Development for Older Kids
When twins are abused
Angela Lee* Angela* and her twin sister lived through years of torment at the hands of their parents, here she shares her story of abuse to helps others understand the hard road victims travel down to come to a place where they finally feel safe enough to come forward for justice.
Trust clouded by paranoia
EAMONN DUFF A grandfather was reported to police after letting his six-year-old granddaughter swim naked at Balmoral Beach. After The Sun-Herald reported the story last week, we were inundated with similar tales.
My child is addicted to technology
QUIRKY KID How to tell if you child has crossed the line from technology enjoyment to addiction and what you can do to remedy the problem.
Sexualising girls: what's missing from the conversation?
Andie Fox What are the four biggest problems with how we discuss the sexualising of girls?
Puberty blues start right back in the sandpit
Melissa Davey Children who hit puberty early are likely to have been anxious, sensitive or bad-tempered preschoolers, a study of nearly 3500 youngsters has found.
The facts on eating disorders
QUIRKY KID Eating Disorders are among some of the most serious and challenging mental illnesses that affect our children and adolescents. Here are the facts you should know.
When a little girl grows into a woman
Karen Hardy Karen Hardy writes a letter to her daughter on the ten things she thinks she needs to know before she becomes a woman.
A bullied child never forgets
Alana Schetzer Alana Schetzer remembers her bullied childhood all too well but she has some advice for parents struggling to help their kids overcome their own bullies.
Beyond thirteen candles
Adele Parks Adele Parks wonders why teenage years are so little cause for celebration.
Ten things I want my 10-year-old daughter to know
Lindsey Mead Lindsey Mead shares the values, beliefs and wisdom she most wants her daughter to know as she transitions from childhood into adolescence.
Raising girls is hard
Paula Joye Walking past a group of young girls on the weekend my 11-year-old daughter asked: “Mummy, do all teenagers dress like that?”
Kerr caring for kids in need
Agencies Her face has graced catwalks and magazines and now Miranda Kerr is the face of a kids counselling service.
Children draw on desolation of island detention
BIANCA HALL In her childish self-portrait, the 12-year-old girl's cheeks are streaked with tears as she stands forlornly beside a purple, boarded-up school. A lone palm tree is the only clue to her location: Papua New Guinea's Manus Island processing centre.
Parenting
Protecting children from a breakup
ELLY TAYLOR Why it doesn’t always help to tell your kids the full story of your divorce.
Who photobombed the president?
Staff writers Sasha Obama’s efforts to capture an intimate moment between her parents were thwarted by her older sister.
Perils and pitfalls of raising girls
Kate Figes Does the boys' parenting guru Steve Biddulph have any answers?
Today's aunties play a crucial role
JACQUELINE MALEY I took the call about 5am. I was expecting it: I had gone to bed the night before cradling my mobile. Into the dark dawn of my north London bedroom came my brother's voice from Canberra. It had a strange, soft tone in it that I had never heard before.
Do little girls really have the right 'to own themselves'?
Sandy Smith US actress Jada Pinkett Smith is making headlines and not because of her celebrity antics or the state of her marriage to Will Smith. Instead the mother of three is in the spotlight over her liberal approach to parenting.
Crawford's daughter next in line?
Staff writers It’s no secret that supermodel Cindy Crawford has passed her stunning looks onto her 11-year-old daughter Kaia, but will her young daughter follow in her footsteps?
Sharing the parenting load
SARAH MACDONALD The influence of other adults - teachers, coaches, mentors - on your children may be more important than we realise.
Life as an Obama daughter
Krissah Thompson Can you possibly have a normal childhood growing up in the White House? Family dinners and strict homework rules are a good start writes Krissah Thompson.
Loud and proud parents
ANDREW DADDO Have you ever been met with 'that' look when expressing pride in your kids' achievements? Andrew Daddo has on more than one occasion but why shouldn't we share our family pride?
Popular at school, prosperous in life?
MATT WADE Does being well liked at school make a difference later on in life? Apparently so, according to a new paper.
Children caught in web of lies
Julie Henry Despondent children are easily overcome by chat room misery.
When step families break up
COSIMA MARRINER When blended families break up, what happens to the relationship between the step-parent and stepchild? There are no rules for this very modern situation, writes Cosima Marriner.
Independence day
LAKSHMI SINGH The recent Queensland custody case has raised the question of when children are old enough to make life-changing decisions.
Dating a child: Love or publicity?
MONICA TAN Is this the everyday scribblings of a young girl with a crush? Think again.
Picking up the pieces after 'sexting'
FARRAH TOMAZIN Hundreds of children are seeking crisis counselling every month after having sexually explicit images of them or their friends sent out via the internet or mobile phone.
When your gender becomes a prison
PAUL CHAI Life for children who feel they are trapped in the wrong body can be a nightmare of shame and isolation. But some are refusing to hide any longer.
Asylum in the suburbs
BRIDIE JABOUR When a Brisbane family opened their home to an Iraqi asylum seeker, they found a role model for their 13-year-old son.
