On the Blog
High School Exam Support Tips
Exam time can be a stressful period for the whole family. I’m thinking ‘first year of High School’ exams, the bigger ‘final years of school’ exams and the ‘end of each year’ exams in general. Some teens adjust to a study routine quite easily, others find it tricky every single year. Each child is different, even in the same family. Most parents are keen to find some high school exam support tips.
Talking about vaping, alcohol & other drugs
Vaping and teens is the topic on every school principal’s mind right now. Paul Dillon tells me that we have not seen this kind of drug related issue come back on school grounds since the early 80s.
Generation Z
Gen Z are more likely to seek purpose and look outside of themselves. They care about the people around them and want to make a difference in the environment.
?The Importance of Touch
For many of us, the importance of touch is well known intrinsically. We often recognise it most when it is missing. Like during a pandemic?
? Sleep Deprivation and Teens
The Parenting Question this week is from Judy, on Sleep Deprivation: “How much sleep do our teens need?”
It has been said that we have a chronically sleep deprived generation. Studies on tech use and teens are complex, and, “Causal research in this space is rare because it is difficult to establish directionality and cause and effect, but one direct consequence of increasing time spent on digital media and technologies is declining quantity, and often also quality, of sleep.” (The Gonski report, 2021).
So how do we best support our teens?
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? The Beauty of Family Traditions
Many family and cultural traditions communicate to young people that they belong to something bigger than themselves.
? The Raising Teens Podcast is here!
I’d like to introduce you to my new podcast, ‘Raising Teens’. I am really excited to add something for those who prefer listening to reading. Or perhaps you like to do both?
I will be uploading a new episode each week, along with a related article.
Season 1 – Episode 1 is about Teens and Sleep.
Stay tuned…
An Open Letter to Secondary Students
An open letter to Secondary Students, from Author, Teacher and Speaker, Sharon Witt.
This letter is addressed to students in Melbourne, Victoria. However, so much of this is true for Secondary Students and Final Year students anywhere in Australia this term.
What a year they have come through. We are so proud of them!
Why Our Year 12s Need Creative Rites of Passage
I have written before, on how different this Year looks for our Year 12 students.Yet, in the last few weeks our kids heard that they will be losing more ‘lasts’. They’re really struggling with the news. So how can we point them to Hope?
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What the Final Class of 2020 Needs from You Right Now
When you are at school everything builds up to the final year. Some major Rites of Passage events happen then. It is normal for teenagers to look forward to more independence. Yet March 2020 saw this cancelled – almost overnight.
Study stress has been an issue for young people for a number of years already. What is our role…
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9 Practical Ways to Support Anxious Kids Return to School
The relaxing and lifting of restrictions in schools makes it sound like we’re on our way back to normal, yet ‘normal’ is a long way off. And our kids know it. The response of schools and parents can make all the difference in maintaining our children’s mental wellbeing going forward.
? Supporting Your QuaranTeen
In today’s Wellbeing with Collett video we chat about what you can do to help your teen through self isolation, staying at home and the changes to their ‘normal’ routine.
30 books for boys aged 13, 14 and 15
One of the biggest challenges facing parents of tween and teen boys is how to keep them reading. How do I know this? Because they tell me.
When Schooling Comes Home – Mental Fitness Part 2
When schooling comes home, it will look quite different for each household and even each child at your dining table.
I don’t want any of this to become a guilt trip or something burdensome. I don’t want parents to look at this post and think about what they are not doing. Things will happen according to…
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Housebound Families & Staying Sane – Mental Fitness Part 1
Many around the world have been housebound for some time now. We’re not even sure when this way of living will come to an end. How might we navigate everyone being at home, in a confined space, for most of the day, for an unknown period of time… and still maintain mental fitness?
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Working at Home is Difficult for Students with ADHD – 5 ways we can help
Working at home is even more difficult for students with ADHD and many parents have asked for ideas on how to support their tweens and teens. So I approached Tim Connell, a special education consultant, for his best tips. Here is his expert advice:
Ideas to Manage T(w)een Anxiety About COVID-19
Like many reading this, I am a parent (I have 3 children, one already an adult) – and the talk of COVID-19 has been part of our daily conversation in the last few weeks. A study about empowering families during a healthcare crisis recommends the C-A-R-E approach. Engaging the CARE principles helps young people and families feel empowered. It reduces, and may even improve the risk of anxiety and trauma responses.
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Is your Daughter a Victim of Gaslighting?
Remember that gaslighting is calculated emotional manipulation, often in the form of undermining yet subtle, chronic insults. It is usually done when your daughter doesn’t comply with something her partner/boyfriend wants to control. She might often hear terms like…
Why TikTok is Not a Place for Tweens
TikTok previously known as lip-syncing app musical.ly is a short-form 15sec video creating/sharing social media app rated 13+ for use. It is a free mobile app available on both Apple and Android mobile devices. Users of TikTok can make videos by creating an account and using the creator tools to film their video and add special effects. So what’s the issue?
?Boys have Body Image Issues too
Boys have body image issues and are more body conscious than we realise. Unfortunately, boys are far less likely to address their own body image concerns and are more likely to struggle alone, because body image issues have long been thought of as ‘a girl thing’. Our boys also tend to laugh off…