KIDSCARE 2023 VOL 28

Edition 28 2023 

LEARNING TO SURF 

POSITIVELY IMPACTS 

MENTAL HEALTH 

THE TWEEN YEARS 

A GOLDEN 

OPPORTUNITY 

BEDTIME 

STRATEGIES 

FOR KIDS WITH 

AUTISM AND 

ADHD 

SCHOOL STRUGGLES? 

SMALL GROUP 

TUTORING WORKS

Are Your Kids Struggling 

at School or Uni? 

Whatever the problem, 

Kids Helpline is here for them 24/7, for any reason. 

WebChat, Email or Phone 

for 5 – 25 year olds 

kidshelpline.com.au 1800 55 1800

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Health & Wellbeing 

Learning to surf can be great for mental health 

My teen is vaping - what do I say? 

Bedtime strategies for kids with autism & ADHD 

Family Matters 

The tween years - a golden opportunity 

Kids driving you crazy? Anger management tips 

New national autism guideline 

Education 

Small group tutoring works for those struggling 

Help - my kid won’t read chapter books 

Creating an art studio at home 

Food 

Eating more veggies - encourage your child to 

eat the rainbow 

Curious Kids 

Motherhood Bites 

“A humorous account of motherhood” 

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Are Your Kids Anxious, 

Sad or Angry? 

Whatever the problem, 

Kids Helpline is here for them 24/7, for any reason. 

WebChat, Email or Phone 

for 5 – 25 year olds 

kidshelpline.com.au 1800 55 1800

“There is no such thing as 

a perfect parent. So just 

be a real one.” 

Sue Atkins 

“A parent’s love is whole 

no matter how many times 

divided.” Robert Brault 

“Parents aren’t the people 

you come from. They’re the 

people you want to be, when 

you grow up.” 

Jodi Picoult

Health & Well-Being 

Why learning to surf can be great 

for your mental health, 

according to a psychologist

Nothing clears the mind like going for a surf. With the escapism and 

simplicity of riding waves, it’s no secret that surfing feels good. 

Now our preliminary study in children and adolescents adds to 

growing evidence that surfing really is good for your mental health. 

But you don’t have to have a mental illness to get the benefits. Here’s 

how you can use what we’re learning from our research to boost your 

own mental health. 

Written by: Lisa Olive 

Senior Research Fellow & Clinical Psychologist, 

Deakin University

How surfing is good for you 

Evidence showing the mental health benefits of 

surfing ranges from improving self-esteem and 

reducing social isolation to treating depression and 

other mental disorders. 

Such evidence mainly comes from specific surf 

therapy programs. These combine supportive surfing 

instruction with one-to-one or group activities that 

promote psychosocial wellbeing. 

At their core, most of these programs provide 

participants with the challenge of learning to surf in 

an emotionally safe environment. 

Any benefits to mental health are thought to arise 

through: 

• an increased sense of social connection 

• a sense of accomplishment that people can 

transfer to other activities 

• respite from the day-to-day stressors due to the 

all-encompassing focus required when surfing 

• the physiological response when surfing, 

including the reduction of stress hormones and 

the release of mood-elevating neurotransmitters 

• exercising in a natural environment, in particular 

“blue spaces” (on or near water). 

What we did 

Our pilot study aimed to see whether the Ocean Mind 

surf therapy program improved child and adolescent 

mental health. 

We also wanted to see whether participants accepted 

surfing as a way to address their mental health 

concerns. 

The study involved 36 young people, 8–18 years old, 

who were seeking help for a mental health concern, 

such as anxiety, or a neurodevelopmental disorder 

(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism 

spectrum disorder). They were referred by their 

mental health provider, GP or school counsellor. 

Participants were allocated at random to the 

Ocean Mind surf therapy program or were placed 

on a waitlist for it. Those allocated to surf therapy 

continued with their usual care, which included case 

management from a mental health provider. Those 

on the waitlist (the control group) also continued with 

their usual care. 

The surf therapy program ran for two hours every 

weekend for six weeks. Young people were partnered 

one-to-one with a community mentor who received 

training in mental health literacy and surf instruction. 

Each session included supportive surf instruction and 

group mental health support, all conducted at the

each. Sessions were run by the program coordinator 

who was also trained in mental health and surf 

instruction. 

What we found 

By the end of the six-week program, those receiving 

surf therapy had reductions in depression, anxiety, 

hyperactivity and inattention symptoms, as well 

as fewer emotional and peer problems. This was 

compared with those in the control group, who had 

increases in these symptoms. 

