Best of the Web: Maggie Dent on how to talk to kids about the news, and more…

(Maggie Dent, Parental as Anything podcast, ABC)

When all the news is bad news, what impact is it having on our children? Maggie Dent, known as the Queen of Commonsense, tackles the issue of how we can help our kids make sense of a news cycle when it’s all about conflict, climate change and COVID.

‘Is there a good time to watch or listen to news when you’re around your kids? And, if they’re upset by what they see, when and how can you talk to them about the issues that impact the world around them?’ asks Maggie in her latest Parental as Anything podcast for the ABC.

There is some great advice from psychologist Sean Panambalana about the dangers of ‘doom scrolling’, as well as ways to help your child engage meaningfully in the news.

Plus Maggie gives her own top tips to help kids stay optimistic in a bad news world.

(Scott Simon, npr)

This is a touching reflection by a parent on  watching their two daughters grow from babies to accomplished teenagers.  As parents, while they are growing older, their children growing up.

They have noticed a change in roles. ‘We are already, not so subtly, beginning to change places with our children. I wait for our daughters to reboot my laptop with updates with the same wide-eyed trust I once waited for my mother to buckle my snow boots.’

You can listen to the recording below, or read the text.

(Matthew Mclaughlin, Luke Wolfenden, Nicole McCarthy and Nicole Nathan, The Conversation)

The issue of school uniforms is sometimes keenly contested. While many schools favour more traditional uniforms, others have moved towards a more relaxed, often gender neutral approach.

This article by four University of Newcastle academics makes the case giving students the option of wearing sports uniforms every day.

They make the point that this is what most students, parents and teachers want, based on several studies.

Beyond popular demand, they look at the advantages, including encouraging kids to be more active.