Parenting
New mums urged to exercise to improve their health
2 April
New mothers should aim for two hours of moderate to vigorous exercise every week, such as brisk walking or cycling, researchers say. Getting back to exercise in the first 12 weeks after birth will help boost both physical and mental health and...[Read More]
No evidence smartphone bans help children: academics
2 April
Banning smartphone and social media access alone fails to equip children for the healthy use of technology in the future, a group of international experts argue. Writing in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), the collection of academics argued there...[Read More]
Aussie families pocket thousands in childcare savings
26 March
The average Australian family will save more than $4000 a year in childcare fees as the federal government moves towards universal access to early education. Pressure has long been mounting on governments to improve childcare accessibility and...[Read More]
Election push for childcare as rural kids ‘held back’
12 March
One rural family faces a five-year waiting list for childcare, while another has a 130km drive to the closest centre and many others rely on grandparents for help. Mothers in rural Australia report quitting their jobs at schools and hospitals due to...[Read More]
Housing, health and complexity hold back early learning
5 March
A quarter of pre-school-aged children in some mortgage-belt electorates are missing out on early learning despite the presence of high quality centres nearby, new analysis shows. The findings come as a group of early learning advocates, service...[Read More]
Reason ‘lazy’ teens can’t get up for school revealed
12 February
Laziness may not be behind Australian teenagers’ chronic sleepiness despite one-third of a parents believing the myth. Research by The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne released on Wednesday shed light on the incorrect stereotypes facing...[Read More]
Guiding adult children to contribute at home – fostering responsibility and independence
6 February
Many parents face the question of when their adult children living at home should start paying board and contributing to household expenses and chores as they transition into adulthood. The question of when and how much to charge, as well as the...[Read More]
Labor brings forward childcare subsidy changes
5 February
Parents would have access to three days of guaranteed subsidised childcare under new laws introduced to the parliament. On the second day of parliament for the year, Early Childhood Education Minister Anne Aly brought Labor’s signature policy...[Read More]
Subsidy boost may do little to improve childcare access
29 January
Childcare subsidy changes have put money back in parents’ pockets but might do little to increase access to early education, experts say. Families have saved almost $50 a week on average since an expansion of the subsidy came into effect in...[Read More]
Back-to-school chaos comes with mental load for parents
29 January
As parents celebrate the end of school holidays, they are also bracing for an avalanche of mental load tasks, with mums likely to bear the brunt of the planning, preparation and making to-do lists. As the new school year approaches, research shows...[Read More]
Parents urged to help close gender gap in technology
22 January
Parents are being encouraged to help their daughters explore non-traditional career paths in an effort to close the gender gap in major industries. The gender gap remains an issue in the technology and e-commerce industries, with women significantly...[Read More]
Free vaccine rollout to protect newborns from virus
22 January
Pregnant women will have free access to a vaccine to protect their newborns from the leading cause of hospitalisation for babies. Free vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, will be rolled out from February 3 as part of a $174 million...[Read More]
Parents put kids’ future on credit as school costs rise
15 January
Parents are making sacrifices, turning to grandparents for help and using credit cards to keep up with increasing costs associated with educating their children. The most recent inflation data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics suggests...[Read More]
Tried and true names most popular for babies in 2024
8 January
Australia has another batch of little Islas, Charlottes, Amelias, Olivers, Noahs and Leos, according to birth name data generated by the nation’s biggest state. Western Australia is the first state to release its name data for 2024 and it shows...[Read More]
Thousands of families in line for cheaper childcare
11 December
Families will be guaranteed three subsidised days of childcare while $1 billion will go towards expanding quality and access as Labor sharpens its election pitch. If Labor is re-elected, families earning less than $530,000 will qualify for the...[Read More]