However, any improvements were not sustained six 

weeks after the program finished. 

Those receiving surf therapy also saw it as a suitable, 

youth-friendly way to manage symptoms of mental 

ill-health. This was further supported by the high 

completion rates (87%), particularly when compared 

with other methods of mental health treatment. For 

instance, psychotherapy (talk therapy) has been 

reported to have a 28–75% drop-out rate for children 

and adolescents. 

It’s early days 

These early findings are promising. But given this was 

a pilot study, more research is needed with larger 

numbers of participants to confirm these outcomes 

and see if they generalise to broader populations. 

We’d like to identify the best dose of surf therapy in 

terms of session frequency, duration, and program 

length. 

We also need to understand the factors that maintain 

these initial positive changes in mental health, so any 

benefits can be sustained after the program finishes. 

The recognition of surfing as a potentially effective 

and acceptable mental health treatment among 

young people is also promising. But this finding 

does not preclude the more conventional clinical 

treatments, such as talk therapy and medication, 

which may work better for certain people. 

Rather, surf therapy may be seen as an additional 

form of support alongside these approaches or an 

alternative for those who do not benefit from more 

traditional methods. 

for some people, surfing may reduce barriers to 

seeking mental health care 

surfing may not be for everyone, nor can it guarantee 

to reduce your symptoms. Even the best surfers can 

suffer from depression and may require external 

support 

don’t worry if you cannot access the ocean or a 

surfboard. Other nature-based activities, such as 

hiking and gardening, can also benefit your mental 

health. 

If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re 

concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 

13 11 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800. 

This article was first published on The Conversation 

Tempted to try surfing? 

If you think surfing might be for you, remember: 

surfing requires complete focus due to the everchanging 

conditions of the ocean, making it a great 

way to step away from day-to-day life and wipe out 

the effects of stress 


9

Health & Well-Being

My teen’s vaping. What should I say? 

3 expert tips on how to approach ‘the talk’ 

Joshua Trigg 

Research Fellow in Public Health, 

Flinders University 

Billie Bonevski 

Professor of Public Health, 

Flinders University 

You’ve dropped your daughter off at her friend’s 

house and while cleaning the car, you find what 

looks like a USB drive on the passenger seat. It’s a 

disposable vape. 

You’ve seen the news. Vapes or e-cigarettes 

are harmful yet increasingly popular with people 

her age. 

You call to ask if the vape’s hers. It is and 

she’s been vaping occasionally for a few 

weeks. You say you’ll talk about it later. 

But what will you actually say? 

1. Know your facts 

It’s important to be across 

accurate and up-to-date 

information about vaping. 

Evidence-based 

resources for parents 

and carers in Australia 

include: 

• the Lung 

Foundation’s evidencebased 

resources 

• factsheets, videos and webinars from NSW 

Health that help dispel any misconceptions 

parents might have about vaping. This includes 

whether vapes are likely to contain nicotine and 

the accuracy of labelling 

• Quit Victoria’s resources for parents and teens, 

including brief guides that cover the essentials on 

vaping, including busting a few myths. 

A common theme across such resources for parents 

is to bring home the reality of vaping in terms of how 

many teens are actually doing it, what current health 

evidence shows, and why it’s more than just media 

coverage of incidents at schools. 

In a nutshell, vapes are easy to access, teen vaping 

is common and it’s becoming normalised in this age 

group. 

Our own unpublished research with young people 

aged 16-26, provides some insights. We’ve heard 

vaping called a “clean alternative” to smoking (it’s 

not), and a “social activity” at school or parties. One 

young participant has seen others “nic sick”, or 

nauseous from vaped nicotine. 

There’s mounting evidence pointing to physical health

harms and unknown mental health risks from vaping. 

There’s no reason for a teen to be vaping, even if 

adults might take this approach in quitting smoking. 

Many vapes contain nicotine, whatever the label says, 

with the potential for dependence or addiction. 

2. Listen more than speak 

It might be tempting to deliver a lecture on the 

dangers of vaping. But conversations are more 

likely to be effective if they are clear, open, and 

constructive, with thought about how to focus on 

discussing health harms. 

So use some of these tips, based on ones from the 

Alcohol and Drug Foundation: 

• approach the conversation calmly, during a 

shared activity, such as walking the dog 

• consider questions your teen may ask, and how 

you want to respond 

• don’t assume, avoid accusations, show trust 

• no judging; really listen to their perspective 

(listen more than speak) and respect they have 

a different and unique worldview and opinions. 

