Are Smart Toys Safe?
There is a toy revolution building. Kids toys are becoming smarter. It’s part of the “internet of things”, which basically means that every “thing” you can buy can be connected to the Internet. Read more
Tag Archive for: justin coulson
How to Motivate Kids – and Why Rewards aren’t the Answer
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
My Son Won’t Talk About His Day
“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
People Matter More Than Things
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
When Is It Ok to Leave Your Child Home Alone?
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
How to Raise Kids Who Read
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
Toddlers and Television
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
Can Mindfulness Calm My Child?
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
How Play is Changing
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
Parenting on the Same Page
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