Setting boundaries with our kids can be tough. Once they become teens, it gets even tougher. And boundaries related to alcohol consumption can be some of the most challenging of all. Read more
Body image issues are common in children. Here are three things you can do starting today to help ANY child who is experiencing concerns about their appearance. Read more
Aggressive behaviour by a child towards a parent is one of the least studied areas of domestic violence. This is due in large part because parents are reluctant to admit that it happens. Many parents feel embarrassed, confused and even responsible for their child’s actions. Read more
By: Akos Balogh
A fascinating article appeared in the Wall Street Journal late last year. Erica Komisar, a well known and respected author and Psychoanalyst wrote a piece entitled ‘Don’t believe in God? Lie to your children’. Read more
Danielle and Jason are MasterChef fans, and feel like they have gotten in touch with their inner ‘foodie’. Their three year-old son, Jonah, does not share his parent’s enthusiasm for culinary sensations, picks at dinner, and avoids certain foods. His behaviour classifies the toddler as a ‘fussy eater’. Read more
Every few days the news readers tell us another story (or five) that reminds us how terribly badly some people in our society treat others. (I’ve stopped watching the news, but that’s another story entirely.) Read more
In March 2020 Western Australia shut its borders. While there may be well-meaning policies behind the border closures, there’s no escaping the fact that this decision has irrevocably changed people’s lives – especially for fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) families. Read more
By: Robert Garrett
When our kids were little, people would say, ‘enjoy them now, because when they’re teenagers …’ Consequently, I had this sense of resignation that when they hit their teen years, we’d lose connection with our kids and there was nothing to do but wait in anticipation for their ‘return’. Read more
Doubt and fear seem to be intrinsically woven into the hearts of some children. Their worries and anxieties cause them to shrink, lean out, and avoid. Sometimes, as parents, we fail to recognise that fear responses are normal, healthy, and to be expected. Read more
By: Robert Garrett
In several recent blogs I reference experts encouraging parents to keep the channels of communication open with their teens.