Understand their social life and create an 

environment where they can discuss this with you 

• don’t exaggerate, just stick to the facts. 

Remember, your teen may have already received 

vaping and health resources from school and be 

aware of the health impacts and uncertainties 

about long-term health risks of vaping 

• tailor your discussion based on whether your teen 

vapes occasionally, is addicted and/or wants 

support to quit 

• respect their privacy 

• show that their health is your focus. 

3. Support quitting 

But what if it’s gone beyond trying vaping, and your 

teen feels they have a dependency or addiction? 

Services such as Quitline, which traditionally provide 

counselling for people wanting to stop smoking, are 

increasingly receiving calls from teens struggling with 

vaping-related nicotine dependence. 

Parents can also call Quitline (phone: 13 78 48) to 

plan the conversation with a teenager about vaping. 

They can also contact a GP to help their teen treat 

nicotine dependence and related effects. 


12 www.kidscaremag.com.au

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Health & Well-Being

Bedtime strategies for kids with 

autism and ADHD can help all 

families get more sleep 

Getting a good night’s sleep is important for children’s learning and development. 

When young people don’t get enough sleep, it can impact their mood, school 

performance, health, and behaviour. 

Written by: 

Nicole Rinehart 

Professor, Child and Adolescent Psychology, Director, 

Krongold Clinic (Research), 

Monash University 

Emily Pattison 

Research Fellow, Psychologist, 

Monash University 

Nicole Papadopoulos 

Senior Lecturer, School of Educational 

Psychology & Counselling, 

Monash University

The impact of sleep on quality of life is a 

force everyone can relate to. For children with 

neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and 

attention-defect hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a 

poor night’s sleep can have even more far-reaching 

impacts on not only the child’s mental health, but on 

the mental health and stress levels of parents, too. 

Up to 80% of autistic children have trouble with 

their sleep. Common behavioural difficulties parents 

report include dyssomnias (problems going to sleep), 

parasomnias (problems waking up overnight), and 

early morning waking. These problems tend to persist 

if they are not treated effectively. 

Behavioural interventions are an important first step 

in the treatment of sleep problems for children. In 

particular, our research has found sleep problems 

can be effectively treated in autistic children when 

sleep strategies are tailored to children’s needs. 

And the techniques can be useful for all families 

struggling with children’s poor sleep. 

Our research 

Sleeping Sound is program that tailors strategies to 

the young person’s sleep needs and preferences. 

Originally created to help manage sleep problems in 

children with typical development, Sleeping Sound 

has been adapted over the past decade to help 

children with autism and ADHD. 

We conducted a randomised controlled trial – the 

gold standard for determining whether an intervention 

works – with 245 autistic children aged 5–13 years 

and their parents. Families were randomly allocated 

to the intervention group (receiving Sleeping Sound) 

or the control group (not receiving Sleeping Sound). 

Families in the intervention group participated in 

two 50-minute face-to-face sessions and a followup 

phone call with a paediatrician or psychologist. 

They received an assessment, sleep education, 

and personalised practical strategies that were 

individualised to their child and family. 

What did we find? 

We found families who received the Sleeping Sound 

intervention had fewer sleep problems compared with 

families who did not receive the intervention. These 

benefits in child sleep were still present up to one 

year later. 

We also saw positive flow-on effects for children 

(improved quality of life, better emotional and 

behavioural functioning) and their parents (reduced 

stress levels, improved mental health and quality of 

life). 

Parents of autistic children said family support and 

consistency with strategies were important. This is 

consistent with the future direction of personalised 

autism health care, which recognises the unique 

strengths, needs, and circumstances of autistic 

people and their families. 

While the program is still in its trial phase and isn’t 

available to families in the wider community, it uses 

strategies that all parents can adopt to improve their 

children’s sleep. 

Tips to improve kids’ sleep 

Parents can help their children get a good night’s 

sleep by using the universal approach to sleep 

readiness and behavioural sleep strategies. This 

includes: 

• setting a regular bedtime and waking up time 

• creating a safe, comfortable sleeping 

environment (cool, quiet, dark, screen-free) 

• following a regular bedtime routine that is calm 

and sleep-inducing 

• avoiding caffeine, electronic devices and 

excitement before bed 

• encouraging physical activity during the day 

• avoiding exercise one hour before bed. 

