
Helping Our Kids Feel Good By Doing Good
We all want our kids to feel good. Ice cream. Cake. Beach days. Playdates. These are all great for bringing joy. But typically, these good feelings don’t last. Once the ice cream is gone, or the ...

What To Do When Your Child Lashes Out
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 ...

What To Do When Your Child Lies To You
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 ...

How to tell your friend what their teen is doing on Instagram
Dear Dr Justin, My husband and I have some family friends. Their daughter is friends with our daughter. I recently heard their daughter telling my daughter about her ‘private’ Instagram ...

How To Stop Yelling
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?...

Our Family Holiday in Bali
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 ...

Screen Time and Our Teens’ Mental Health Crisis
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 ...

Six Ways To Be The Best Parent You Can Be
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, ...

Stepping In With Other People’s Kids
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!...

Something Better than Punishment
A farmer was out the front of his farmhouse doing chores one morning when a big four-wheel drive pulled up in the driveway. A man in a uniform climbed out of the vehicle, walked up to the farmer and ...