Content Provision for Member Stations
“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.” Continue reading “My Son Won’t Talk About His Day”
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. Continue reading “People Matter More Than Things”
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. Continue reading “When Is It Ok to Leave Your Child Home Alone?”
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. Continue reading “How to Raise Kids Who Read”
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. Continue reading “Toddlers and Television”
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. Continue reading “Can Mindfulness Calm My Child?”
In the past week I’ve been contacted by several parents. They’ve asked a number of questions, all along the same lines*: Continue reading “Body & Cyber Safety: How to Pre-Arm and Protect Your Children”
A mum recently had the morning off. Her husband agreed to get the kids set for school, and she took advantage of her newfound freedom by taking a walk around the block. Continue reading “Making Mornings Magic”
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? Continue reading “How Play is Changing”
The bell had just rung for the end of recess. Children were heading back to their classrooms, and Year 1 teacher Mrs Boonen was preparing to return to hers when she noticed one of her students stumbling across the playground towards her, fists clenched, rubbing her eyes, sobbing. Mrs Boonen crouched to the ground and extended her arms to Amelia, and the six-year-old rushed into her teacher’s embrace. Continue reading “Learn How to Develop Emotional Intelligence”