2014 Andrew Fuller, one of Australia’s well-known child and adolescent psychologists, ran a study about resilience with approximately 16000 Aussie youth. The children who were most resilient ...

Playing games, even when we do not feel like it, can build our children’s wellbeing, and make our family feel fun. I had just returned from a long bike ride with my friend, Dave. It was a hot ...

“Kids these days are out of control.” It’s the universal standard line about the state of our nation’s youth in many of our papers, from our radio talk-back hosts, and commentators of all ...

Even in homes where getting by is a bit of a struggle, Christmas is generally a time of indulgence in Australia. We max out our credit cards buying ‘stuff’, eat more than we should, eat fancier ...

One of my favourite questions for parents is “What do we want most for our children?” The two most consistent and predictable responses I receive in my parenting workshops are that we want our ...

Hi Dr Justin I have a 5 year old who has severe anxiety issues. She wakes during the night to ensure I am still at home and often wakes to come into my bed. I send her back to her bed but she ...

We have our greatest influence on our children during the first twelve years of their lives. Once adolescence hits, our ability to guide them is reduced as they become increasingly independent, and as...

Dealing with a fussy eater can be a challenge. Poor eating habits in middle childhood and the tween years tend to be long-lasting. We need to take them seriously. Dear Dr Justin My beautiful 7...

A few weeks ago my 13 year-old dropped her telephone… into the bath. There was a scream. Then tears. Then frantic attempts to open the phone and dry it out. Her panic slowly subsided and was ...