What if good sleep remains elusive? 

In addition to practising healthy sleep habits and 

establishing a bedtime routine, parents can try out 

different behavioural strategies that might help their 

child. These include: 

The checking method 

This strategy can be helpful when children need a 

parent in the room to fall asleep or find it hard to stay 

in their bedroom. 

Put your child to bed but promise to come back and 

check on them. Visit your child at regular intervals 

in the night to check on them and reassure them. 

Gradually stretch out interval times. 

Checks should be boring and brief (around one 

minute). 

Bedtime fading 

This strategy can be helpful when children are unable 

to fall asleep at the desired bedtime. 

Temporarily adjust bedtime to when your child is 

naturally falling asleep. Gradually bring bedtime 

forward in 15-minute increments every few days until 

desired bedtime is reached. 


Relaxation training 

These strategies can be helpful when children are 

anxious at bedtime or have difficulty falling asleep. 

Teach your child progressive muscle relaxation. 

Encourage your child to lie down with their eyes closed 

and then tighten and relax all the muscles in their body, 

one after the other. 

Teach your child controlled breathing. Help them learn 

to take long, slow breaths in through their nose and out 

through their mouth. 

Encourage your child to write or draw the things that 

worry them during the day and put them away in a 

“worry box”. 

Children may experience one or more sleep problems, 

so a combination of behavioural sleep strategies may be 

required. If you’re worried about your child’s sleep, or if 

sleep problems persist, consult your paediatrician or GP 

for further guidance. 

We are currently recruiting for our new study evaluating 

the Sleeping Sound intervention via telehealth, 

through the Krongold Clinic at Monash University. If 

you are a parent of an autistic child aged 5–12 who is 

experiencing sleep problems and would like to find out 

more, visit our website. 

TOP TIPS 

SET A REGULAR BEDTIME AND WAKING 

TIME 

CREATE A SAFE COMFORTABLE 

ENVIRONMENT 

FOLLOW A ROUTINE THAT IS CALM 

AVOID DEVICES AND EXCITEMENT 

BEFORE BED 

ENCOURAGE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY 

DURING THE DAY 

AVOID EXERCISE AN HOUR BEFORE BED 

This article was first published on The Conversation

Family Matters

Why the tween years are a 

‘golden opportunity’ to set up 

the way you parent teenagers

The teenage years can be among the trickiest 

times for a parent. You have been used to 

being your child’s voice of reason. Then, all of a 

sudden, your authority is challenged by their peers, 

social media and huge developmental changes. 

But the good news is children aged ten to 12 are still 

more influenced by their parents than their friends. 

This makes it the ideal time for parents to establish 

parenting practices that will set the tone for when 

their child crosses over into adolescence. 

Our research 

In a recent study, colleagues and I looked at the 

perspectives, needs and behaviours of 2,600 

Victorian parents. 

This was part a study, run every three years and 

funded by the Victorian government, which aims to 

build a better understanding of parenting today. 

A key finding was parents of teenagers reported 

they were less confident about their parenting than 

parents of younger children. 

Parents of teenagers also reported greater levels of 

concern about their children’s behaviour, including 

how to manage their child’s use of technology. 

Parents of teens were less likely to use positive 

discipline methods they had previously used such as 

praise and rewards for good behaviour. 

They also said they felt as though there was less 

support for parenting teenage children (as opposed 

to younger ones). This may leave parents feeling 

under-prepared to guide their child through the 

many developmental changes that take place during 

adolescence. 

The tweenage years 

Physical and emotional changes during the teenage 

years are widely understood. But young people 

also typically go through significant changes in the 

years before their 13th birthday, which some call 

the “tweens”. And this can challenge a parents’ 

relationship with their kids. 

On top of the start of puberty, tweens can face 

additional expectations within the home, have to 

navigate the move to high school, and deal with 

increasing use of technology and social media. 

Between ten and 12, a child starts to develop new 

behaviours, attitudes and preferences, which can 

challenge the way a parent has previously parented. 

Increasing interest in bodily changes and sexuality 

starts to emerge. As can the demands for more 

freedoms to interact with the world without parents 

being present. 

Parents are more likely to see a pre-teen misbehaving 

as a deliberate act rather than just a developmental 

issue. Consequently, parents may be more likely to 

react negatively to their pre-teen, rather than trying to 

understand why they are behaving like this. 

