RCH National Health Poll: What Parents Need to Know About Childhood Mental Health

The Royal Children’s Hospital national health poll findings have just been released.

They shed a lot of light on how families with young children understand and deal with mental health issues…

And emphasise the importance of identifying the warning signs…

Of understanding the issues…

And of seeking out early intervention. 

Of the 2000 parents surveyed in the poll…

A third believed that mental health problems in kids will ‘work themselves out’ over time. 

About a quarter did not know that physical symptoms can be signs of mental health problems. 

And fewer than half felt confident about where they could get professional help. 

These numbers may seem surprising, as the proportion of children exhibiting mental health challenges is at an all-time high.

But the warning signs and symptoms of mental illness or emotional problems can be hard to identify.

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5 Ways Anxiety Harms Learning and 8 Things Parents Can Do to Help

There is an ‘epidemic of anxiety’ among Australian children.

And many experts are attributing this to increasing pressure at school.

But when it comes to school and anxiety – it can be a case of:

What came first, the chicken or the egg?

How and why childhood anxiety develops is not the most important issue at hand, though.

What’s important is that it’s identified and addressed as soon as possible.

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What you need to know about 13 Reasons Why

If you have teenagers — or even if you don’t — you’ve probably heard about the Netflix show 13 Reasons Why.

It is one of the most talked about television shows on social media ever…

Generating 3.5 million social volume impressions in its first week of release alone.

And while the show has resonated with audiences, and been very positively received by critics, it has been heavily criticised by mental health and youth organisations around the world.

The show is based on the best-selling novel by Jay Asher, and depicts the suicide of 16-year-old Hannah, who creates a series of audiotapes addressing the 13 reasons why she committed suicide.

It ends with an incredibly graphic and distressing depiction of the act itself.

And parents, educators and critics around the world are asking the question:

Is this show dangerous?

Read more…

Why We Need Empathy, and How We Teach it to Children

There is an increasing dialogue in social organisations — in schools, workplaces, court rooms, governments — on the importance of empathy.

Empathy is what sets us apart from machines and even from many other animals.

It’s what enables us to relate to other people and their experiences…

It’s what enables us to understand them.

And it’s what makes us compassionate.

So it’s little wonder why it’s so integral to the social experience of schooling and childhood.

But empathy is not innate — it’s learnt.

And like most things, it’s best learnt during childhood.

And the best teachers are adults.

Read more…

How to Help the Negative or Pessimistic Child

We’ve all encountered a ‘Negative Nancy’ in our lives —  the type of person who is constantly expecting the worst out of any given situation.

While many such people consider themselves ‘realists’, in reality, there’s not a whole lot of benefit to this kind of negative thinking.

And for the relatively sheltered and protected time of childhood, this attitude is particularly unproductive.

So how can we help a pessimistic child to take a more positive approach to life?

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A New Way to Look at Depression

Evolutionary psychology proposes ways of helping us to understand our cognitive processes by looking to the past.

Just like human beings have physically adapted to our environment in order to survive, evolutionary psychology suggests that we adapted cognitively the same way…

And that many mental and emotional reactions have served an important evolutionary purpose.

Now some psychologists are offering a new way to look at depression through an evolutionary lens.

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Tips for Raising Moral Children — From Harvard Psychologists

We’ve talked about how to raise motivated children children on the blog…

How to help them develop good habits, how to be happy, how to thrive in school, how to avoid becoming too materialistic

But the question of how to raise moral children is a different ball game. 

Just like these other positive qualities and habits we hope to encourage in our kids, morality isn’t something we’re born with — it’s learnt.

And the fact of the matter is that sometimes, teaching our children moral lessons will get in the way of their immediate happiness. 

Read more…

How and When Should We Teach Kids About Money?

Kids and money — it’s one of the most divisive conversations in parenting, and the topic is approached in a myriad of ways.

Some kids have limitless handouts, some kids have consistent allowances, some work for pocket money, some don’t…

And the age at which parents choose to give children control over and knowledge about money differs widely as well.

There’s no one right or wrong answer, but it can be helpful to follow some guidelines from experts.

Read more…

Think People Can’t Change? Think Again

They say a leopard can’t change its spots.

But according to the longest personality study undertaken of all time — they absolutely can.

The study started collecting data from 1,208 fourteen-year-olds in 1950…

And more than 60 year laters, 174 of the original participants agreed to be tested again, with surprising results. 

Read more…

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  • Education and school experts: We will help you navigate the school system to get the best possible results for your child.
  • Qualified and experienced: We only employ psychologists with a master degree or higher and experience working in schools.
  • Fast appointments: We don't keep a waiting list and see most new clients within 7 days.
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  • Trusted methods: We use approaches that are strongly supported by research evidence or clinical experience.
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