Blog Category: Essential Kids Blog

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Getting it ‘just right’ with extra-curricular activities

I was asked this week to comment for a national current affairs TV program about ...

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The school pickup war zone

Thanks to the rapid changes in technology especially smart phones, well-meaning parents are much more ...

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Taming the teen stress monster

For many of our teens one thing is certain: stress levels are set to rise ...

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What’s with all the angry kids?

As an author and parenting educator I chat to lots of parents and teachers, and ...

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Why iPad playgrounds are a bad idea for shops and kids

Can modern childhood get any more weird? In my travels I have found the folks ...

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Love bridges: Why micro-moments of connection matter

Most parents would never question that they love their children wholeheartedly – even when their little ...

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Are we about to ban childhood altogether?

As a passionate advocate for allowing children a childhood that allows them to play as ...

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Move baby, move: Why movement matters for babies

As parents we often can’t wait until our babies can crawl and then walk, and ...

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The fun, fickle and fragile world of children’s friendships

“‘We’ll be friends forever, won’t we, Pooh?’ asked Piglet. ‘Even longer,’ Pooh answered.” ― A.A. ...

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Why schools are failing our boys

Boys will be boys, they tell us, but how many of us actually take this ...

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Boys and gaming

Gaming on a computer or device is a wildly popular pastime for kids in Australia. ...

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Why boys need a boyhood to become good men

Given the current deep community outpourings of concern for the senseless violence present on Australian ...

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Winning the war on hugs

A recent ‘hugging ban’ in a primary school in WA has triggered quite a response ...

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Invisible enemy of anxiety a real worry

In the past decade, we’ve seen large numbers of children diagnosed with depression and behavioural ...

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A Bit of Shoosh Please… We’re Making Magic

When my four sons were young and I was working as a teacher life was ...

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Buying gifts for children

Thrifty Christmas Might be the Magic Pudding When times are tight, I think it can ...

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Is Your Child Ready for School?

Many families will by now have made the difficult decision about whether or not to ...

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The dirty secret about raising kids: It’s child’s play

I am going to let you in on a little secret about raising children. It’s ...