Preschooler Development
Parents' anger over Merida's sexy makeover
KATIE CARLIN Merida's new look might have got her in to the princess pack but has she lost her vote with parents?
Over-protective parents are linked to teenage depression
AMY CORDEROY Teaching ''helicopter parents'' and ''tiger mums'' to control their emotions could be the key to preventing mental illness in their children, researchers say.
My four-year-old refuses to speak
Bianca Wordley It’s been two terms of kindergarten and still she will not speak. From the moment we step inside the kindy gates, she hides her beautiful voice from the world.
Four challenges of parenting a four-year-old
Megan Blandford Has your four-year-old returned to the tantrum-throwing, porky-pie telling, stubborn toddler you thought you left behind two years ago? You're not alone. Here is why and how you can help restore some peace to your home.
A champion for all the nation's children
RACHEL BROWNE Australia's first Children's Commissioner grasps the importance of the role, having experienced her own childhood adversity.
Disney rescues girls from princess culture
CHRISTINE SAMS Growing parental concern about young girls being inundated with princess culture is being addressed by Disney, the biggest global purveyor of princess characters on television and film.
How to be an amazing aunt or uncle
AMY GRAY The people who leave the most profound traces on your life are not always your parents and the role of aunt or uncle is more valuable than you might first think, writes Amy Gray.
The anxiety of the blended family
Sarah Wayland What happens when a single mum or dad re-partner? How do they navigate the new structure when kids come with that package?
The princess strikes back
VICTORIA BIRCH Avoiding the princess phase seems about as easy as sidestepping a herd of rampaging wildebeest but Victoria Birch wonders if we have been too quick to write-off their value.
'Teen Mom' star waxes her three-year-old
Livia Gamble Farrah Abraham thought it was a good idea to wax her three-year-old daughter's unibrow.
Boy's pink shoes spark debate
KATIE CARLIN Would you let your son wear pink zebra print shoes to his first day of preschool?
An app to fight bullying
JAMES W. MANNING For a father and app designer, the power of kids' imaginations is the key to helping them deal with bullying.
'Princess' is not a career
KASEY EDWARDS US Supreme Court Justice shares awesome career advice on Sesame Street.
Philosophy the answer for curious kids?
AMY GRAY For kids with a never-ending stream of confounding questions, philosophy might take them on an amazing path of discovery.
Election reduces four-year-old girl to tears
Staff writers Election reduces four-year-old girl to tears
How to get kids to sleep in their own bed
QUIRKY KID Children often sleep alongside parents or siblings as they are growing up but how and when do you transition them into sleeping in their own bed?
Complaining about motherhood
Andie Fox Andie Fox reflects on the trials and joys of motherhood and why speaking the truth about your struggles can be liberating.
Do you support a public sex offenders register?
Justine Davies On Monday, Australia’s first-ever public sex offender register went live but with many arguments for and against such an initiative will it enhance the safety of children or will it cause more problems?
Putting an end to child abuse
Saman Shad It does not need to be said that children are the most defenceless of creatures so why aren't we doing more to help the silent victims of child abuse?
Benefits of bedtime stories last a lifetime
PAUL CHAI Bedtime tales, however fanciful, are good for bonding as well as kids' brains.
Looking after children's oral health
Dr Stephen Blatchford With children as young as four are having all of their baby teeth removed because of poor oral health, it's clear that parents do not have enough information on how to care for their child's teeth.
Minnie Mouse forced to diet
KASEY EDWARDS What happens when even a mouse is no longer allowed to be short and curvy?
Losing their first baby tooth
JUSTINE DAVIES If there’s one thing even more momentous than the hint of the first milk tooth breaking through your baby’s gummy smile, it’s the wobble and eventual loss of that first baby tooth to make way for the adult ones.
How your child’s diet can affect their teeth
Livia Gamble Knowing what to feed your kids and teaching them healthy eating habits now will guarentee a big healthy grin later.
Breaking bad brushing habits
VICTORIA BIRCH Victoria Birch has found a way to get her four-year-old to enjoy brushing his teeth and it is all to do with something called the Nurdle Durdles.
Keeping kids' teeth in check
KATIE CARLIN Taking your child to the dentist for the first time can be an nerve-wrecking experience for them but there are many things that you can do from an early age to help ease their nerves and turn it into something positive.
Superhero play should stay
Michelle Haines Thomas Helmets, make-shift capes, plastic swords and water guns - sound familiar? Most little boys go through a superhero stage in their early years but some preschools have taken to banning this kind of play. Michelle Haines Thomas tells us why superhero play should be encouraged not banned.
Parenting
The secret lives of boys
Sarah Macdonald How having a son has changed one mother's view of the world.
Maxwell's fight for her son
Chloe Maxwell's autistic son, Max, is her "precious gift" - and her great challenge. She tells of her tearful journey to try to understand the world he lives in.
