parenting

When is Lying to your Children Okay?

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Our resident psychologists Dani and Christina were recently quoted in an article on mamamia about lying to your children.

Roxy Jacenko has gone on record to state that she has told her children their father is ‘in China’, while in reality he in jail for Insider Trading.

This is a difficult situation to deal with, and Roxy’s approach, while deemed irresponsible by some media outlets, is not uncommon.

There are many situations when the absence of a parent or loved one will need to be explained to a child.

And sometimes it may seem worth concealing the truth from your kids in order to protect them from the harsh reality of a situation.

What is most important when considering lying to your children is the future implications of that lie…

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.

Should You Put Your Partner Before Your Children?

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

It may be a confronting question but it’s one that was answered with an emphatic ‘yes’ in a recent blog from The Huffington Post Australia, which also claims your ‘kids will thank you for it’.

And while it seems like the opposite of what is traditionally considered the right approach, the article raises some points worth considering.

So what are the factors that influenced this conclusion, and do we agree?

The Psychology of Cleaning

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

‘Tidy House, Tidy Mind’.

A phrase we have most likely all considered at some point in our lives… usually when we’re in the middle of a distinctly un-tidy situation!

And in recent years, the topics of cleaning and de-cluttering have even featured in the NYT best-seller list…

Why?

Because tidying has been linked with both good and bad outcomes.

Sibling Rivalry – All’s Fair in Love and Parenting … But What IS Fairness?

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

In a recent blog post, we discussed the issue of family favouritism.

We wanted to reassure parents that having a favourite is part of human nature (and not the same as loving one child more or less than another), and should not be a source of guilt or shame.

What’s important is how you act on your inclination towards one child or the other.

Giving overt extra attention to one child over another can result in cries of ‘but it’s not fair!’.

And ultimately, this can lead to problematic behaviour, resentment, and sibling rivalry…

Which raises an interesting question – how do we define ‘fairness’?

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.

The Many Benefits of Reading Aloud to Your Kids

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Reading is vital for developing literacy, a good vocabulary and a vivid imagination.

But with increasingly interactive electronic books that enable independent reading from a younger and younger age, we may be losing sight of the value of reading not only with, but also to our kids.

A number of recent studies have reinforced the importance of reading aloud to your kids — the traditional way.

5 Ways For Parents to Keep Anger at Bay

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

There’s no denying that with all the joys of parenthood there can also be a lot of stress and frustration.

Temper tantrums, complaints and demands… It’s understandable this would try any parent’s patience.

And sometimes the result is an angry outburst.

But unfortunately anger directed towards your child can have a very negative impact on your relationship with them and on their own temperament.

And it can also encourage more acting out or misbehaving.

So how can we better manage our own emotions when it comes to parenting challenges?

What Can You Expect From Our Child Psychology Services?

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

The first visit to a new psychologist can be a daunting experience. It’s completely natural to feel nervous about addressing your concerns head on with someone you’ve never met.

And this is especially true when it comes to a child psychologist who will be seeing your child or teenager.

But our clients typically find that taking that first step to come in for an initial 30 minute parent consultation is a very positive and productive step in the right direction.

And we’re here to make the experience as constructive and comfortable as possible.

So, what can you expect from a visit to our practice?

How can we help?

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

Why have 2,866* parents chosen us?