Our psychologists have provided counselling for thousands of children, teenagers and parents in the last several years. Here are 20 things parents should know before booking any counselling sessions for a child or teenager:
Behaviour Management
New Year Resolutions for Parents — Part 1: Supporting Childhood Mental Wellness
New Year’s Resolutions tend not to last very long…
But maybe that’s because you’re not doing them right.
This year, why not resolve to put practical, productive and achievable plans into action…
To promote mental wellbeing for your children (and yourself).
The combination of each of these small acts will help you to help your children have a prosperous year.
And happy and healthy children make for happy and healthy parents!
5 Ways to Set ‘High Expectations’ Without ‘High Pressure’
Australian students are excelling when their teachers hold them to high expectations.
But in equal numbers, kids around the country are suffering from poorer mental health…
And it’s being largely attributed to mounting pressures at school.
But what’s the difference between high expectations and high pressure?
7 Behaviour Management Tips for Every Parent
Kids will be kids!
And the notion of a perfectly behaved child — for most parents — is unrealistic.
But if your child’s behaviour is making things difficult for you or your family…
You may want to consider implementing some changes.
And the best place to start is at home.
There are many reasons a child may misbehave (which we’ll get to further on in this post), but for a start — start small.
Below are some easy ways you can try to regain some ‘law and order’ in your household, and improve the behaviour of your kids.
9 Ways Our Psychologists Help Children Reach Their Full Potential
Did you know that, according to research conducted in 2015, around half of all mental health issues start by age 14?
That’s why early intervention is so important.
And it’s why our main focus is on helping kids develop the practical skills they need to tackle their daily challenges…
And most importantly, these skills are not “quick-fixes”.
Rather, they are “life skills” that remain relevant and beneficial through adolescence and adulthood.
Here are 9 ways our psychologists can help:
How to Help the Negative or Pessimistic Child
We’ve all encountered a ‘Negative Nancy’ in our lives — the type of person who is constantly expecting the worst out of any given situation.
While many such people consider themselves ‘realists’, in reality, there’s not a whole lot of benefit to this kind of negative thinking.
And for the relatively sheltered and protected time of childhood, this attitude is particularly unproductive.
So how can we help a pessimistic child to take a more positive approach to life?
How Can We Engage Our Students in the Classroom? Part 2.
We recently wrote about new research that shows that up to 40 per cent of Australian students are bored or disengaged at school.
And this disengagement is having wide-ranging implications on academic performance.
Not only does it inhibit a school teacher’s ability to control a classroom, the disengagement of some students has a trickle down effect to other students too…
It’s what has been called the ‘hidden issue’ in Australian schools.
Tips for Raising Moral Children — From Harvard Psychologists
We’ve talked about how to raise motivated children children on the blog…
How to help them develop good habits, how to be happy, how to thrive in school, how to avoid becoming too materialistic…
But the question of how to raise moral children is a different ball game.
Just like these other positive qualities and habits we hope to encourage in our kids, morality isn’t something we’re born with — it’s learnt.
And the fact of the matter is that sometimes, teaching our children moral lessons will get in the way of their immediate happiness.
How and When Should We Teach Kids About Money?
Kids and money — it’s one of the most divisive conversations in parenting, and the topic is approached in a myriad of ways.
Some kids have limitless handouts, some kids have consistent allowances, some work for pocket money, some don’t…
And the age at which parents choose to give children control over and knowledge about money differs widely as well.
There’s no one right or wrong answer, but it can be helpful to follow some guidelines from experts.
Think People Can’t Change? Think Again
They say a leopard can’t change its spots.
But according to the longest personality study undertaken of all time — they absolutely can.
The study started collecting data from 1,208 fourteen-year-olds in 1950…
And more than 60 year laters, 174 of the original participants agreed to be tested again, with surprising results.