Chess is often considered a game suited only to intellectually gifted people.  People assume that to play chess you must already have a rather high level of intelligence or at least be ‘a little bit smart’. While chess may be more instantly appealing to those whose minds already think in a strategic ‘chess-like' manner, research is showing that this increasingly popular game has significant benefits for everyone.

When I was at Primary School, one of my favourite times of the week was ‘project time’.  It was when we were all given a chance to explore a topic of interest, in greater depth and to write and draw about it in our project book.  I loved the planning, the reading up on a topic, drawing or finding pictures and then laying it all out nicely with my best handwriting.  Sometimes we even took our project books home so that we could continue our work at home before bringing it back to present to the class.

We have a shy child.  She is the product of two parents who were both chronically shy as children and who are also both on the far end of the introvert scale. (Not that being an introvert automatically means you are shy, nor does being an extrovert make you immune to being shy.)  But there she is, your fairly typical shy child, doing her best to make her way in the world. 

I don’t think it matters if it’s the makeup on your daughter in Year 11 or the ice blocks with your Prep child, sooner or later your child will try and convince you that you are the ONLY parent drawing a line in the sand on any given issue.

Most of my friends have had the experience of consoling me after I have been dealing with my daughter’s strength. “The force is strong with this one” seems to be a blissful statement that doesn’t even begin to touch on her perception of her capabilities.

I was fighting it hard. But for all my efforts, trying to teach this tiny woman with an iron clad will that she would submit seemed to be useless. I am a fundamentalist. And there was a part of me that believed that ‘good parenting’ meant submissive children. Enter massive issue…..my daughter will not submit, she wants to lead.

A hotly debated subject among my fellow Year 3 mums is whether it is okay to move their 7-8 year old to the front of the car.

Legally in Australia, children may travel in the front passenger seat of a car from the age of seven (officially, they are permitted to travel in the front from the age of four should all available seats in the back be occupied by younger children). However, the National Child Restraint Guidelines recommend that all children under 12 should travel in the back of the car and use a booster seat until they are tall enough for an adult seatbelt.