Back in the day … summer holidays

Behaviour & Development, Parenting Perspective

Oh God, I think my teens may perish should they ever be teleported way back to the 80s and subjected to the summer holidays of my youth. I’ll admit they’ve now learnt not to chant the ‘I’m borrrrred’ words too loudly, consequences are...

Self care for mums of teens

Better Communication, Family, Health and Wellbeing, Parent Self Care

Self-care for mums of teens is often overlooked. I mean let’s face it … days are busy, kids are demanding and once everyone else’s needs are taken care of, there’s little time left for you, mum. Here in lies a potential problem though and...

10 ways to love your teen, today

Behaviour & Development, Family, Parenting Perspective

Guess what? It’s true  there are some ways to love your teen … today … without having them smirk, shirk or excessively roll their eyes. Pardon, you say? Impossible! Yes, I know that most parents have experienced the teen who turns their head from a...

What will your teens most remember about Christmases of their youth?

Whatever

I wrote on Facebook the other day that my Mr 16 gets just as excited about Christmas as his little sister, Miss 4, does. Last year he was up bright and early, along with her, and said he barely slept he was so excited!! Even this past week he has exclaimed how much he...

Self Harm – Part 3 – things that can help

A Teen's World, Behaviour & Development, Family, Health and Wellbeing, Parenting Perspective, Saftey, Whatever

Previously this series of posts has looked at demystifying some of the common misunderstandings around self-harming behaviour. We know that despite its frequency amongst adolescents, self-harm often hides under the silent cloak of shame and fear.  A follow up post...

Self harm – Part 2 – Why? Why? Why?

Whatever

Last week, the introductory post of this series on adolescent self-harming behaviour, provided a brief introduction into the some of the commonly held beliefs around self harm. Some facts around self harm were shared and so were some beliefs that are untrue, unhelpful...

Self Harm – Part 1 – 5 truths and 5 misconceptions

Behaviour & Development, Health and Wellbeing, Parenting Perspective, Saftey

Discovering marks of self-harm on your child, would have to be one of the most confronting and concerning moments for any parent. It would also have to be one of the most confusing moments, because the phenomenon of adolescent self-harm is quite often shrouded in...

Some things change, and some stay the same

Parenting Perspective

I’m always interested in how the media and young people interact and shiny, glossy, page-turning magazines interest me no end. In a question resembling the age-old chicken and egg conundrum, do publications promoted to a teen audience reflect the culture of the...

My L plate lad with the P plate mate

Parenting Perspective, Saftey, Whatever

When Mr 16 initially obtained his driver’s permit in April this year I may have poured myself two drinks – one celebrating this significant rite of passage and the other as Dutch Courage, in preparation for one hundred learning hours on the road that lay...

To bedroom TV or not to bedroom TV, that is the question ..

Parenting Perspective, Whatever

in 1981, I was given my very own in-bedroom portable TV. I was in Grade 8 and 13 years old at the time. Spoilt much? Possibly, but also it’s likely to have been a very calculated attempt by my parents to separate a whiny, whingey teen girl from the younger...