By: Dr Justin CoulsonDo you remember how sex-obsessed you were as a teen? Or your friends? Even if you weren’t doing it, chances are you were talking about it, asking about it, and thinking about it.Sure, it starts off as desire. Then arousal. The first hand-holding or...
By: Robert GarrettIt has been said that character is ‘who you are when no one is watching’; it’s those things that we do in private, not for the praise or recognition from others, or conversely, for fear of being caught out.As parents, it’s essential that we live a life of...
By: Katrina Roe“Boys on the school bus showed my nine-year-old son pornographic videos. He came home crying.”“My little girl came home from school terrified. Her teacher told her that she can be a boy or a girl. She wants me to take her to the doctor to find out if she is a girl...
By: Dr Justin CoulsonSetting boundaries with our kids can be tough. Once they become teens, it gets even tougher. And boundaries related to alcohol consumption can be some of the most challenging of all.Having the ‘hard’ conversation with your teens about alcoholHow do you set rules...
By: Dr Justin CoulsonBody image issues are common in children. Here are three things you can do starting today to help ANY child who is experiencing concerns about their appearance.Hi Dr Justin,I wanted to ask your advice about my 2.5 year old daughter. Recently she said to me that she is not...
By: Dr Justin CoulsonAggressive behaviour by a child towards a parent is one of the least studied areas of domestic violence. This is due in large part because parents are reluctant to admit that it happens. Many parents feel embarrassed, confused and even responsible for their child’s...
By: Akos BaloghA fascinating article appeared in the Wall Street Journal late last year. Erica Komisar, a well known and respected author and Psychoanalyst wrote a piece entitled ‘Don’t believe in God? Lie to your children’.In her article she writes:I am often asked by parents,...
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...
