The worst part of trying to kick kids off screens to do something “more productive” is that they seem to have no idea how to be productive. I sometimes think that my kids have forgotten how to have fun without a screen. When I start to doubt, I know it’s time to ban them from …
Teen
With school holidays in full swing around Australia, it’s tempting for working parents to leave kids home alone for part or all of the day. Actually, it’s tempting for any parent to leave kids unsupervised at some stage at any time of year – even if it’s just for an hour to do the grocery …
Once you’ve worked out when your kids are ready to be left home alone, it’s important to do some planning and have an emergency strategy in place before you go. This Home Alone checklist can help, but remember to consider every aspect of your own home and general lifestyle so you can tailor a home …
Max and I had another mate night tonight, heading out to see teen flick Love, Simon. I’ll admit that after our recent Ladybird sex scene challenge , there may have been some slight trepidation about seeing a movie about a gay teen coming out during high school with my 13-year-old son. Us mums do love an awkward moment, don’t we? …
I went and saw the Ladybird movie at the movies with my son. “Don’t call it a date night,” he shrieked when I called it a date night for the 47th time. “But it’s a lovely night out with my favourite son,” I told my only son. “You can call it a mate night,” he …
This is my new mantra for parenting teens: It’s not us, it’s them. It’s not us. I was trying to have a reasonable conversation with my son (almost 14) and it escalated from “You can’t have a Weetbix right now, have a banana” (me) to “You hate me! You HATE ME! I’m moving out forever!” …