You wouldn't send your kid to a sleepover without telling the parents about your kid's allergies or bedtime bugaboos. Why not use the same logic with screen time rules?
We know it's hard to do. It can feel like you're being judgmental or don't trust the other person to take good care of your child. But if you have strong preferences about what and when your child consumes media, you need to speak up even when you're not around to supervise.
Topics: Parenting, High School, Internet, Primary School, Preschool, Prep, Toddlers
In preschool and Prep, young children will typically tackle the equation 4+5 by counting out a pile of four counters and another pile of five counters and then adding them all together. In the absence of counters they will use their fingers.
Topics: Primary School, Preschool, Prep, Numeracy
Much behaviour that annoys parents stems from children’s inability to ask for what they want.
Most parents have experienced a young child yelling, “Mum, he took my toy. It’s not fair!” Perhaps you’ve experienced a child who whines like a dripping tap because they want something from you.
Topics: Parenting, Teens, High School, Behaviour, Primary School, Social Skills, Preschool, Prep, Toddlers
When children learn to read and write, they often muddle up similar-looking letters (and numbers). The most common offenders are:
• v and u;Topics: Literacy, Primary School, Preschool, Prep
Giving constructive criticism to our children - both positive and negative - is an important part of parenting. Empty, generic praise ("What a lovely picture, darling"), well-meant encouragement that does the opposite ("At least you didn't come last") and angry disappointment ("I expected you to do better than that!") do not give a child much indication of what they are doing wrong or right.
Topics: Parenting, High School, Primary School, Preschool, Prep
In an increasingly digital age, it's easy to view handwriting as a dying art. Few people own fountain pens; most written correspondence is tapped directly into devices. In Finnish schools, children are no longer taught cursive (joined-up) writing but move straight to keyboards two years after learning their letters.
Topics: Literacy, Primary School, Preschool, Prep
