Development

Art Smarts: Tips for connecting kids to the world of art
Having conquered the National Gallery of Victoria, Diane Bourke recently took her grandsons to Mona in Tasmania. In this first of a two-part series, she explains how she connects art and young minds.

Best of the Web: Happy Kids do Chores, and more…
Why happy kids do chores, worried my daughter is just like me, boys need friendships, and giving VET an image-makeover.

How to get kids to practise a musical instrument without nagging
When it comes to getting children to practise a musical instrument, nagging won't get you anywhere. Timothy McKenry gives parents practical tips to encourage young musicians.

School Starting Age: Questions Parents can Ask
The 'right' age to start school varies for each child, writes Kimberley Pressick-Kilborn. What happens at the school when a child gets there is more important.

Confident Girls: a How-to Guide
The teenage years often mean a loss in confidence for girls. A new book gives them the code for building confidence - and taking on the world, writes Shane Green.

Best of the Web: Why Children aren’t Behaving, John Marsden in Conversation, and Helicopter Parenting
Instilling a sense of self-discipline in children, John Marsden's story, and the damage caused by helicopter parents.

Riddle-me-ree: A powerful way to nurture your child’s thinking
Sharing and enjoyment of riddles can have a huge effect on children’s intellectual growth, writes Diane Bourke, in the first of her two-part series on the Power of Riddles.

Best of the Web: Developing Empathy, How to Raise a Human without Parenting Books, and Helping Kids Deal with Rejection
Raising kids who care, parenting by instinct not books, ideas to help your child when they have been rejected.

The Teenage Brain: There’s No Such Thing as Average
When it comes to understanding teenagers, we need to recognise that all teenagers are different, writes Lucy Foulkes.