Motivation and Success

5 Productive Ways for Parents to Help with School Work

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Recent studies show that Australian parents spend less time helping their kids with homework than the global average.

But is this necessarily a bad thing?

The average Australian parents are dedicating 4.4 hours a week to homework help…

Which is a figure that shouldn’t be scoffed at.

But it does pale in comparison to the commitment hours of other countries…

With the average hours hovering around the 6.7 a week mark.

Federal Minister for Education Simon Birmingham has appealed to parents to do more to address Australian students performance in maths, literacy and science assessments.

But is helping with homework really the key?

New Year Resolutions for Parents — Part 2: Supporting Educational Needs and Fostering Success

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

In Part 1 of this post, we offered parents 8 simple, practical and effective tips for supporting your child’s mental health this year (and into the future).

In Part 2, we’ll be sharing 8 equally simple tactics to help your child not only survive this school year…

But also to thrive in the educational setting, and use the things they learn to achieve success in all their future endeavours.

You’ll find some of our recommendations double up over both posts…

But that’s because many of these actions have a multitude of benefits.

And because — as research increasingly shows — mental health and academic performance are inextricably linked.

New Year Resolutions for Parents — Part 1: Supporting Childhood Mental Wellness

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

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 Keep Kids Learning During the School Holidays

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

The holidays are a time for rest, relaxation, family time and celebrations.

But learning doesn’t have to stop when the school gates close…

You can help foster a love of learning in your children over the holidays.

And they won’t even know it!

Below are some great school holiday activities that get kids engaged, curious and excited about learning…

Which will help them to embrace their education once their back at school, and the value of learning for the rest of their lives.

5 Ways to Set ‘High Expectations’ Without ‘High Pressure’

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

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?

How and Why Kids Need to Learn Resilience

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Put simply, resilience is the ability to respond positively to adversity.

But how is this ability developed?

Are some people simply born with it or can we teach it to children? (And if so, how?)

We’ll address all of these questions in a moment.

But first let’s quickly recap what’s been discovered about resilience so far…

The first person to extensively research resilience was the developmental psychologist, Norman Garmezy.

In his research Garmezy noticed particular children who succeeded in the face of adversity.

These children experienced severe disadvantage or even neglect yet somehow still managed to flourish at school and in later life.

You see, prior to this research, psychologists tended to only look at the negative impact of stressful or traumatic experiences.

And while it is clearly important to help children deal with stressful events after they occur…

If resilience is able to “insulate” children against the negative effects of stress before they experience such challenges?

Helping children become more resilient at an early age may very well be the best long term strategy.

So why do kids need to learn resilience?

School Readiness: What is the right age for your child?

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

In Victoria, kids must turn five before the 30th of April in their first year of school.

But even with these guidelines, many parents still struggle with whether they should hold their child back a year…

Or if they should start early.

In fact, a recent study showed that parents are suffering from excessive stress and anxiety over the decision!

It’s a concerning but not completely surprising finding…

The first year of a child’s schooling can set the path for their educational experience…

For better or worse.

So in this post, we’ll be addressing some of the implications of school starting age…

And how you can help pick the best path for your child.

Last-minute Study Dos and Don’ts

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

VCE exams are in full swing!

And while most of the hard work has been done…

It’s not too late for students to work on improving their performance on the big days.

Encourage your kids to adopt some healthy and productive approaches to study in these last few weeks…

And avoid those things that may get in the way.

What Have Smart Phones Done to a Generation?

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

New research on teens and the effect of smartphones has been circulating around the internet…

And the findings are both surprising and somewhat disturbing.

They come from psychologist Jean M. Twenge, who has been researching generational differences for 25 years.

For the majority of her career, Twinge noted that these differences changed relatively naturally and modestly.

But in 2012, something changed.

‘I noticed abrupt shifts in teen behaviours and emotional states’, she explains.

‘In all my analyses of generational data—some reaching back to the 1930s—I had never seen anything like it.’

So what happened in 2012, to instigate such a sharp change?

9 Ways Our Psychologists Help Children Reach Their Full Potential

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

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:

But what’s the difference between high expectations and high pressure?

So why do kids need to learn resilience?

So what happened in 2012, to instigate such a sharp change?

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