Tuning in to Kids is a parenting course that aims to give you helpful ways of teaching your child the skills of emotional intelligence. The program teaches you about how you, as a parent, can help your child develop good emotional skills. Developed by University of Melbourne researchers, it is a group parenting program that helps parents teach children to understand and regulate their emotions. Read full article
With anniversaries of the devastating 2011 summer of disasters returning tragic images to our screens, parents should consider the impact on children of repetition of these traumatic events. Australian Council on Children and the Media Vice President and child psychologist Dr C Glenn Cupit, says “parents would be wise to avoid exposing children to replays of footage of disasters.” Although children may not have physically experienced the traumatic event, exposure to disaster-related media “can leave children with lasting memories, the recall of which can create anxiety and stress.” Read full article
I do wonder who is raising whom, sometimes. My elder child is a night owl (or "night hour", as she would say). Sleep has never come easily for her; she seems to fight it, and we’ve wrestled through many long evenings with her bouncing out of bed and up the hallway time and time again. This time I decided to bring the message home with a role play ... One afternoon I sat them down on the sofa. Read full article
It's inevitable that parents will sometimes disagree about how to raise their children - from small to large decisions, it's often necessary to compromise to come to a united decision. Avoiding disagreement in front of children is of course also very important - parents constantly clashing over parenting decisions can cause emotional harm to a child. Read full article
Professor Nick Allen, at the School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, has conducted studies into the influence of family dynamics on depression in teenagers. Speaking at the Australian Psychological Society’s recent conference on Theory to Practice: Positive Development and Wellbeing, Professor Allen presented research that follows young teenagers from ages 12 to 18 and looks at family communication styles prior to the development of depression symptoms. Through early observations and then periodic follow up over several years, Professor Allen and his colleagues have identified patterns of adult and child communication that predict the likelihood of a teenager developing depression. Read full article
New research by Professor James Green and colleagues at the University of Connecticut's Department of Psychology finds that, based on sound recordings of children's tantrums, there are two stages to a tantrum. Knowing how to react in these two stages may help parents deal effectively with a toddler's tantrum. Yvette Vignando shared the details on The Morning Show on Channel 7. Read full article
This week there have been several articles in the media about the Network for Internet Investigation and Research in Australia . The team of experts behind the website are hoping to use it to provide information and support relating to internet addiction and obsessive behaviour associated with the use of computers and computer games ... Sadly, when I read the comments following the articles, the discussion was not centred on ways to develop positive computer habits and to diagnose and help those with harmful behaviours linked to internet usage. Read full article
With a new Australian study indicating that 1 in 12 adolescents self-harm, it’s important for parents and carers to keep informed about self-harm and what it can mean for their child ... Self-harm or self-injury refers to a person deliberately inflicting physical harm on themself to cope with or communicate their distress ...Why Do Children Self-Harm? Read full article
Yale University Parenting Center is recognised for its invaluable research and support for parents and has recently been spreading the word about some basic parenting skills that will help you to deal with your child's tantrums, and over time, reduce them. Yvette Vignando spoke on The Morning Show on Channel 7 and shared this information - based on over 30 years of research. Read full article
Adults who are not caring for children are frequently reported to be ‘happier’ than those with children at home. Considering the financial and emotional responsibilities of parenthood, this comparative happiness trend may be unsurprising; and it has been reconfirmed in a recent Stress and Wellbeing survey conducted by the Australian Psychological Society. Adding to what we know about parenting stress, the survey indicated that an increasing number of women are significantly stressed by financial worries and family issues ... So what are some of the more effective parent stress management tips? ... Read full article
