This week I have again gathered THE BEST resources for tweens and teens that I can find. I have chosen the following categories: General parenting during COVID-19 Purposeful conversations Things to entertainment Things to keep tweens and teens moving Connecting during isolation Child protection during this time (PROFESSIONALS PLEASE READ THIS SECTION) If you are a […]
The feeling of packing your bags up and heading home is always bittersweet, especially if it wasn’t in the original plan. Sometimes we head home because we have failed, or the journey has become too tough. Sometimes we head home because we feel disillusioned or lost. Sometimes we head home because it’s the safest […]
Firstly, I want to send you a big virtual hug to families within Australia and overseas. My special thoughts go to those who are feeling overwhelmed, have lost their income or have family or friends whose health is fragile. I want to be as helpful as possible during this time. That is why each week […]
Many years ago my two primary school aged sons and I witnessed a very public domestic violence incident at a local supermarket. A male and female were furiously fighting over who would take two young children home with them. All the commotion had attracted a huge crowd of people, many who where casting a watchful […]
You may (or may not) buy your tween or teen a Valentine’s Day gift to remind them that they are loved and cherished. Flowers, chocolates and dinner dates are all traditions that some families adopt in order to nurture the identify of their girls. Having a father or father figure come home with roses […]
To the girl who is apprehensive about the new school year. I get it. I remember the knot in my stomach when school wasn’t the fun and exciting place it was promised to be. I remember the night before school started, wondering whether my friends would be happy to see me or whether the […]
When my own children hit their tween years, I erred on the side of caution. I said “no” a lot. No to hanging around the wrong crowd. No to underage drinking. No to the wild parties. In my role at work I was daily dealing with teenagers who were sexting, viewing pornography, lying to their […]
November 2019, 12.30pm. My husband’s phone rang. It was the phone call that no parent wants to receive. My son and his mate had been involved in a major car accident on the highway nearby our house. Without too much discussion my husband pulled on his shoes and raced out the door to find them. […]
I’ve often found myself talking to my husband about our children like they were aliens from another planet, different from any other child on earth; and someone that no one in the world would understand, accept me. It’s very easy for parents to fool themselves into thinking that their children are so unique that the […]