A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
In Australia, three children die from cancer each week. But doctors and researchers say they have a "game-changing" plan to drive the death rate down to zero. The Children's Cancer Institute and the Kids Cancer Centre at Sydney Children's Hospital announced on Monday the launch of a national clinical trial, in which scientists and doctors will [...]
Doctors have been using caffeine for pre-term babies since the 1990s, and new research shows the benefits last for years. There’s nothing like a good slug of caffeine to keep you on your toes, but it’s probably the last thing you’d want to give to a baby. Yet that’s exactly what doctors routinely use to [...]
We all want the best for our kids, and these days there is a growing chorus of voices telling us that this means pushing them to work harder. Just about every aspect of a child or teen’s life these days is a competition. But to excel at school, sports, the arts, spelling, debating, social media, even [...]
Combatting loneliness needs good coaching from parents. It’s worth asking ourselves as parents whether we should be worried about the number of friends our children have. Increasingly, I hear parents complaining that their child seems isolated, or doesn’t have “real” friends that they spend enough time with. Indeed, a Childtrends report found that up to 30% of teens [...]
Christina’s sister was 28 when she was formally diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, though Christina, who asked that we not use her last name to protect her family’s privacy, says there had been signs of the disorder for years. Beginning in her teens, Christina’s sister, now 30, struggled with eating disorders, self-harm, addiction and suicide [...]
Teaching kids sleep hygiene may be an easy way to reduce crime. People comparing current crime rates with those of past decades tend to agree that today’s numbers should be lower. And new research points to a relatively easy way to do that: Help teens get more sleep. Researchers found that teens who reported feeling drowsy in [...]
Does your child have a hard time keeping one bit of information in mind while he’s doing something else? For example, if he’s helping make spaghetti and the phone rings, does he forget he needs to go back and keep stirring the sauce? If he often has trouble with such tasks, he might have working memory issues. [...]
“Traditional” bullying like name-calling and exclusion still far outstrips cyber-bullying among teens - despite the huge popularity of social media, researchers have claimed. A study published in the Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal found that only 1% are victims of just cyber-bullying, compared to 27% who are just abused in person. Instead, experts say that it [...]
One in 10 teenagers surveyed as part of a national study said they had self-harmed and one in 20 reported having attempted suicide. Research has uncovered worrying rates of self harm and suicidal behaviour among Australian teenagers. Data released from The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children shows 10 per cent of 14-15 year-olds reported self [...]
Low-carbohydrate eating plans continue to be popular. And while there is no official definition of a low-carb diet, most advise curbing or eliminating some or all grains, fruits, legumes and vegetables. Preteens and adolescents may be particularly interested in trying carbohydrate-restricting diets due to the promised weight loss. Or, maybe an older relative is following [...]