The S word
QUIRKY KID Talking about sex with your child is embarrassing - but keeping an open and honest attitude is important.
Back to school, with a new face
When Nadia Isle returns to school she won't just be toting a new bag or uniform. The American high school pupil will return to classes with a new-look nose, chin and ears after plastic surgery, at 14.
When families reach breaking point
Rachel Wells with staff writers Families are being forced to relinquish their disabled children to the state, due to a lack of resources and respite, finds new report,
Should dads bake a bra cake?
ANDREW DADDO Andrew Daddo tackles the baffling question of how fathers should approach the day their daughter gets their first bra.
Drop the baby voice and have a conversation
Jonathan Swan The year 4 students at Haberfield Public School agree that most adults have no idea how to speak to children.
A daughter's passage of time
Staff writers Time passes quickly but when you have edited your daughter’s life down to less than three minutes it quite literally flies by.
Out of the box: TV better than childcare
Emma Macdonald Children who spend time in front of the television or computer may benefit cognitively more than if they were hanging out with friends, alone at home or in after-school care.
Rubbish for their minds?
JUSTINE DAVIES Competitive atmospheres, plenty of bitchiness and floods of tears – is reality television a diet that we should be feeding our kids?
Home alone and other life milestones
ANTONIA KIDMAN In her first Essential Kids’ column Antonia Kidman grapples with the question of when you should encourage independence in your children and when to hold back.
Finding their tribe
Kim Berry When Kim Berry's special needs son befriended the seemingly wild older boys next door she discovered that sometimes relaxing the reigns will see your child finding their own tribe with very little input from you.
Sexed up tween advertising
Emma Rush and Caroline Norma 'Corporate paedophilia' is a worrying global trend on the rise.
Alert or alarmed?
Child safety - a boy's own story
Dr James Best Obsessive parenting is teaching children fear and anxiety, writes Dr James Best.
Healthier, happier families take a walk on the child's side
Ruth Quibell Walking children to school gives them a chance to chat, daydream and let their thoughts tumble out.
In her mother's stilettos
Kylie Orr No surprises that Cindy Crawford’s daughter has secured a modelling gig with fashion house Versace at the ripe old age of ten.
It's fair to say it's a hard question
Kylie Orr We all know life can be unfair sometimes but how do you teach that to your kids without robbing them of their hopes and dreams?
One-kid wonder
Emma Kennedy Far from spoilt and selfish, only children are the future, argues Emma Kennedy.
Aussie girl's quirky talent
Staff writers A thirteen-year-old Australian girl has a neat trick that is sure to make her a hit in the playground and seemingly online.
Loving families open their homes and hearts
ADELE HORIN As adoption numbers dwindle, the focus has turned to foster care, writes Adele Horin.
Sleep deprived kids, tired parents
Brooke Tasovac Is your child stuck in a cycle of sleeplessness, resisting bedtime or struggling to fall asleep at all? You are not alone. Here are some tips that will help you establish a routine that works.
Kids sharing bedrooms
Carolyn Boyd If there's truth to the talk that the new trend is for three-bedroom, two-bathroom houses, there's going to be one thing happening for families – lots more kids sharing bedrooms.
Royals help kids stand up to bullying
Rachel Browne WITH four children of her own, Princess Mary probably knows a thing or two about keeping them safe.
Parenting through peer pressure
KIMBERLEY O'BRIEN School friends wield a lot of influence over your kids as they reach the tween years but how do you help them when you know they have fallen into the wrong crowd and have wilfully shut you out of their lives?
Winslet's butt-shaking example
Kate Winslet "shakes her butt" at her young daughter to promote a healthy body image.
Damien Leith’s tips for safe and spooky trick or treating
Damien Leith Halloween is a great excuse to get dressed up and spook yourself silly! On the other hand, make sure the family is kept safe with some tips and tricks to make sure the little goblins have a great and safe time on Halloween night!
Better get a lawyer, mum, better get a real good one
RICHARD GLOVER What do Bill Henson, Photoshopped models in magazines and a mother before the courts in Ipswich have in common?
Stars still shining
Staff writers There are some stars that just continue to shine long after their first explosion onto our screens. You might be surprised by just how many celebrities got their first big break as bright-eyed, eager child stars.
Winning isn't everything, but it should be something
ANDREW DADDO Apparently competing is a bad thing and kids should not be made to battle each other in any kind of school-based combat because, when it's over, there's a winner.
A sext out of context
Mia Freedman Imagine if every dumb, embarrassing and potentially illegal thing you've ever done was captured permanently for the public record.
On the road again with Kiss, Kylie and Jason, too
ANDREW DADDO The September school holidays mean only one thing: yay and road trip!
What is driving this ridiculous stereotyping?
ANDREW DADDO For all I know, that whole ''Bloody Volvo Driver'' campaign snuck into her subconscious as a two-year-old and it's taken the shock ...
