Schools and Parents

Dissapointing ATAR results? There’s no such thing.

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

This past week has likely been a time of excitement, anxiety and relief for year 12 students across the country, with the release of their final year results.

And while many students will be satisfied with their results, others will undoubtedly be upset or dissapointed.

Although this is a natural response to the situation, the last thing a recent year 12 graduate should feel is dissapointed with themselves.

And as the parent, you need to tell them why.

Consider, and share with them, the following points.

Dealing with the Immense Pressures of VCE

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

We’ve talked about motivation and success when it comes to study and examinations.

But an increasingly important issue surrounding these ideas is the pressure that is put on our students…

By the education system, by parents, and by the students themselves.

Studies show that in Australia, we are bordering on an adolescent mental health epidemic.

Instances of anxiety and depression in young people are becoming increasingly and alarmingly common.

And a huge source of these conditions is stress from schooling.

The pressure is even taking a toll on parents, with a mental health organisation setting up extra counselling services for parents of high school students.

So how do we help our kids, and ourselves, to deal with the pressure?

Choosing VCE Electives — Remembering the Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

We’ve discussed the Fixed versus Growth mindset model on the blog a few times.

It’s something worth noting and considering in many aspects of parenting.

But keeping the principles in mind when helping your kids pick VCE electives can be particularly beneficial for their long-term goals.

A recent article in The Atlantic discusses how a Fixed mindset inadvertently affects our children in their future study choices.

The Problem with Championing ‘Success’ Over Kid’s Love of Learning

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

If you saw our blog post about how to raise motivated children, you will be familiar with the concept of the ‘Fixed’ versus ‘Growth’ mindset.

In a nutshell, this distinction in ‘mindsets’ focuses on the idea that what makes people successful is motivation, dedication and commitment, rather than innate ability or intelligence.

And that the former are the qualities that we should be praising and instilling in our children.

A recent article in The Atlantic furthers some of the ideas that come from the Fixed versus Growth mindset model, in what one parent describes as the ‘crime against learning’.

What Constitutes Too Sick for School?

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Many children (and adults!) will try to ‘chuck a sickie’ once in their lives.

But when the parents are in control, how can you tell when a sick day from school is justified?

There are a number of issues that come into play.

Why You Shouldn’t Help Your Kids With Their Homework

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

If you’re like most parents of school-aged kids, you’ve probably witnessed an anxious child struggling with a challenging homework task.

The temptation to help them in some way can be very strong…

And even when the ‘help’ starts off with a gentle nudge in the right direction, it can sometimes end up with the child sleeping on the couch while you finish off the project!

It’s perfectly understandable. We want to stop children from being anxious, while helping them to succeed.

But it’s best not to help too much.

Why?

10 Tips for Being a Better Parent: From a School Principal

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Teachers may not be child psychologists, but they sure know kids.

Their day-to-day activities, likes and dislikes, attitudes and behaviours…

And they’ve often got good insights into where their behaviours come from.

A recent article in The Guardian revealed how teachers might sometimes understand more about your kids than you realise.

This author of the article — a school principal in the UK — has identified a number of strategies we often use in our work with children and parents.

School Readiness: Discover if your child is really ready for school

by Deborah Jepsen

I wrote about school readiness back in 2009 (see here). Since then we have assessed countless preschool children to help parents make an informed decision about their child’s readiness for school. We have gained a lot of experience along the way and we have refined our assessment process to include emotional readiness.

You should be aware that some school readiness assessments do not take into account the social or emotional aspects of development. Frankly, such assessments are a waste of time, effort and money. You want to know where your child is really at with their broader development, not just what their IQ is. Not only that, but a high IQ alone may not be sufficient to gain early entry to school.

7 Things to Remember when Interpreting NAPLAN results

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Ok, so NAPLAN* is over for another year… Phew! Hopefully your kids got through it without any issues. But the next big hurdle is how to interpret the results… Eeek!

[*National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for Australian students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9.]

Some parents and teachers put a lot of emphasis on NAPLAN results, while others do not.

Do the results really mean anything significant? Should you be rushing down to the school at the first indication that your child is performing below the expected level?

Or should you be introducing accelerated learning programs if your child is performing above the national average?

Choosing a Secondary School Without Losing Your Cool – 7 Practical Tips For Parents

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

As your child nears the end of primary school you start to hear the same questions over and over:

Which secondary school will you send them to?

Public or private? Co-ed or single sex? Religious or secular?

And on it goes…

When faced with such an inquisition at every turn, it’s easy to become racked with fear about the implications of choosing the WRONG school.

What if your kid falls in with a bad crowd? What if they aren’t challenged? What if they are not supported? What if they are not properly prepared for adult life and a future career? What if you can’t afford it??

Eeek!!!

BUT the good news is that with some basic research and timely planning you can avoid a lot of stress.

Following this simple seven step process will help you to feel more confident in your decision and put your mind at ease.

How can we help?

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