Family Times’ feature articles cover a variety of hot topics related to family living and parenting. From health and education to parenting tips and tough-to-tackle subjects, we aim to bring you up-to-date, relevant, informative and interesting articles.
Whether it’s your child’s first school, you’ve moved locations, or you’re looking for a new intermediate or secondary school, deciding on a new school does mean doing some homework to ensure you choose the most suitable one. After you have located a school or schools that you are interested in by visiting www.isnz.org.nz for independent …
By Penni Cushman, Principal lecturer in Health Education, University of Canterbury Is your school a health promoting school? Twenty years ago no one had heard of a ‘health promoting school’. Today, however, ‘health promoting schools’ are found all over the world and the reason is so obvious it is surprising the concept was not widely …
The Families Commission’s new parenting website makes it easier for parents to find information or support when they have an issue they’re stuck on. "Let’s face it, parenting isn’t always easy. Parents can sometimes feel like they’re expected to have all the answers and be there to help everyone," says chief commissioner Rajen Prasad. "But …
Two year olds. Don’t you just love ‘em? Especially when they are rolling around the floor having a good old tantrum! If you’ve been embarrassed, tried and tested, here are a few ideas to help deal with their extravagant behaviour. First of all, don’t be fooled by them! Just because they are little, just because …
The Internet is not only the biggest worldwide information resource it is a great way to shop. If you can work out how to use it then it can provide you with a lot of benefits. A worldwide store in your own living room. No reason to go out on a cold day and spend …
The power of birth order – is anecdotal evidence true? For the last century or so there has been a debate raging amongst psychologists about the power of birth order. Anecdotally it’s widely accepted that first-borns tend to be more responsible, serious and organised. They are subject to high expectations and, as a result, are …
By Dr. Noel Swanson “Mum, I’m bored!” How many times have you heard that from your kids? And what happens when you hear it? Do you feel pangs of guilt and a sense of obligation that somehow you are failing as a parent if you cannot keep your children entertained? These days it seems that …
By Dr John Waring Recently a school principal introduced a so called "zero tolerance" policy at his school banning swearing. Immediately he ran into problems that perhaps parents should also consider. Firstly he had definition problems: what words would be included on the banned list? The list quickly grew and was eventually abandoned. He then …
Psychologist Laughton King shows us how to get older children to eat their dinner without any negative comments. Recently I had occasion to work with two grandparents who, by chance, were the active “parents” to a 12 year old lad. They were experiencing considerable difficulty with his behaviour, and in particular the way he conducted …
Gifted and talented kids … looking beyond the myths By Viv Milsom There are many myths about gifted education both here and overseas, so it is not surprising that parents are often confused about what is meant by the term “gifted”. For example, in New Zealand it has been popular to claim that all kids …
