By: Dr Justin CoulsonDanielle 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...
By: Dr Justin CoulsonEvery 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.)Because news services thrive on sharing the most awful...
By: Dr Justin CoulsonIn 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.FIFO...
By: Robert GarrettWhen 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...
By: Dr Justin CoulsonDoubt 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.Other children harbour...
By: Robert GarrettIn several recent blogs I reference experts encouraging parents to keep the channels of communication open with their teens. From dads staying close to their daughters, to maintaining healthy parental dialogue around social media use, a positive outcome involves parents who...
By: Dr Justin CoulsonWhy do adolescents take risks – a lot? It’s almost like they feel they’re immortal. Adolescents are impulsive. They seek constant stimulation. They don’t weigh risks before they dive headlong into situations.Their impulse control and judgement seem...
By: Dr Justin CoulsonA friend of mine had an awful ‘sexting’ incident occur with her 11 year-old daughter. Her daughter was having an innocent conversation with a boy from school via text when he asked her to send “noodz” to him. I have two daughters and a son who are...
By: Dr Justin CoulsonA guy I know – let’s call him Justin – was a failure at school by nearly all measures. I (oops, “he”) had few friends. And academically… well, let’s just say that Justin’s report cards were never worth framing and putting on a...
By: Dr Justin CoulsonIn Australia, two-thirds of parents are both working and raising young children. And many of those families are turning to grandparents to fill the vital role as carers for their kids. In fact, almost one in four children receive some care from grandparents. And the...
By: Dr Justin CoulsonThough families have felt palpable relief as restrictions have started to ease across the rest of the nation, our Victorian children are struggling more and more to follow the rules still in place.Isolation just seems to be getting harder, and the easing restrictions elsewhere...
By: Collett SmartNote: The use of * throughout this article is so that it gets through any web filters you may have.Young people are naturally curious and innately want to know more about love and sex, yet porn has the ability to destroy everything that is good about romance, love and...
