A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Vaughan Cruickshank, University of Tasmania; Brendon Hyndman, Charles Sturt University, and Shane Pill, Flinders University Physical education is one of the most popular subjects for children in their early school years. Yet by secondary school less favourable attitudes towards what’s known in the Australian school curriculum as Health and Physical Education (HPE) can start to [...]
Emily Freeman, University of Newcastle Play is an important way for children to learn about the world around them. Through play, they learn cultural norms, socialisation guidelines and experiment with different ways to interact with their environment. But play between a father and their child or children can offer a different type of play. It’s [...]
Around 1% of the population has an autism spectrum disorder, with estimates ranging from one in 150 to one in 70. While people differ in the range and severity of their symptoms, common features include difficulties with communication and social interaction, restrictive and repetitive behaviours and interests, and sensory sensitivities. According to the 2017 Autism [...]
John J Reilly, University of Strathclyde and Xanne Janssen, University of Strathclyde Fidgeting is usually considered as a sign of boredom or lack of attention which can be distracting to others. Parents and teachers often demand that their children and pupils stop doing it. But fidgeting could actually be good for their health. Research suggests [...]
This article explores the benefits of bedtime stories, beyond what is known about reading to children generally. The main benefits it relates are psychological: this regular ritual helps kids to wind down, to be comforted, to connect with their parent and to engage their imaginations. It also covers one important physiological benefit, that reading to [...]
Louise Remond, University of Technology Sydney Hi, I was just wondering if something’s wrong with me because I’m never happy and never want to do anything and I’m getting really lazy and I really hate school. Thanks - Anonymous Everyone experiences down days at times. Feeling flat is a normal reaction to something upsetting happening, [...]
Spending time in outdoors, taking time out of the everyday to surround yourself with greenery and living things can be one of life’s great joys – and recent research also suggest it’s good for your body and your brain. Scientists have found that spending two hours a week in nature is linked to better health [...]
Digital conflict and military action are increasingly intertwined, and civilian targets – private businesses and everyday internet users alike – are vulnerable in the digital crossfire. But there are forces at work trying to promote peace online. It will be a tough challenge: In May 2019, Israel responded to unspecified cyberattacks by Hamas with an [...]
Nighttime sleep is important of course, but daytime naps matter just as much. New research emerging from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Irvine, published in the journal Sleep reinforces the benefits of naps for children. This comprehensive study found children who took naps not only experienced positive changes in mood and [...]
Parents and caregivers often wait until their children are older to talk about sexual consent. And many parents often leave “the sex talk” altogether – hoping that schools will do it instead. The most recent guidance for teaching consent under the relationship and sex education curriculum simply advises that lessons should be provided before the [...]
