Articles
‘Gut feel’ is a thing
Have you ever noticed that feeling of nausea in your stomach when someone asks you to do something that is outside your comfort zone? Maybe you get those butterflies in your tummy
What Is Social Anxiety?
When fear of how you appear gets in the way of functioning When you’re a teen you start being more aware of what other people think. There seems to be a “right” thing to wear or
What to Do (and Not Do) When Children Are Anxious
How to respect feelings without empowering fears When children are chronically anxious, even the most well-meaning parents can fall into a negative cycle and, not wanting a child
Sensory Processing FAQ
What are sensory processing issues? Some kids seem to have trouble handling the information their senses take in—things like sound, touch, taste, sight, and smell. Besides these
The Absentee Parent
Um… Are your parents home? Have you noticed there aren’t many parents around on TV these days? Sure, every now and then you get the odd older sibling. Or if parents do exist
Shaken To My Core
I was raised in Texas so very few things shock me. However, I read a statistic the other day that literally left me gobsmacked. 42% of girls between the ages of 6 years and 9
Planning for Mistakes
Raising a human being is tricky business. Maybe you find it as easy as spreading melted butter on hot bread. For me, there have been those moments, but there have been moments when
It Ain’t That Bad
If you are like most parents, the first few days of the school holidays are great. Time off with the whole family brings much needed bonding and grounding. Then…without
Book’em Dano…
I love books. Walking into the Auckland Public Library downtown is like a trip to Disney Land! You see, we are built for stories. It’s why we like TV, Movies and even
Becoming Mum
The day I found out I was pregnant filled me with equal parts of joy and fear. I was living 15,000kms away from my momma and even though I had the best mother-in-law in the world,
All Grown Up
My son turned 18. Apparently, he is now a man. He voted in our last election and in some countries around the world, he could be drafted into mandatory military service. Of
Lost Your Teenager or Young Adult to Gaming?
Are you tired of feeling confused about their addiction? Are you frustrated that what you’ve tried before hasn’t worked? Do you feel hopeless? Or shame that you’re a “bad
My strategies for success
Labelled lazy by teachers, Aidan Milner struggled through school. However he thrived at university despite severe dyslexia and dyscalculia. He explains why. I was formally
Dyslexia in preschoolers
Research shows that the earlier we identify and support children with dyslexia, the better their outcome. So what are the first signs, and what can we do to help? Dyslexia isn’t
Gifted and challenged
Imagine a child who finds school both too easy and too hard. Highly creative and with a vast general knowledge, they can’t sit still in class and or hold a pencil properly to write
Supporting students with autism in the classroom: what teachers need to know
Students with autism often present unique challenges to schools, and teachers can often find it difficult to meet their needs effectively. Internationally, around 1 in 68
Being a Guide or Scout 'can help improve mental health in later life'
Children who participate in the organisations are likely to have better psychological health in middle age Joining the Scouts or Guides appears to help lower the risk of mental
More Kiwi kids brought up on tech can't hold a pencil
Experts have seen six-year-olds with the handwriting ability of typical two-year-olds as kids spend less time using pencils and more time on computers. An increasing number of
Confident Parenting
Whether you're a stay at home or working mum, chances are you'll experience a loss of confidence and self-belief at some point during parenthood. Becoming a parent is one of the
Born to BE WILD?
If their behaviour is a real concern, it may be time to hit the books If your child is impulsive, fidgety, easily distracted and struggles to concentrate, you may wonder whether
The Negative Voices in Your Teenager’s Head - 7 ways to quiet them
This is what a teen might say to you about his or her self-talk "I’m mad. I don’t know why. Sometimes I wake up mad; other days it creeps up on me. I don’t like it. It doesn’t
Motivating Children
Young children develop attitudes toward learning from the significant others in their lives. If parents or other adults nurture a child's self-confidence and curiosity, and provide
Effective Praise
A goal of educators is to help children to become intrinsically motivated. Children's self-worth develops as an aside from working hard, surmounting frustrations, and overcoming
5 Reasons Karate Can Boost Your Child’s Self Confidence
Although martial arts have their roots in the necessary self-defence techniques that every fighting-age man and woman had to know in pre-modern Eastern societies, they have evolved
Simple Ways to Boost Your Child's Self-Esteem
Dos and don'ts for raising a confident kid. A positive sense of self is one of the greatest gifts you can give your child. Children with high self-esteem feel loved and competent
Resilience - don't let things get you down
What is it? Imagine you have each end of a piece of elastic in your hands.Pull your hands apart and the elastic stretches. Let go of one end and the elastic bounces back to its
Tips to be more resilient
What you can do: 1. To help yourself to be more resilient Positive self–talk. That means: tell that voice in your head to think about all the good things around you and all
The Gift That Lasts a Lifetime
Growing up we didn’t have a lot. Mummy & Daddy worked hard, but with four kids, things were always tight. We didn’t have stacks of presents under our Christmas tree. I
Tips for raising fit kids
Fitness expert Sarah Cowley shows you how to get the whole family exercising. Kids need clear, positive messages about exercise to develop active habits for life. The earlier they
Building Resilience in Children
How do we manage to parent from a place of love and understanding, not fear and paranoia? It's not possible to protect our children from the ups and downs of life. Raising
