By: Dr Justin Coulson“Family traditions counter alienation and confusion. They help us define who we are; they provide something steady, reliable and safe in a confusing world.” – Susan LiebermanBen and Tracy Groves love Sundays. Every week, Ben gets up early and takes the two...
By: Dr Justin CoulsonThe long days of school holidays can be challenging for families. Work commitments keep parents out of the home and away from their children. And if they’re lucky enough to have time off, children complain about how ‘bored’ they are. The remedy for many...
By: Jennie ScottWhen I was a little girl, all I wanted to be was a mother. Sure, I played around with being a marine biologist (who knew you had to be good at science?!), and I would teach school to my dolls and stuffed animals.I dreamed of being an ice skater when the winter Olympics were on, and...
By: Dr Justin CoulsonFun kids are laughing, playing and generally having a good time on the playground. But they’re also building skills that will lead to better relationships.Before I start, I have to be clear: I don’t have a favourite. I have six kids and love them all. But… I...
By: Jenny BaxterOvertiredness. It sucks the life out of every mother, every so often. The busy-ness all adds up, and one day you wake up thinking you can’t move a muscle.The constant day-after-day grind of chucking food together, demanding children, work commitments, disturbed sleep,...
By: Collett SmartIt’s been a strange year for all students, but none more so than those in their final year of school.My daughter is my second child, so I have been here before. By ‘here’ I mean the last year of school. Yet, this time looks nothing like my son’s final year....
By: Robert GarrettIn Braving the Wilderness, author Brené Brown says, “In philosophy, “you’re either with us or against us” is considered a false dichotomy or a false dilemma. It’s a move to force people to take sides. [However] the ability to think past...
By: Collett SmartThe relaxing and lifting of restrictions in schools makes it sound like we’re on our way back to normal, yet ‘normal’ is a long way off. And our children know it.If you chatted to a group of 6 teens and asked, “How did you find life in lockdown?”, you...
By: Dr Justin CoulsonI recently wrote about how to find joy during crisis. Much of what I included came from my Facebook community, who shared their stories of joy and happiness out of a stressful and difficult time. This included parents who have had the immense pleasure of watching their...
By: Dr Justin CoulsonPandemic parenting. It’s intense and surreal (and sometimes claustrophobic). There are so many new expectations on parents at the moment. Many of us are working from home, managing our own stresses in a new environment with more or less technical difficulties.Many of us...
By: Laura BennettSocial media is a complex beast.On the one hand it’s a comparison trap and can really diminish our mental wellbeing, but on its best days, it offers a way to connect with friends and family from whom we’d otherwise be isolated.During the COVID crisis – where...
By: Laura BennettKeeping the kids entertained is a tall order at the moment. Between the closure of their usual outdoor hangouts and the time pressure on parents, giving kids meaningful activities to do can be tough.To help at least make the routine of church on Sundays an easier one, former...
