The internet offers children incredible opportunities to connect and collaborate with others. But how do we protect against cyber bullying? Sticks ’n Stones, a multi-award winning, youth-led bullying prevention organisation announced a landmark partnership with Facebook in October to take a new online safety programme …
KATE BARBER talks with neuroscience educator NATHAN WALLIS about the long-term damage that alcohol does to the teenage brain. From fighting in the streets and burning couches, to domestic violence and drink driving, the disturbing images of New Zealand’s binge-drinking culture are all too familiar. …
For those kids fortunate enough to have grandparents in their lives, the benefits are great – reflects KATE BARBER. In today’s world, many families are dispersed about the globe; and so the relationship between grandparents and their mokopuna may be anchored by weekly Skype sessions. …
GRAHAME DUTTON of Duxton Dental considers the advantages of having a great smile, and the costly implications of not correcting crooked teeth. We all know that having a bright smile, with straight white teeth, is an incredible asset when it comes to our appearance. For …
Clinical psychologist CATHERINE GALLAGHER helps us to understand anxiety, and how we can best support our children to confront their ‘worry thoughts’. Like all living creatures, we need an alarm system to signal threat. Deep in our brains, a chain of events is initiated that …
DYLAN WALLS from Aviva Youth Services tackles the tough topic of early exposure to pornography, and offers valuable advice for parents. Pornography is sexually explicit media primarily intended to sexually arouse the viewer, ranging from erotica to snuff movies, with many harmful genres in between. …
KATE BARBER talks with well-known neuroscience educator NATHAN WALLIS about major changes to the brain during adolescence, and asks the question on many parents’ minds. In his play The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare refers to the ‘boiled brains’ of youth, writing that ‘I would there were …
Back in the 90s, when PE consisted of a heated bullrush game and the only offence that was frowned upon by teachers was bringing a knife into school, my days as the new, quiet foreign girl were filled with hiding from bullies during lunchtime. I’d …