How do you motivate kids? It may be one of the biggest struggles parents and teachers experience. We remind them to clean their room or do their schoolwork. They reply that it’s too hard. Read more
“Hi Dr Justin
My son won’t talk when he comes home from school. I ask him how his day was and he just says, “Fine.” I ask him what he did and he says “Nothing”. I ask him who he spent time with and he shrugs or mentions a friend or two. That’s it. Why won’t he talk? Is he being bullied? How can I get him to open up? He’s 9 years old.” Read more
As Chad walked into the kitchen he spotted his three-year-old son riding a skateboard around the kitchen island. He was in a hurry, so he quickly told his son to stop riding the skateboard in the house and turned away. Read more
I was born in the 1970s, and raised in a lower-to-middle-class suburb. Mum and Dad ran their own business and they both worked long hours. This meant that when I was a kid, I let myself into the house every afternoon after school, and I was free to play anywhere in the neighbourhood until my parents returned home from work. I spent the afternoons riding my bike down to the park or to the shops with my best mate Andy. Read more
There’s a reason that experts make a big deal about telling parents to read to their children. Reading to kids (not using devices but using real books) is one of the best things we can do to help them develop positively. Read more
I have written in this column – for years – that excessive screen time, including watching television, is not good for anyone, but is especially detrimental to children. A study published recently about the effects of television watching on toddlers makes this clearer than ever. Read more
Mindfulness has become one of the buzzwords of the past decade. Mindfulness is receiving hype by in corporations, educational institutions, psychologist’s offices, fitness centres, and increasingly in our family homes. In fact, mindfulness in families is becoming almost essential. And for good reason. Read more
I want to ask you two questions. Pretty simple ones.
First, how do your children play?
Second, how is their play different from the play you enjoyed when you were young?
Consider your answers for just a moment. Is there much difference between the two? Read more
Hi Dr Justin
My husband and I see parenting so differently. He expects the kids to always be ready to listen, do as they’re told, and pretty much obey him all the time no matter what. I agree with him that the kids need to be respectful. Read more
Self-control isn’t something we’re born with – its something we hone as we grow. Children especially struggle with control and delayed gratification, but there are ways in which we can guide them to the right behaviour in childhood. I have 7 ways to teach your child self-control, as a matter of fact! Read more