Author:  Michael Grose

Schools holidays and after school times present challenges for families when parents work. Finding suitable care for children is tricky, particularly when usual arrangements fall over or kids tell you they are too old to be looked after.

A recent study showed that one in 10 Australian children under the age of twelve spend some part of a school holiday at home without supervision.

The legal age when a child can be left at home in Australia varies from state to state. Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania have comparatively harsh penalties for parents who leave children under the age of […]

Author: Michael Grose

Parents and teachers often ask me how to build resilience in kids.

My response is always the same. “Start by building independence and resilience will follow.”

Children are hard-wired for independence

Sometime around the age of fifteen months (give or take three months), most children will make a strong case for self-sufficiency. They demand to do things their own way. This demand is soon backed by a strong voice – “NOOOO!” and the more articulate cries of “I can do it!” as their third birthday approaches.

This is the time to harness their push for independence and self-sufficiency. Their push for […]

Author: Michael Grose

“My partner needs to hear this!”

This is typical of many comments I’ve been hearing lately from participants at my Anxious Kids workshops and seminars. It’s a healthy recognition that parent consistency is a significant element in successful parenting, particularly when facing a child’s behavioural or wellbeing challenge.

It’s also recognition that one of the biggest challenges for many couples is creating the same parenting storyline. It’s a common challenge.

You may be strict, while your partner is lenient. You may value family mealtime highly, while your partner is ambivalent about breaking bread as a family.

Differences in parenting are natural, […]

Author Dr Rosina McAlpine

Recent events and current statistics highlight that as a nation we have a serious problem when it comes to domestic violence. While there’s no easy solution, together, we can do our part to stop violence against women. If you’re a parent or guardian, you can play an important role. Most studies show that a boy’s disrespect towards girls generally begins in childhood.

Disrespect shows in small behavioural ways that can often be ignored or go unnoticed. These behaviours include teasing, using put-downs and through verbal bullying and harassment. We can break the cycle by teaching our children to […]

Author: Michael Hawton

Hardly a day goes by without a report in the media about the rising rates of anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses in children and young people. The causes are, no doubt, complex and varied. We live in a busy world, with many demands on children and their families and sometimes the pressure to ‘do it all’ places an undue burden on us and our kids. As well, using technology and engaging with social media may be affecting us and our children in ways we had not foreseen.

If we think about mental wellness and resilience, it is […]

Author – Michael Grose 

Most parenting experts are committed to positive action to maintain forward momentum. Half of the parents I have met don’t need to learn what to do, they need to learn what to stop.

Parenting experts spend a lot of time helping parents learn what to do. But we don’t spend enough time teaching parents what to stop. There are a lot of good reasons for this. Probably most prominent is the fact that most parenting experts are committed to positive action to maintain forward momentum. If you are a parent or an educator who works with parents, […]

Author: Sharon Witt

The bond between mother and daughter is truly unique and has far-reaching effects on the development and socialisation of girls throughout their lifetime.

Increasing the emotional connection between mothers and daughters can foster mutual support. Here are some ideas to help you be an effective mother for your daughter.

Know your impact

Mothers are a powerful influence. The way a mother acts in front of her daughter largely influences her daughter’s behaviour. When a mother can model how to feel pride, take pleasure in her accomplishments, feel a sense of competence and hold a positive self-image she is empowering her […]

Author: Professor Lea Waters

Personality strengths—our character—play a big role in helping us build our talents. Think about anyone who has built a talent and imagine if it could have been done without character. Imagine Einstein without curiosity, The Beatles without creativity, Mother Teresa without compassion and Neil Armstrong without bravery.

Yet for decades, scientists were blind to character strength. We focused on talent, often on physical strength and skills. In fact, when I first ask young children what they think a strength is, they almost always point to their biceps or talk about being able to lift something heavy.
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Once you […]

Author:  Dr Rosina McAlpine

Recent events and current statistics highlight that as a nation we have a serious problem when it comes to domestic violence. While there’s no easy solution, together, we can do our part to stop violence against women. If you’re a parent or guardian, you can play an important role. Disrespect towards girls can begin in childhood, and we can break the cycle when we teach our children to be respectful and caring right from the start.

As parents, we have three main jobs:

First, to love our children and build a strong lifetime bond
Second, to keep them safe from […]

Author: Dr Jodi Richardson

If you’re the parent of an anxious child you’re most certainly not alone. The number of children experiencing an anxiety disorder is currently estimated at 117 million worldwide. Here in Australia, there’s an average of 2 anxious kids in every classroom; and they’re the ones with a diagnosis. Many more anxious kids are yet to have their anxiety identified and understood.

As much as we’d like to, we can’t rid our kids of their anxiety, but we can help them to manage it in ways that enable them move it from centre stage and get on with […]