The tween opportunity 

Bearing in mind, children will still listen to their 

parents over their friends from ten to 12, the tween 

years present a golden opportunity to set up good 

parenting practices for the teenage years. 

In the pre-teen years, parents can make small 

adjustments to their parenting style to retain what 

works, but also acknowledge their child’s new 

maturity. 

Positive attention, praise and rewards for good 

behaviour will still work, but need to be ageappropriate. 

This might mean having a friend over as 

a reward rather than a sticker on a star chart. 

Rules and boundaries are also still important, but 

perhaps you can set them more in partnership with 

the child, to build trust and to set up patterns for 


positive communication down the track. 

Maintaining strong, open and two-way communication 

with your tween is vital. Your ability to model cool 

negotiation and constructive conflict management 

will be pivotal in helping your tween and future young 

adult do the same. 

Taking a breath or counting to five in your head 

before reacting to something you don’t like 

(something your child has said or done) gives you the 

space to think through a more constructive response. 

It also allows your child time to pause and consider 

the impact of their behaviour or words. 

Staying connected and building mutual trust will help 

you both to navigate the murky waters of your child’s 

need for privacy and your need for assurance of their 

safety. Ensure you carve out time in your day to just 

sit and talk. You could ask your child about the most 

exciting part of their day. Or get their opinion on what 

to have for dinner this week. 

More support earlier on 

The pre-teen period is often overlooked when it 

comes to parenting. Yet, it is a golden opportunity to 

better support parents when their children are going 

through significant developmental changes. 

If parents are supported to adapt their parenting 

and communication style they can build a strong 

relationship with their tween and grow alongside 

their children. This will then help them navigate the 

fascinating, unique and important teenage years 

ahead. 

Written by: 

Catherine Wade 

Research Affiliate, 

Faculty of Health Sciences, 

University of Sydney 


These positive conversations are like money in the 

bank – investments that can be drawn upon later 

when more serious conversations are needed about 

trickier things like going out with friends or sexuality.


Kids driving you crazy? 

Try these science-backed anger 

management tips for parents

You’re running late for work, 

your eight-year-old can’t find the 

homework they were supposed to 

have put in their school bag last 

night, your four-year-old objects to 

the blue t-shirt you’d prepared and 

wants the other shade of blue, and 

then you step on a Lego piece that 

didn’t get packed away when you 

asked. 

Even if you haven’t encountered this 

exact situation, just thinking about it 

might raise your hackles. Parenting 

comes with many emotions. Anger 

and frustration are not uncommon 

and may have been exacerbated 

by the stressors of the COVID-19 

pandemic. 

It’s OK for children to see parents 

experience and manage different 

emotions. But when getting angry, 

yelling and shouting are a default 

response, this can have negative 

consequences for children (and 

parents). 

Here’s what you can do instead.

When is anger a problem and 

what’s at stake? 

Anger is a problem when it is too 

frequent, too intense or when it 

disrupts your relationships. 

Parental hostility has been 

associated with: 

• children’s executive 

functioning (their ability to think 

and reason) 

• relational aggression 

(aggression toward others) 

• internalising problems; and 

• anxiety. 

One study found children who 

received harsh verbal discipline 

were likely to experience 

more symptoms of depression 

and behavioural problems as 

adolescents. 

A parent’s propensity to react 

emotionally can increase the 

likelihood parents will react 

more harshly, punish their child 

excessively, or smack their child. 

Extensive research has shown 

smacking is harmful for children’s 

development. 

Reducing the risk of conflict 

Parenting isn’t easy and doesn’t 

come with a manual. Many 

everyday situations can contribute 

to parents experiencing irritation 

and anger. 

The best way to manage anger is 

to try to reduce the likelihood these 

situations will arise. 

Parenting programs that focus 

on positive parenting practices, 

can improve the lives of children, 

parents and families, decrease 

parent anger and reduce the risk 

of maltreatment. Many evidencebased 

parenting programs are 

available. 

Important strategies to reduce the 

likelihood of problems arising in 

the first place include: 

• focusing on the positive 

• building strong relationships 

with children 

• communicating effectively 

• praising children 

• teaching children 

independence skills 

• putting in place effective family 

routines 

• having clear rules and 

boundaries and backing 

them up with appropriate 

consequences. 

Looking after yourself 

It is much harder to be calm, 

patient and persistent when 

parents’ own needs are not met 

and when parents are stressed or 

under pressure. 

