5 things to discuss with your teen before they leave home for a sleepover, party or gathering
Paul Dillon believes there are five things every parent should discuss with their teen before they leave home for a sleepover, party, or gathering.
Knowing Girls
The Enormous Power of Celebration
Active-constructive responding is a set of behaviours that promote intimacy and trust. Responding to a child’s good news in this way builds the relationship.
What You Need To Know About Girls And Their Frenemies
In schools we talk constantly about protecting girls from harm. We teach them about paedophiles, on-line grooming, sexting, and the harm caused by drug and alcohol use. In reality, the more likely destructive influence on an adolescent girl’s day to day life is the damage they do to one another in their friendship groups…Relational aggression.
Why Is My Teenager Paralysed by Other People’s Opinions?
Adolescents are heavily influenced by other people’s opinions. How can we encourage them to be more critical of the opinions they listen to?
How To Help Your Teens Sleep Their Way To A Better Brain
It may seem that your teenager is always tired. There are very good physiological and developmental reasons for that. Here’s how you can help.
What’s Making Teen Smoking Cool Again?
Just when we thought we had smoking rates under control in Australia, many of our teens have decided it’s cool again. Why?
Perfection Paralysis
Perfection paralysis is the fear of starting a task for fear of not getting it exactly right. What drives perfection paralysis and how can we help kids overcome it?
Growing Brave Kids
It is important that we raise brave kids. We want them to take risks intellectually, emotionally, and physically. Here’s how we can develop bravery…
Don’t Forget To Connect With Your Teen
What kids need most from us is meaningful connection, it has a profound impact on their physical and mental health. How do we build that connection when they are so often pulling away?
Safer on Screen
A new report shows some teens are getting better at dealing with unwanted online attention. Here are 10 tips to make sure your child is one of them.
How To Help Your Child Make New Friends
Transitions are often daunting for kids. The thing they worry about most is making friends. How can you help in a way that is effective and empowering?
50+ Ways to Get Your Teenager Off Their Device and Into Holidays
When teenagers are sitting around using their devices, it is often out of habit. Here are 50+ alternatives you can offer your kids these holidays.
Top 5 Reads of 2020
Thanks for sharing time with us this year. Here are the five most popular Knowing Girls blog posts of 2020. Merry Christmas!
What are your family’s Christmas rituals?
Christmas rituals are important. They tether us to something greater than ourselves. They help instill in us a sense of connection and belonging.
Working With Failure
Failure is a powerful learning tool, however, it’s difficult to use the experience when you are stuck in the emotion. How can we help our kids with failure?
The Healthy Friendship Manifesto
Talking to kids about healthy friendships is easier with this downloadable resource. It’s perfect for our tween and teen girls.
Transition Smoothly To High School
The transition from primary to high school can be daunting for children. What can we do to make sure they are prepared and the transition is easy?
News and the Millennials
Our young people are less engaged with ‘hard’ news than ever before. Has COVID changed that? Is an understanding of current affairs even important?
Stress and Your Child’s Brain
Neuroscience shows that long-term stress damages a person’s ability to lay down memories. How is this impacting students and how can we help?
Kids and Mean Gossip
When friendship issues and drama arise, often gossip is at the root of the problem. Why do kids gossip and how can we change a culture of gossiping.
When Should Parents Step Back?
With all the best intentions, sometimes parents rescue their kids from challenges rather than helping them grow through those experiences. When should parents step back?
Kindness Rocks
When we are kind to others it releases in us chemicals that improve our mental health and wellbeing. Check out the novel way Santa Maria College is using this information.
TikTok and Your Child’s Brain
TikTok came of age during the COVID-19 restrictions. It’s entertaining and kids love it, but is it having an impact on their neurological development?
7 Changes in Early Adolescents That Turn Their Lives Upside-down
Early adolescents are terrific but sometimes their behaviour can be difficult to understand. A more scientific look at what is happening to them can make us more compassionate and perhaps less bewildered.
Australia’s Mental Health Relies On All Of Us Listening
How to listen and respond when someone shares their problems or mental health struggles with you. (Includes 2 great downloads)
Teaching Financial Literacy: An Age Guide
Great parent tips for teaching your child financial literacy skills. Accountant and educator, James Rees share what is appropriate at which age?
It’s Time To Heed The Golden Rule Of CyberSafety
What is the golden rule of cybersafety that all parents need to ensure their children are following?
Preparing Your Child For Boarding School
Boarding school is a big adjustment for children and their families. How do you best prepare your child so that they thrive?
Top 5 Remote Learning Websites
Looking for credible, easily accessible learning activities? These five websites are stocked with fantastic resources for remote learning.
5 Conversations to Have with Teenagers in These Interesting Times
What are the conversation we need to be having with our teenagers around covid-19 and its knock-on effects?