Entering high school from primary school is an exciting time for children and their parents, but it can also be challenging for your child. Some children cope with change better than others. As parents, what we say and how we respond to challenges they face can significantly change how a student settles into high school.
Kids are hard-wired to be negative. We all are. Scientists call it the negativity bias. However, we can overcome this bias and make our lives more positive.
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?
The greatest protective factor a child can have is an adult who likes them and listens to them. Yet research shows a large percentage of kids don’t feel as though they have that. Why? And how do we change it?
You don’t find balance in life, you create it. Here are five important ways we can help our kids to create the balance they need in their lives.
A podcast from renowned psychologist Andrew Fuller and his guest Marie Vakakis. They discuss emotion coaching for adolescents.
Why do some very bright children fail to be successful students? A good brain alone is not enough to achieve academic success. Here are 10 characteristics of successful students
Shame is unspoken, toxic and destructive. When we shame a child it can have lasting effects. Yet we all do it. Why? And how can we repair the damage?
Paul Dillon believes there are five things every parent should discuss with their teen before they leave home for a sleepover, party, or gathering.
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.
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.
Adolescents are heavily influenced by other people’s opinions. How can we encourage them to be more critical of the opinions they listen to?
TikTok came of age during the original COVID-19 restrictions. Kids love it, but is it having an impact on their development?
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.
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 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?
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…
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?
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.
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.
Thanks for sharing time with us this year. Here are the five most popular Knowing Girls blog posts of 2020. Merry Christmas!
Christmas rituals are important. They tether us to something greater than ourselves. They help instill in us a sense of connection and belonging.
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?
Talking to kids about healthy friendships is easier with this downloadable resource. It’s perfect for our tween and teen girls.
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?
Our young people are less engaged with ‘hard’ news than ever before. Has COVID changed that? Is an understanding of current affairs even important?
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?
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.
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?
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.
