psychology

Why Parents Should Feel Good About Saying ‘NO’ to Their Children

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Saying ‘no’ frequently to your young children may be the opposite of your parental instincts.

But according to Georgia Manning ‑ counsellor, psychotherapist and the director of Wellbeing For Kids ‑ saying ‘no’ to your kids is one of the best things you can do for them.

Manning puts this down to the fact that many parents have shied away from saying ‘no’ to their children because of the ‘self-esteem movement’, where anything that could potentially damage a child’s self-esteem was frowned upon.

But as a result, ‘the pendulum has swung too far’.

‘We’ve gone from not being emotionally attuned with our children to thinking that protecting them from any discomfort or things that they don’t want to do is a way of showing love.’

The Simple Reason that Meditation Works

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

You’ve likely noticed that there is something of a ‘meditation’ trend happening.

Prominent figures such as Oprah have even jumped on the bandwagon, having launched a meditation app collboratively with Deepak Chopra.

But this is one ‘fad’ that we can definitely get behind, and one that shouldn’t be going away any time soon.

Why?

A New Way to Look at Anxiety

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

We all experience ‘anxiety’ in some form throughout our lives.

We can describe this anxiety as a feeling of worry or nervousness about something.

And for many people, these uncomfortable feelings are both fleeting and surmountable.

In many situations, it may even be more appropriate to ascribe these feelings to ‘stress’, rather than anxiety.

But for those who suffer more seriously or frequently from anxiety, or even from generalised anxiety disorder, it can be hard for those who don’t to relate.

6 Things to Do if You Don’t Like Your Children’s Friends

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

We just posted on the blog some Dos and Don’ts of getting involved in your children’s friendships…

But what do you do if you just really don’t like one of their friends?

As a parent, there is a strong likelihood that your feelings are coming from a gut instinct that the friend in question is not a good influence on your child, in one way or another.

But as we discussed in the last post, the best thing you can do for your child is to help them navigate their friendships, rather than taking control over them.

The latter would not only be detrimental to your child’s social life and skills, but also to your relationship with them.

So then how do we deal with our own feelings towards our child’s friends?

Should Parents Get Involved in Their Kid’s Friendships?

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

All parents want to protect their children from the challenges that life throws at them.

And navigating the complicated and highly emotional world of friendship-forming is no different.

But like most ongoing processes of life and growing up, there’s only so much you can do to support their journey, and getting too involved can often do more harm than good.

‘Parents need to view these situations as opportunities to teach their child valuable life lessons‘, says friendship expert Dana Kerford.

Social Media: Are You Monitoring Your Own Public Profile?

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Social media is a largely unavoidable aspect of modern life.

And the ways parents monitor their children’s social media presence varies greatly…

Some insist on being ‘online friends’, some sneak through their child’s profiles without their knowing (a post for another day), or some ban social media completely.

But with all the focus we put on trying to protect our children from the many implications of a social media presence…

How much time are we taking to look at the impact of our own?

10 Practical Study Tips from a Memory Expert, Explained by our Psychologists

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

When it comes to an approach to study, one size does not fit all.

Many students will find and develop their own approach over time.

But there are some principles that have shown to be particularly effective for many studiers, and can be a good starting point for a new study plan or a change of approach.

A recent article on Buzzfeed identifies some of the best approaches to study by a Professor of cognitive science, and our staff psychologist Christina has weighed in on how and why these tactics work!

Why Gratitude can be the Key to Happiness

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

It’s a given that most parents want to raise their children to be grateful.

We intuitively believe that being grateful will lead to a number of good habits and qualities: politeness, humility, and respect, to name a few.

But what can be easily overlooked is that an inherent sense of gratitude is not only beneficial for our experience and interaction with others…

It can also be one of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves and our children.

How?

Helping Childhood Anxiety with a ‘Worry Box’

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

The prevalence of childhood anxiety has more than doubled in the last twenty years.

And while we all experience anxious feelings at times, certain children will suffer more greatly, with their anxieties interrupting the functioning of their daily lives.

This could mean that it affects their sleeping, their socialising, or their ability to concentrate at school.

We’ve discussed a number of techniques for dealing with childhood anxiety on the blog…

But a useful tool for very young kids dealing with anxiety can be introducing a ‘worry box’ into their daily routine.

How Do We Help Children to Deal with Grief?

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Losing a loved one is a heartbreaking experience at any age.

And watching our children go through the process can make the experience even more devastating.

It’s a parent’s natural urge to want to shield their children from pain and sadness.

But this isn’t realistic — not during childhood, and not during adulthood.

Loss and sadness are inevitable parts of life, but teaching your children positive and productive coping mechanisms will help them through the process in the short and long term.

So how do we deal with a grieving child?

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