I'm not sure that this is a catchy title for an article but the fact is- its true and I couldn't think of a better way of saying it. I've not always been good at asking for help from anyone- not before I was a mum and not since. But honestly, ever since the twins were born I've finally learned to ask for help. Here are three types of help and within each category there are a multitude of ways you can seek help. Small Favours from Friends or Family On the day the twins were born my cousin picked up my girls from the hospital (who had come to the routine ultrasound for the first time ever) to t ..read more

This is more of a reflective post than anything else. I invite you to reflect with me- I wonder if you’ve had some of the same musings. The Value of Freedom to Chose I am certainly not about to get into any debate about mask wearing, lockdowns, madatory vaccinations or any other contentious issues. The fact is I love a day at home but suddenly being forced to be home made me want to be anywhere but home. Most children I work with love using devices for learning- but as online learning dragged on they were desperate to to use pen ans paper- anything they could manipulate with their typed out fi ..read more

As lockdown has repeatedly extended it has become clear that our focus as parents is to protect the wellbeing of each family member- in particular our children. Disconnected from the many people, places and things that give us value, help us reset and ultimately fill our cups it is taking resourcefulness and creativity to look after our children’s wellbeing while also ensuring we give ourselves time for self care. I am constantly staying abreast of the current advice regarding wellbeing for our children and these are the components that are focussed on- which are also supported by the research ..read more

I've had lots of questions from parents regarding how to best motivate students for learning at home. I'm well aware that motivating your own children at home is much harder than motivating students in a school setting so I've compiled a list of ideas for parents to try. Certain ideas might work better for some children than others- you might need to try a couple or a combination of these ideas. 1. Timing and Support  Try to tackle the task they like the least or need the most help with at a time when you can help them and as early in the day as possible. But don't let on that this is yo ..read more

Here in Sydney, Australia we are in the second major lockdown since the pandemic begun last year. Just like last year, I am again noticing a plethora of amazing resources being offered for free for teachers and parents alike. I thought it might be useful to review, summarise and list the resources I think will be useful for parents or teachers and put them all in one article as a quick reference guide. There may be some options to keep the kids busy on a rainy day or if you just really need to get some more of your own work done (we all get it!). Taronga TV All ages Simply click on the ‘watch ..read more

I’m writing this article in consultation with my nearly 10 year old daughter, we can call her the co-author. Let’s be honest she is an expert on these matters. This is the second time we have created a list to get through lockdown together- but for the first time we are sharing it. Tie Dye Fun We found a little kit at Kmart (Australia) for just $6. We are not sponsored, but this was an amazing bargain- kits at other stores were ten times the price. A couple of white tops, some plastic for protecting the table, vinegar (helps the dye hold apparently) and we were good to go. Needless to say we ..read more

Again and again research tells us teachers that one of the sure fire ways to create a positive classroom environment for children to learn at their best is to build rapport with the students in our classes. I connect to this because this is one of my favourite parts of teaching. But as I utter that sentence I also question myself as to how I actually manage to build rapport with my students. It is not something you can record easily, bring attention to in your school promotional material or identify in your programs and behaviour management strategies but we know it needs to happen to build st ..read more

As parents there are so many variables that contribute to the wellbeing of our children that it can be tempting to look for a quick fix. What if I told you that there was a quick fix that has been linked to increased academic gains, resilience and self-esteem in children? Research has found that the simple act of eating meals as a family has been linked to improved mental and physical well-being for all family members, in particular the children. Some studies have even found that sharing family meals reduces the risk of teen pregnancy, substance abuse and eating disorders. Some scientists argu ..read more

Across cultures and time spans, experiences and expressions of gratitude have been treated as both basic and desirable aspects of human personality and social life. But what is the empirical evidence of the positive impact of expressing an 'attitude of gratitude' ? positive psychology. In the field of postive psychology, gratitude has been shown to contribute not only to an increase in happiness, health, and other desirable life outcomes but also to a decrease in negative affect and problematic functioning, including in patients with neuromuscular disease, college students, hypertensives, pati ..read more

One of the things that makes me happiest is seeing my children and my students getting creative. But I'll be completely honest, I can only deal with a certain amount of mess. Of course I encourage the children to clean up themselves but until they are a little older their standards of cleanliness don't quite meet mine. Writing this article has been a collaborative venture as my girls have loved discussing their favourite activities with me. Paper Craft Such as origami and paper aeroplanes. Origami doesn't have to be fancy, children of ages can get folding. Similarly paper aeroplanes can be ..read more