An important aspect of managing 

emotional reactivity is to look after 

your own wellbeing. 

Take time out for yourself, 

balance your work and family 

responsibilities, and talk to your 

partner or other carers and 

support people about how you can 

get some time to yourself. 


Strategies based on cognitive 

behavioural approaches – such as 

relaxation and breathing exercises 

– can also be helpful ways to 

reduce anger. 

OK but I still need help 

managing my anger in the 

moment. What now? 

So you’ve done the parenting 

program, you’re looking after 

yourself and still you find yourself 

struggling to tame your anger. That 

Lego piece really hurt and how 

many times do you have to ask for 

things to be packed up anyway? 

Sometimes even the best 

preparation and prevention 

strategies may not avoid a 

particular problem, so having a 

plan for what you can do in that 

moment is important. 

When fury rages inside you, start 

by taking a few deep breaths. 

Focusing on relaxing muscles or 

counting to ten – anything to slow 

down your emotional reaction – 

can be helpful. 

Remind yourself your child hasn’t 

done this on purpose and that 

while it’s frustrating, you can stay 

calm. 

What we say to ourselves about 

a situation and why it happened 

can also increase our feelings of 

anger. 

Research shows the attributions 

we make – meaning the 

explanations or reasons we 

have for situations or for our 

child’s behaviour – can play an 

important role in the way we react 

emotionally. 

For example, if you think your 

child is deliberately trying to make 


your life miserable with their t-shirt 

choices, you are more likely to feel 

angry. 

If, on the other hand, you say to 

yourself, “This is important to them 

and they’re only four,” you are 

much more likely to stay calm. 

Try to catch the negative thoughts 

that come into your head in those 

situations that make you feel 

angry. Replace them with more 

helpful ones. 

For examples, rather than saying 

“This is just not fair” you could say 

“This is upsetting, but I can deal 

with it.” It might feel awkward at 

first, but give it a try. 

Anger is a human emotion. It can 

motivate us to persist in the face 

of difficulties, can be a way of 

reducing tension and can act as a 

signal to deal with a stressor we’re 

facing. 

It can also cause harm to 

ourselves, our children and our 

relationships if it is not managed 

well. 

Finding effective ways to 

positively manage those feelings 

of annoyance and irritation is 

important to ensuring positive 

family relationships. 

Written by: 

Alina Morawska 

Deputy Director (Research), Parenting 

and Family Support Centre,The 

University of Queensland 


25


New national autism 

guideline will 

finally give families 

a roadmap for 

therapy decisions 

Written by: 

Andrew Whitehouse 

Bennett Chair of Autism, Telethon Kids Institute, 

The University of Western Australia 

David Trembath 

Associate Professor, Menzies Health Institute 

Queensland, Griffith University

Australian’s first national guideline outlining 

the best ways of providing clinical support 

to autistic children and their families will be 

launched in Canberra today. 

The guideline, which we co-authored with others, 

represents a landmark moment for autism in 

Australia. It is the culmination of a decades-long 

effort to build better evidence into clinical practice 

for autistic children. 

For the first time, families of children with autism 

will have a clear description of what is and what 

is not safe and effective clinical practice, and a 

roadmap to empower their choices. 

Autism in Australia 

Autism became a formal diagnosis in Australia 

with the introduction of the third edition of the 

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual in 1980. But 

it was not until 1994 it was diagnosed in large 

numbers. Today, autism is diagnosed in more 

than 1% of people. 

The most common types of therapies or supports 

for autistic children are focused on supporting 

their learning, participation, and wellbeing. This 

might involve directly teaching the child learning 

strategies, or changing the environment around 

the child. For many children, these therapies are 

used at the same time as prescribed medication.

There is good evidence to underpin the safety and 

effectiveness of many such therapies. However, 

like all areas of health and medicine, it can be hard 

to ensure measures are rolled out in the same way 

in different settings and locations. This can lead to 

confusion for children and families, and expose them 

to clinical therapies that may be ineffective or harmful. 

With the increased focused on evidence-based 

medicine over the past two decades, there have been 

important steps taken to provide better guidance to 

clinicians and policymakers about what represents 

good practice. However, until now there hasn’t been 

an evidence-based guide they can refer to that 

brings together international expertise and research 

evidence. 

84 recommendations 

We developed the new guideline at the Autism CRC 

– established in 2013 as the world’s first national, 

cooperative research effort focused on autism 

across the lifespan. It brought together a group of 

researchers, clinicians, and autistic people, who 

consulted with more than 1,000 community members. 

