Author:  Michael Grose

In the early years some clinginess, crying and tantrums are normal when a child is separating from parents. While a great deal of separation anxiety disappears with age, some young children will continue to experience anxiety when going to pre-school, child care or other care arrangements. This anxiety can be distressing for parents, and become an unnecessary source of guilt, further fuelling a child’s anxiety. Many children who experience separation anxiety are biologically predisposed to anxiousness, shying away from new or novel situations. Here are some ways to support an anxious child at drop-off:

Become practised at separations

Help […]

Author: Michael Grose

As a former primary school teacher with 15 years experience and a parenting educator with 30 years experience, I’ve learned a great deal about the importance of healthy relationships between a child’s parent/s and their teacher. I hold a Master of Educational Studies from Monash University specialising in parenting education, a Bachelor of Education and a Diploma of Primary Teaching from SCV Toorak University (now Deakin University). I’ve done the theory and I’ve also put my the boots on the ground. Uniquely, this has allowed me to appreciate perspectives from either side of the school gate.

Studies show that […]

Author: Michael Grose

New Zealand singing sensation Lorde created a social media frenzy recently when she announced that she’s putting her new recording on hold while she deals with the death of her dog.

The immediate reaction of this writer was not supportive. I shared a link to an article in UK newspaper The Independent titled “Lorde delays new album release after death of dog” and commented “Sorry, is it just me or can others see a problem with this? 7.6 million followers (presumably mostly young) are influenced by her. A little more resilience may be in order. Am I being too harsh?”

Presumably […]

Author: Michael Grose

As a parenting educator for more than 25 years, I’ve had many opportunities to observe and listen to parents in action. During this time I’ve learned some valuable lessons about raising children and managing families.

Usually, my advice is positive in that I try to focus on what you should be doing as a parent. Maintaining forward momentum has always been my aim. However, it helps sometimes to be reminded of some of the behaviours we should stop or do less of if we are to raise autonomous, emotionally-smart citizens of the future.

Here are some parenting behaviours you […]

Author: Amy Morin

We’ve created an environment that fosters anxiety rather than resilience.

The New York Times recently published an article called, “Why Are More American Teenagers Than Ever Suffering From Severe Anxiety?” The author chronicled several teens’ battle with anxiety over the course of a few years.

The article questioned why we’re seeing such a rise in anxiety among today’s youth. As a psychotherapist, college lecturer, and author of 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Do, I agree that anxiety is a widespread issue among adolescents. It’s the most common reason people of all ages enter my therapy office.

Some young people are overachieving perfectionists with a crippling […]

Author: Michael Grose

At a time when the mental health and wellbeing of children and teenagers is firmly in the spotlight, validation is an essential parenting skill.

When a child or teen comes to you when they are struggling emotionally, they want you to understand their dilemma. They don’t want to be dismissed or told to ‘get over it’. They generally want someone to acknowledge that their concern is real with comments such as:

“I see you’re worried about going to camp. I can understand that. “
“Thanks for telling about the scary monsters in your bedroom. Let’s see what we can do […]

Author: Martine Oglethorpe

How do we develop and nurture our child’s self-esteem in a world where the likes, comments and followers are often seen as the social currency for popularity, confidence and self-worth?

While young people live out much of their social lives online, there are certain elements of this world that can have a negative impact on the social and emotional wellbeing of young people, particularly if that person’s self-esteem is already fragile.

The very connected, very visible and public nature of social media ensures that many of the challenges faced by young people previously are now magnified and felt more […]

This question originally appeared on Quora: What are the skills every 18 year old needs? Answer by Julie Lythcott-Haims, Author of NYT bestseller How to Raise an Adult; former Stanford dean; podcast host.

1. An 18-year-old must be able to talk to strangers

Faculty, deans, advisers, landlords, store clerks, human resource managers, coworkers, bank tellers, health care providers, bus drivers, mechanics—in the real world.

The crutch: We teach kids not to talk to strangers instead of teaching the more nuanced skill of how to discern the few bad strangers from the mostly good ones. Thus, kids end up not knowing how to […]

Author: Martine Oglethorpe

Surveys have consistently shown that children are being exposed to increasing amounts of screen time each year.

As parents we’re often concerned about the connections children and young people are making and the subsequent impact on their wellbeing. The time they spend online, scrolling, searching and swiping which could be spent doing outdoor activities is also concerning.

Digital devices are here to stay, so it’s imperative to look at how kids can remain in control of their screen use and ensure the time they’re investing online is adding something helpful, positive and meaningful to our lives.

Here are four tips […]

Author:  Michael Grose

As the end of year approaches many young people will start to experience the stress that comes with impending examinations. Young people respond differently to the pressure that exams present. Some will see an exam as challenge that they need to rise to, some will be nervous if they feel they haven’t done enough preparation, and many will experience real stress as they see exams as that time of the year that determines their future.

The notion of exams, particularly final-year exams, as life-defining events can be very real for students who’ve spent 13 years of schooling leading […]