A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Joshua Trigg, Flinders University and Billie Bonevski, Flinders University You’ve dropped your daughter off at her friend’s house and while cleaning the car, you find what looks like a USB drive on the passenger seat. It’s a disposable vape. You’ve seen the news. Vapes or e-cigarettes are harmful yet increasingly popular with people her age. [...]
Emma Beckett, University of Newcastle Parents of young children today were raised during some of the most damaging periods of diet culture. From diet and “lite” foods and drinks, to expensive “superfoods”, one constant across these changing trends has been the moralisation of food as “good” or “bad”. These diet movements have led to [...]
Amelia Church, The University of Melbourne All children argue. And while this can be tedious for parents and carers, it’s not necessarily a problem. Conflict can help develop social skills, including learning to negotiate, and accommodate the needs of others. But if the conflict is physical, if there is any distress, or if children [...]
Sanné Mestrom, University of Sydney One of the things kids love most about the beach is the chance to play with sand. Sand is an excellent material to play with. It is versatile, widely available, open-ended and cheap. Not only is it nature-based, but it involves manipulation, exploration, and construction with materials to create [...]
Sarah Wayland, University of New England The thought of her, as always, gave me a jolt of hope, and a burst of energy. And a stab of sorrow. Prince Harry’s reflection on his mother Princess Diana, who died unexpectedly when he was just 12 years old, appears in his memoir Spare, released officially this week. [...]
Sarah Blunden, CQUniversity Australia Summer holidays often mean sunshine, beach trips, mountain hikes, relaxation, catching up with family and friends, and the chance to sleep in. For many parents, the temptation is to loosen up on the kids’ bedtime routine, let them stay up late, and allow them to catch up on sleep with [...]
Rachael Sharman, University of the Sunshine Coast We all lie to our kids. Some lies – telling them their artwork is wonderful, or that Wiggles band-aids are infused with anaesthetic – benefit the child. Others are just a bit of fun. Take the Tiktok trend of telling your kids this weird little gnome is [...]
Amanda Watson, University of South Australia; Carol Maher, University of South Australia, and Tim Olds, University of South Australia Every parent knows kids spend their time differently when they’re on holidays. Our new research found out just how differently. During the school term, kids get up around 7am, get into their uniforms, make their [...]
Amanda Stephens, Monash University It’s hot, you’ve had a battle to get the kids in the car, and now you’re going to be late for the family lunch. You turn onto the freeway only to get stuck behind a slow driver in the fast lane. You want them to move over or speed up, so [...]
Nicole Rinehart, Monash University; Emily Pattison, Monash University, and Nicole Papadopoulos, Monash University Getting a good night’s sleep is important for children’s learning and development. When young people don’t get enough sleep, it can impact their mood, school performance, health, and behaviour. The impact of sleep on quality of life is a force everyone [...]
