Blog

Receiving a Diagnosis For Your Child: The Emotional Impact on Parents

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Take a look at this really interesting article in the Guardian newspaper written by Michael Schofield, a father whose daughter was diagnosed with schizophrenia. His heart felt-story takes you on the emotional journey he and his family took to get to a diagnosis.

Although childhood schizophrenia is very rare, Michael Schofield’s experiences will be familiar to any parents who have received a serious diagnosis for their child, such as autism, attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) or even a learning disorder.

Adapting Your Parenting Style For Your Child’s Developmental Stage

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Have you ever heard (or said) something like, “Grrrrr, my parents treat me like I’m still 5 years old!”?

As you might imagine (or know from personal experience), it can be very frustrating for anyone to be treated as though they are younger than they actually are.

And, on the flip-side, it can be confusing and alienating to be treated as if you are older than you actually are. (Think: “I can’t believe they expect me to do this? I have no idea how to do this! They’ve left me alone and I’ve got no one to help me…”)

It may seem obvious, but as children and teenagers progress through the different stages of their lives, so must parents and the adults around them adjust their language, their expectations and their disciplinary style.

Education: How Can we Move Forward?

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Take a look at this thought provoking talk by educationalist Sir Ken Robinson for the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA).

He suggests that our education system is based upon the factory production line from the industrial revolution. He argues that this is outdated for the modern child and does not necessarily prepare them for the ever-changing economic climate. Robinson puts forward the idea of waking kids up in the classroom!

Helping Children Achieve Greater Success

by Deborah Jepsen

Success: we all want it, we all strive for it … and we certainly want it for our kids.

But how can we help our children to be more successful … at school and in life?

The following resources offer some valuable insights.

How to Encourage Your Child to Play Independently (Whilst Avoiding Parental Guilt!)

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Do you struggle to find a balance between spending time with your children versus focusing on your own activities?

Serious parental guilt can ensue if you feel you can’t spend as much one-to-one time with your children as you would like — playing with them, helping them with homework, encouraging them, listening to their worries and helping them reflect on how life is going.

BUT… did you know that it’s also important to teach your children how to play independently?

4 Healthy Habits for Kids to Take Back to School in 2013

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Healthy habits for back to school time

It’s that time of year that brings anticipation, hope, and dread … it’s back to school time!

For some children going back to school is a happy time. They look forward to meeting up with friends, they are bored watching daytime television and look forward to the challenges a new academic year will bring. Other children find the experience anxiety provoking and take longer to settle into the new routine of school life.

Similar to New Year’s Eve, starting a new academic year can be a good opportunity to make some new resolutions. Starting with some new habits can help your child hit the ground running when they start school.

Here are four fantastic habits that will help kick off the year on the right foot:

9 Ways to Keep Your Kids (And Yourself!) Safer Online

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Most children and teenagers believe that their parents lack computer knowledge.

They believe parents have difficulty understanding how cyber bullying works, the feelings it generates and how to assist with it.

Cyber bullying is now incredibly common, with almost every teenager having experienced some form of negative comment on a social media website.

Here are some tips to monitor your child’s behaviour online. You may be able to help them avoid being a victim or perpetrator of cyber bullying, or help them cope with it in an appropriate way.

7 Steps to Break the Nagging Cycle

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

No one wants to be a nag, right?

Have you ever heard your children, friends or spouse impersonate you when you are nagging? (… And thought to yourself, “Oh my god, do I really sound like that?!”)

Nagging is actually a very ineffective way of getting someone to do something for you. It’s like a part of their brain switches off when they hear that tone.

It often makes our family members avoid us, tune us out (selective listening), become defensive and frustrated. It doesn’t make them want to do what we ask. They may do it eventually but they’ll be resentful about it. We are also teaching others that they can wait until the tenth request before actually having to do anything.

Here are seven steps to help break the nagging cycle in your home:

How to Help Your Child Survive (And Even Thrive) During VCE – Part 3 of 3

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

(This is the third and final post in this series. Click here for part 1 | Click here for part 2)

What else can I do to help?

Here are some ideas to help your son or daughter stay on top of things and reduce stress levels during the VCE years.

Getting Organised

1. Prepare a schedule

Help your son or daughter come up with a daily and weekly schedule.

Try putting leisure and non-academic activities into the schedule first, such as:

Part-time work
Extracurricular activities
Family time
Time with friends
Time spent relaxing

Then, fit in study blocks (usually 45 minutes) around the activities.

Encourage them to take frequent short breaks away from their desk!

Short breaks should be about 5 minutes for every 40-50 minutes of study.

Breaks should be energising and can involve activities such as:

How to Help Your Child Survive (And Even Thrive) During VCE – Part 2 of 3

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

(This is the second post in a three part series. Click here for part 1)

Communication is Key

It can be easy to tell yourself, “if my child is worried, they will tell me”, or, “if they need help with schoolwork, they will tell me”, but the ways teenagers communicate their feelings are not always so straightforward…

1. Make the first move

Sitting back and waiting for your teenage son or daughter to come to you could lead to you are waiting an awfully long time!

You are the adult and parent, so take the first step to show them you care.

2. Timing

Catch them at the right moment to have a chat or make a request. Timing is very important!

Some good times to open up are…

Healthy habits for back to school time

What else can I do to help?

Getting Organised

1. Prepare a schedule

Communication is Key

1. Make the first move

2. Timing

How can we help?

Book your initial parent consultation to get the right advice for your child's needs

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