Justine Davies
Five things that I want my daughters to know
JUSTINE DAVIES As the world celebrates International Women’s Day today, Justine Davies shares a personal letter to her daughters on what she wants them to know as they grow up into the next generation of women.
The anatomy of choices and mistakes
Mel Hearse It's tempting to try and stop your child from making mistakes by taking control but Mel Hearse discovers why you need to let your little ones make up their own minds.
Predator-proof your kids
Jayneen Sanders Teaching your child how to keep their body safe from unwanted physical attention is a sensitive topic. Author Jayneen Sanders shares her tips on how to start the conversation and keep them safe from sexual interference.
Grant Hackett: A fish out of water and raising twins
KATIE CARLIN When Grant Hackett hung up his green and gold in 2008 the triple Olympic gold medallist retired at the top of his sport. But retirement hasn’t managed to slow him down. The former Olympian sits down with Essential Kids to chat about fatherhood, life after swimming and his determination to help eradicate childhood drowning in Australia.
Lego makes sure that boys will be boys and girls will be girls
Michelle Smith A new toy range is doing no one any favours.
Include kids in your plans
Tanya Ryan-Segger Keep routines in place and communication flowing during a renovation, writes Tanya Ryan-Segger.
Christmas cheer or mayhem marathon
Kylie Orr As families grow and multiply, fitting everyone in becomes nigh on impossible. Siblings, parents, inlaws, outlaws, extended families, separated families, step families – a family tree becomes a family forest.
Natural born chillers
Paul Chai IF The path to happiness is all about living in the now, perhaps we could learn a thing or two from our own mini zen masters, says Paul Chai.
Overcoming childhood fears and anxieties
Brooke Tasovac It can be hard for parents to empathise with their children’s fears, especially when they seem irrational or unreasonable. But parents need to understand that fear is a survival instinct for self protection that children need to hone as they grow up, in order to have a proper perception of true danger.
Child water safety at home
Anni Taylor Children drown silently, in mere minutes. Despite the best efforts of parents and caregivers to keep their children safe, drowning remains one of major causes of child death in Australia.
Halle Berry wins court battle with ex
Halle Berry scored a major victory in court yesterday in her ongoing custody battle with ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubrey.
Airbrushed perfection
An American website claims that it can take your ordinary family pictures and turn them into prize-winning pageant shots.
Magnets to teach sexism to kids
Kylie Orr Under the guise of “National Literacy Words” a UK company has released “Girls and Boys Talk Magnets”. Gender specific words which are “fun and encourage reading through play.” I had to check the calendar when I stumbled across these gems. It is 2011, right?
Learning to socialise
Brooke Tasovac Emotionally, children of preschool age want to be independent and will seek out activities that allow them to be autonomous.
A whole new world of learning
Brooke Tasovac Preschoolers need to know how to do a number of things before commencing primary school at age 4 or 5 and consequently will learn many things in the two years before kindergarten.
Is my child falling behind?
Brooke Tasovac There are certain signs that may indicate developmental delays in children aged between 3-5 years.
Samantha Selinger-Morris
Cutting little poppets right down to size
Samantha Selinger-Morris Has the backlash against baby braggers gone too far? Sure those smug parents who take every opportunity to tell you that three-month-old Lachlan is a shoo-in with Mensa, are annoying. And one can empathise with those who feel the desire to - as one mother recently wrote on geekology.com - ''key the car'' of parents who slap a ''Proud parent of an honour roll student'' bumper sticker on their car.
Child development between 3-4 years of age
Brooke Tasovac As this is an age where your child is learning new things every day parents should try to combine learning activities with play as much as possible.
Long work hours leave little time for child's play
Adele Horin Australia's culture of long work hours is putting at risk children's early learning opportunities, a study has found, as parents struggle to find the time to read, sing and talk to their preschoolers.
The pee-wee Picasso taking the art world by storm
Karl Quinn Aelita Andre has sold her art around the world, her most recent work for $28,000. Not bad for a 3-year-old.
Smelly boys and pretty girls: smothering stereotypes
Kylie Orr Girls who won’t wear dresses, who prefer to roll around in the dirt and drive cars through the sandpit and smash them into the walls, are still girls. Boys who like to sit still and colour in, concoct imaginary games with dolls and teddies and mime to the latest pop music still qualify to be boys.
Accident of birth, sport
Andrew Stevenson The financial year has ticked over, with investors hoping for brighter prospects. But expectant parents, especially those hoping their issue will find sporting success, should know the numbers are stacked against them.
Letting your kids talk to strangers
Kylie Orr We recently had a new neighbour move in next door. He didn’t come and introduce himself, but does anyone anymore? It was our five-year old son who struck up a friendship with the new neighbour...
