Emotional Intelligence
The bell had just rung for the end of recess. Children were heading back to their classrooms, and Year 1 teacher Mrs Boonen was preparing…
Tag: Resilience in Children
Playing it Safe May be the Biggest Risk of All
A few weeks ago our whole family jumped into the car for an adventure. Some nearby National Parks were beckoning. We had a hike planned…
Are We Over-scheduling Our Kids?
Dear Dr Justin, “My kids are in a lot of after-school activities. They swim and play a musical instrument each. Two of them do drama,…
Why We Should Focus On Who (Not What) Our Children Become
“I’ve got a question for you”, the cab driver stated expectantly. I was on my way to give a talk about parenting. He had asked…
How To Talk To Your Children About Death
“Our family recently experienced the death of three close family members or friends of the family. We would like to know what to say to…
Say No to Naplan
NAPLAN is the $100 000 000+ test that divides the nation. At this time every year for the past five or six years, I have…
7 Ways to Teach Your Child Self-Control
Self-control isn’t something we’re born with – its something we hone as we grow. Children especially struggle with control and delayed gratification, but there are…
Raising Confident Kids: Help them be Competent First
One of my daughters was struggling at her school. In Grade 3, her schoolwork was average despite us being told she was an exceptionally deep…
7 Tips to Tackle Fussy Eating in Toddlers
Fussy eaters: what affects toddler eating behaviour Danielle and Jason are MasterChef fans, and feel like they have gotten in touch with their inner ‘foodie’. Their…
Is Homework Helpful? The Homework Letter I Send To School Each Year
A few years ago, I wrote the below homework letter to my children’s teachers. I’ve used it every year since for all of my children…
My 6-Year-Old Gives Up On Everything
Dear Dr Justin, My six year-old gives up on everything. I ask him to tidy his room and he says “I can’t”. I enrol him…
Am I Not Pretty Enough?
Hi Dr Justin, I wanted to ask your advice about my 2.5 year old daughter. Recently she said to me that she is not pretty.…
9 Ways to a Resilient Child – Sneak Peek
Below is a special sneak peek of my new book 9 Ways to a Resilient Child. I thought I’d share the introduction of the book as…
How do I Deal With My Child’s Sensitivity and Anxiety?
Hi Dr Justin, My husband and I have twin 7-year-old boys and a 3-year-old daughter. Our issue is with one of the boys. He has…
Should We Cocoon Our Children From Bad News?
Dreamworld has dominated the news cycle for the past week. Children are not normally interested in the news. They complain about how ‘boring’ it is…
7 Things to Say to Boost Your Child’s Self Esteem
Self-esteem means liking who you are, and feeling like you’re “ok”. Having high levels of self-esteem is correlated with better outcomes in life – especially…