The Easy Guide to Socialising Online website has been developed in partnership with industry and young people to help parents, children and educators combat cyberbullying and inappropriate content online.  ...read more »

by the Editor     With school finishing and with summer activities on the rise, we need to be extra careful when having fun around water.  Parents and carers can reduce the risk of drowning and provide their children valuable skills for life by following some important steps, as outlined by water safety experts.  ...read more »

by Helen Davidson     All children experience anxiety; it’s normal and expected - particularly at specific developmental times.   From the age of 8-9 months of age for example, a baby may begin to show worry and distress at being separated from a parent or known carer and this may continue through the pre-school years.   ...read more »

by the Editor     “It’s important for parents to remember that they don’t need to be tech experts to keep their kids safe online. Parents should approach their child’s development in the online world as they would in the offline world - by teaching them about right and wrong behaviours."  ...read more »

Many parents worry that they've been left behind when it comes to helping their kids navigate the digital world and keeping them cyber-safe.  The good news is that help is out there!  Resources are plentiful, covering cyber safety, digital citizenship, bullying, identity theft, predators, and more.  Here are our favourites:  ...read more »

with Nelly Thomas     Most parents squirm at the idea of having ‘the talk’ with their children.  Many of us will entirely avoid this uncomfortable task, and justify it by telling ourselves that kids learn what they need during school classes.  Many of us will decide to do it but wouldn’t know how to approach it, or when.  ...read more »

by the Editor     The figures on the number of children who are sexually assaulted each year in Australia are staggering. Research consistently suggests that around 1 in 5 children will be sexually assaulted – irrespective of socio-economic background, religion, race etc. That’s massive. It’s been described by some as an epidemic, but one we don’t really talk about.   ...read more »

by the Editor     Experts urge children to get outdoors as new research uncovers a massive decline in outdoor play across the generation. Most Aussie kids don’t climb trees anymore, according to new research from Planet Ark. Once a symbol of an idyllic childhood, this nature-loving pastime is so significantly on the decline that only 19% of Australian children enjoy a clamber in their local tree.  ...read more »

by David Keefe, Coolmind     The first line of Rudyard Kipling’s poem ‘If’, starts with a helpful message; ‘if you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you” you’re off to a great start.  I must come clean … I don’t have teenagers at home, but I have enough of them in my life to keep me honest to that message.   ...read more »

by Tahlia Mandie, Direction Exploring     We all want to have close friendships. As human beings, by nature, we gravitate to the acceptance of others and crave the need to feel worthy and loved. We are creatures that need to be around others, as opposed to totally be reliant on our own company. Going to school is no longer about the activities they may be learning, but rather the friends they are going to see.  ...read more »