These community voices were then combined 

with evidence from three systematic reviews 

of international research to develop 84 

recommendations. 

The recommendations are presented as statements 

that describe key elements of practice. Clinicians 

follow these to deliver evidence-based therapies. 

Some examples are: 

• Practitioners should have relevant qualifications, 

be regulated, work within their scope of practice 

with appropriate supervision, and engage in 

continuing professional development 

• practitioners should engage in open and regular 

communication with other practitioners, the 

child’s educators, and other service providers, 

with appropriate consent, to ensure supports are 

coordinated 

• practitioners should ensure the child and family 

understand the rationale for recommended 

supports, along with potential benefits, costs, and 

alternative options. 

The recommendations will help clinicians work with 

children and families to set therapy goals, select and 

deliver the most appropriate therapies to meet those 

goals, and then monitor therapies to ensure they are 

safe and effective. 

What does the guideline mean for clinicians and 

families? 

Providing therapies to autistic children can be 

complex, and involves the consideration of many 

factors. A therapy approach that may be appropriate 

for one autistic child, may be quite unsuitable for 

another child. 

For example, some children may receive benefit from 

learning to talk with the help of a technology device. 

Other children may not benefit from this approach 

and learn best through verbal conversations only. 

Similar considerations may apply to where a therapy 

is delivered (in a clinic, in the home, or in the 

community), how it is delivered (individually or in a 

group), and through what means (in person or via 

screen or telephone). 

The new guideline gives a step-by-step process to 

help clinicians consider these factors in a logical and 

systematic way. This helps clinicians understand the 

unique factors of each child and their family, and to 

turn this knowledge into the most effective plan to 

support them. 

So for families, the guideline represents a roadmap 

for engaging with therapy. 

Preventing parents from being overwhelmed 

At the time of a child’s autism diagnosis, the amount 

of information for families to understand and act upon 

can be overwhelming. Many families are very well 

supported by the clinicians they are seeing, but many 

also resort to searching the internet to find answers to 

their questions. 

The guideline will help families understand what 

evidence-based therapy looks like, and how they can 

use this information to navigate the best pathway for 

their child. 

We hope this will inform and empower families to feel 

confident making decisions in the best interests of 

their child’s learning, participation and wellbeing. 

What to watch for next 

While the guideline is not mandatory, it has important 

implications for government systems such as the 

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). 

At a time when there is concern about how the NDIS 

can best support its participants, this new document 

provides evidence-based guidance. 

The best next step would be for the NDIS to adopt 

this guideline. This would give NDIS participants and 

their families a much better chance of supporting 

autistic children to flourish. 


28 www.kidscaremag.com.au

#movements matter 

Your baby’s 

movements matter. 

Why are my baby’s movements important? 

What should I do? 

If your baby’s movement pattern 

changes, it may be a sign that 

they are unwell. 

Around half of all women who had a stillbirth 

noticed their baby’s movements had slowed down 

or stopped. 

In any instance, if you are 

concerned about a change in your 

baby’s movements, contact your 

midwife or doctor immediately. 

You are not wasting their time. 

How often should my baby move? 

What may happen next? 

There is no set number of normal 

movements. 

You should get to know your baby’s 

own unique pattern of movements. 

Babies movements can be described as anything 

from a kick or a flutter, to a swish or a roll. 

You will start to feel your baby move between 

weeks 16 and 24 of pregnancy, regardless of 

where your placenta lies. 

Your midwife or doctor should ask you to 

come into your maternity unit (staff are 

available 24 hours, 7 days a week). 

Investigations may include: 

• Checking your baby’s heartbeat 

• Measuring your baby’s growth 

• Ultrasound scan 

• Blood test 

Common myths about baby movements 

It is not true that babies move less towards the end of pregnancy. 

You should continue to feel your baby move right up to the time you go into 

labour and whilst you are in labour too. 

If you are concerned about your baby’s movements, having something 

to eat or drink to stimulate your baby DOES NOT WORK. 

FIND OUT MORE: movementsmatter.org.au 

Endorsed by: Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (RANZCOG), Bears of Hope and Sands and organisations 

below. We thank Tommy’s UK for allowing us to adapt their campaign for our purpose. Contact us at stillbirthcre@mater.uq.edu.au

Education

As students return to school, 

small-group tutoring can 

help those who are falling 

behind 

Written by: Julie Sonnemann 

Principal Advisor Education, Grattan Institute

More than four million students 

around Australia are heading back 

to school. While this will be a year of 

achievement and learning growth for 

many students, others will struggle to 

keep up. 

