Kids on the coast

by Shannon Breen

Think back to your own childhood. Remember the freedom of tearing off on your bike in search of adventure? Maybe you walked to school with friends, or took a bus solo to piano lessons or soccer training.

 Read more

How can you help your child become a safe driver – and just how early should you start?
by Michelle MacFarlane

We've all seen the news reports: another young driver killed or badly injured in a car crash, often with friends involved. We’ve watched the grieving parents face the television cameras, heard the police plead for safer driving, and seen the crosses and flowers that spring up next to roads across Queensland.

 Read more

by Maxine Arthur

Have you noticed that handmade goods are suddenly trendy, innovative, upmarket, and accessible everywhere? Traditional crafts such as crochet now sit alongside a stunning variety of jewellery, clever accessories, soft toys, beautiful fabric bags, decorative home wares, funky clothing and much more. A new generation, tired of mass-produced and poor quality goods, is hungry for the unique and authentic. People are looking for quality and prepared to pay for it.

 Read more

by Maxine Arthur

If you like to see the sparks fly occasionally, ask the parents around the table (though not in front of the children) who is their favourite child. It’s an uncomfortable topic for some. Be prepared for an adamant denial of any family favouritism, followed by a chorus of “I treat all my children equally”.

 Read more

by Fran Maguire

You’re finding you or your partner spending more and more time at work at the expense of family time. What’s the answer? The Australian lifestyle is famed for its laid-back nature and in Queensland that often appears to be the case.

 Read more

by Justine Stewart

“I am astonished that in this country in the 21st century it is still a defence to a charge of assaulting a child that you were engaged in reasonable chastisement…some parents take that much too far.”

Family Court Chief Justice, Alastair Nicholson, quoted in the Courier-Mail in 2002.

 Read more

FOSTER PARENTS HELP RAISE THE NEXT GENERATION

by Maxine Arthur

“I am strong when I am on your shoulders. You raise me up… to more than I can be.” The words of Josh Groban’s inspirational song describe the challenge of parenting well and it is a challenge most parents relish. The occasional bumps along the way are far outweighed by the joy of seeing a child grow to successful adulthood in a nurturing family.
 Read more

What messages are our kids getting about body image?
by Jane O’Hare
 
What is body image? What are the signs that your children may have poor body image? At what age can body image become a problem? What can parents do to ensure their children have realistic views of themselves and others? What is being done to improve body image in young kids in Australia?  Read more

Proud diversity or assimilation?
 
by Sandra Smith

Shion’s lunchbox is lovingly packed with rice balls, baked egg rolls, cherry tomatoes and her favourite dessert, adzuki bean jelly. It’s a typical Japanese lunchbox, but sandwiches and a piece of fruit are the norm at Shion’s Nambour kindergarten.
 Read more

Cyberspace is constantly changing
by Justine Stewart

Did you hear the one about the three year old who bought a $15,000 tractor on eBay? The trouble is, it’s not a joke. In May of this year, a toddler in New Zealand managed, with a few random mouse-clicks, to make an accidental purchase which could have sent her family broke. (Luckily, eBay were willing to let them off the hook.)
 Read more