By: Collett Smart
The day in a life of a quaranteen is different to what teens usually do. What can you do to help your teen through self isolation and staying at home?
raising teenagers
When Should Kids Start Dating?
By: Collett Smart
It would be naïve of parents to think their child won’t develop love interests at various times in their high school years. Indeed, belittling our teens for having feelings is the quickest way to ensure they never come to talk to us, about relationships, as they get older.
4 Lessons About Parenting Teens in a Hyper-Sexualised Age
By: Robert Garrett
In several recent blogs I reference experts encouraging parents to keep the channels of communication open with their teens.
How Do You Talk To Your Teen About Porn?
By: Collett Smart
Note: The use of * throughout this article is so that it gets through any web filters you may have.
Young people are naturally curious and innately want to know more about love and sex, yet porn has the ability to destroy everything that is good about romance, love and relationships. There is nothing empathic or kind about p*rn.
What the Final Class of 2020 Needs from You Right Now
By: Collett Smart
It’s been a strange year for all students, but none more so than those in their final year of school.
9 Practical Ways to Support Anxious Kids Return to School
By: Collett Smart
The relaxing and lifting of restrictions in schools makes it sound like we’re on our way back to normal, yet ‘normal’ is a long way off. And our children know it.
Is Your Daughter a Victim of Gaslighting?
By: Collett Smart
‘Gaslighting’ means to manipulate a person into doubting their own sanity, through psychological means. It is a calculated tactic which sees the abuser gain more power and makes the victim question their reality. Gaslighting can happen in toxic friendships too, but for the sake of this article, I am referring to romantic relationships.
When Schooling Comes Home
By: Collett Smart
There is a staggered start to online learning all over the country this month – as school holidays officially end. Like many of you, I am picking up this next plate to add to those already spinning in the air. I am actually a teacher as well as a psychologist and let me reassure you, this is not homeschooling. This is not even normal schooling for schools!
How Housebound Families Can Stay Sane
By: Collett Smart
Many around the world have been housebound for some time now. We’re not even sure when this way of living will come to an end. How might we navigate everyone being at home, in a confined space, for most of the day, for an unknown period of time… and still maintain mental fitness?
How to Talk to Kids about Bad News in the Media
By: Collett Smart
We know that we can’t shield our children, because they will hear ‘bad news’… from peers, siblings, online… But how much is too much information? And what is age appropriate? (I cover both younger children and teens in this video).