I personally love low-cost Christmas gifts! These low-budget gifts put more onus on the person...

Christmas is an expensive time of year. Our kids might have expectations of an abundance...

This year, many families have been significantly impacted by the rising cost of living, leaving...

567 tweens participated in my 2020 anonymous survey, and chose to answer the question: What...

Yesterday, I spent time with a group of three mums whose tweens are in their...

93.5% of parents I surveyed while writing TWEENS answered a big “YES” to being concerned about...

If you are reducing the number of gifts under the tree this Christmas, you are...

My two sons are 24 and 21.  They would both be disgusted if anyone were...

https://vimeo.com/724774005 Hi Michelle I hope you don’t mind me asking but my 10 year old...

Over my 25-year career, I have never witnessed the level of pressure that I am...

Earlier this year Shannon noticed that the mental health of her 14-year-old son was deteriorating....

If your tween is experiencing powerful tears or shattering disappointments after tricky friendship days, know...

About 25 year ago I was an upper primary classroom teacher. I can remember being...

A 10-year-old girl approached me after a puberty presentation at her school. “Does my dad...

We all want our children to experience healthy and happy intimate relationships, but few parents...

Warning: This blog post discusses youth suicide. This week has been brutal for Brisbane. We...

Most parents tell me that puberty wasn’t a subject freely spoken about when they were...

A mum came to my last night with questions about how to respond to her...

I regularly teach sexual health in primary schools. Today, a 10 year old boy approached...

Throughout history, girl’s relationship with boundaries has been fascinating. For centuries, women lived with harsh,...

An unexpected shift in friendships. A sudden end to a romance. Poor results in an...

If you are a parent of a tween you may have grabble with WHEN to...

If you have a young one starting high school, you might relate to the term...

Everything we do in life has a WHY. WHY’s don’t just happen over night. They...

This blog was written for a very special 13-year-old, struggling to make a fresh start...

I want you to imagine you have a backpack sitting in front of you. It...

I watched The Incredibles 2 last weekend. In a moment of honesty, Mr Incredible said...

I am often asked about how parents can stay connected to teenagers, when common interests...

Self-care (keeping your sanity care) isn’t easy during demanding seasons, and parenting a tween or...

I’m getting glimpses of a new rhythm pitter patting around the corridors of my home....

Many tweens and teens are very, very sad at the moment. School term is now...

The feeling of packing your bags up and heading home is always bittersweet, especially if...

Firstly, I want to send you a big virtual hug to families within Australia and...

Many years ago my two primary school aged sons and I witnessed a very public...

To the girl who is apprehensive about the new school year.   I get it....

When my own children hit their tween years, I erred on the side of caution....

I’ve often found myself talking to my husband about our children like they were aliens...

According to the Cyber Bullying Research Centre 15% of 12 – 17 have been asked...

Michelle when should I allow my daughter to have aphone and social media account?  All...

Today I spoke to a father who was concerned about his children, 9 and 12. ...

Do you struggle to give your eldest child the time they need? Do you find that...

Please note: For the purpose of this article I have referred to a counsellor as...

I get asked questions about sibling rivalry almost every time I speak.  Why? Well, it...

I find that all parents have a different response to statistics about pornography exposure, depending...

This topic is deeply personal to me. Why? Because resilience isn’t just a word to...

Grumpiness. It’s not overly harmful, just difficult to live with. That’s why every parent needs...

You may have heard people refer to resilience as the ‘bounce back’ factor which allows...

I don’t think that comparisons are always a bad thing.  Comparisons can give us accurate...

Have you ever sat at your child’s end of year graduation and hopefully waited for...

There really is an anxiety epidemic impacting today’s young ones. Anxiety is the most common...

When parents ask me how to handle a son who is aggressively pushing back against...

Given 963 million people go to bed hungry every night and 150 million children between...

Like many parents you have probably spent the last thirteen years deliberately investing into your...

I caught up with a mum over coffee this afternoon. She shared with me this...

It’s true. Some things are only understood once I was a parent. Having a child...

“Our poor little girl is being called dumb. She’s becoming really anxious about going to...

I recently received this question from a mum who found herself in a dilemma after...

Here are two emails I recently received which share parents’ concerns about their daughter’s body...

Knowing how to manage emotions and comfort ourselves when we are unhappy or distressed is...

I learnt so much about gratitude from my father, who, to this day, is the...

It is normal for pre-teens and teens to experience a rollercoaster ride of friendship highs...

For many years I ran a successful charity that supported young people and their families...