by Marina Passalaris     “The hardest job kids today face is learning good manners without seeing any.” – Fred Astaire...  In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven society where emails and texts have largely replaced face-to-face interactions and rude behavior such as people texting at the dinner table are increasingly  ...read more »

by Eliza Muldoon I embarked on regular crafting sessions with my daughter Lotte after delivering a series of lectures about art making and creativity at UNSW College of Fine Arts. During one of the lectures I realised that despite my passionate ramblings about the potential benefits of art making and creativity on individuals and their communities, I hadn’t made room for creative projects in our family’s life.  ...read more »

by Daniel Schuler     Teaching financial responsibility to your children need not be a chore for anyone involved. Incorporating lessons about finances into age-appropriate games, careful administration of an allowance and seizing teaching moments as you lead your own life all serve to instill financial prudence.  ...read more »

by the Editor Getting to know your children’s friends, helping out at school and practising school-day routines with young children will help families manage the back to school period and throughout the school year, according to Australia’s first charity The Benevolent Society.  ...read more »

by Jessica McGarrity     Thanks to the continual advancement of modern technology, the world is a much different place than it was even a single generation ago. Socialization for children of past generations was limited to the contact found face-to-face or through letters or telephone calls. However, thanks to the Internet and social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, the face of social interaction has changed drastically.  ...read more »

by Angie Wilcock Do you look at your young son or daughter and wonder who they are? Are they preparing for the big move to high school and you are wondering how they will cope with new friends, new environment, new teachers, new and different subjects, more homework....and they're not really talking to you?  ...read more »

by Dr. Justin Coulson Parents consistently assure me that they want ‘the best’ for their children. They invest huge amounts of time and money in education, enrichment, and extra-curricular activities to give their children every advantage they possibly can.  ...read more »

by the Editor     Nine out of 10 teenagers have used social media, and the majority of them perceive it to be a more positive than negative influence in their lives, says a new American study. But in spite of their widespread use of today’s technology, teens prefer talking in person  ...read more »

by Paul Whitehead     Can we have an honest conversation?  I promise, I am not “representing the teaching fraternity” by writing this… I haven’t consulted with my colleagues; in fact they may well feel VERY differently from the views I express here. I do want to express some of my thoughts from my own teaching experiences over the past twenty years.  ...read more »

Here are a few links to help you find fun and educational activities for your kids to do.  These resources can help you find sports clubs, classes and lessons, and school holiday activities for your kids.  ...read more »