A major Productivity Commission 

report earlier this month found too 

many Australian school students are 

behind in reading and maths. Each 

year tens of thousands of students 

fail to meet minimum literacy and 

numeracy standards, as measured in 

NAPLAN assessments. 

But even this likely underestimates the 

proportion of struggling students, as 

NAPLAN’s minimum standards set a 

very low bar. 

When children struggle to keep 

up with classroom learning, it can 

spark a vicious cycle. Lack of 

understanding can lead to frustration, 

and disengagement can set in, which 

makes further learning harder. 

The good news is that the opportunity 

to boost learning and bridge these 

gaps is in plain sight. As our new 

research finds, small-group tutoring 

is an effective way to help students 

catch up. 

Australia has a significant 

underachievement problem 

Many students in Australia fail to 

develop essential skills in literacy 

and numeracy. And once children fall 

behind, they often struggle to catch 

up. Successful academic learning 

involves layering new knowledge and 

skills on a solid foundation of learning. 

Studies estimate about 20% of 

students need additional intensive 

learning support, on top of universal 

classroom instruction, to develop 

foundational literacy and numeracy 

skills. 

Grattan Institute analysis of 2022 

NAPLAN data shows disadvantaged 

children tend to start school well 

behind their advantaged peers, and 

the gap only grows wider with every 

year of schooling. 

The learning gap between 

disadvantaged and advantaged 

students more than doubles in reading 

and numeracy between year 3 and 

year 9. 

In numeracy, for example, year 3 

students whose parents did not finish 

school are one year and seven months 

behind students whose parents have a 

university degree. By year 9, this gap 

has grown to four years. 

But small-group tutoring can help 

struggling students catch up, 

especially those from disadvantaged 

backgrounds. 

What is small-group tutoring? 

This is where teachers or other 

educators work with just a few 

students at a time. 

The sessions are short, lasting up to 

an hour each and held about three 

times a week over one or two school 

terms. Sessions are highly focused: 

for example, they may concentrate on 

helping students recognise particular 

spelling patterns, or working with 

fractions. 

Small-group tuition tends to be 

conducted during school hours, and 

there is close collaboration between 

the teacher and tutor. This means the 

content is closely aligned to classroom 

content and monitored by the teacher. 

This is a key point of difference to the 

tutoring that parents might organise for 

their children out of school hours. 

Small-group tuition works 

A 2021 review of international 

evidence by Australian-based 

organisation Evidence for Learning 

showed small-group tuition can boost 

student learning by as much as four 

months, on average, over the course 

of a year. 

And a 2020 systematic review by 

the US National Bureau of Economic 

Research of 96 randomised controlled 

trials (the “gold standard” for 

evidence) found consistently large, 

positive results from catch-up tuition 

on maths and reading across grade 

levels. 

Small-group tuition works because 

the tutor can focus exclusively on a 

small number of students, identify 

their precise learning needs, and work 

closely with them to get them back on 

track. A student’s personal relationship 

with their tutor can also boost their 

confidence and help them feel better 

about going to school. 

But we need to do it well 

The big challenge is to deliver highquality 

small-group tuition in every 

school. It will take time and effort to 

get right. 

We need to know more about which 

small-group tuition models are most 

cost-effective – because tutoring is 

moderately expensive. 

We also need to ensure there are 

enough high-quality tutors, given 

concerns about teacher supply. 

Tutors could be drawn from retired 

teachers and part-time teachers. 

Employing teaching assistants, trainee 

teachers and other university students 

as tutors should be considered. 



CALCULATOR 

Happy 

Birthday 

+ 

LITHIUM 

BATTERY 

THERMOMETER 

TAKE 

3V 

CHARGE… 

of button batteries 

around your home 

identify | secure | elevate | eliminate 

Identify items with button batteries in them, secure the battery 

compartment, keep them out of reach of children and dispose of 

them safely. 

If you think your child has swallowed or inserted a button battery, 

immediately call the 24 hour Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 

for fast, expert advice. 

For more information visit www.kidsafeqld.com.au or www.qld.gov.au/fairtrading 

0688FT_0216 

Kidsafe Qld Inc

Education 

Help! My kid won’t read 

chapter books. 

What do I do?

Many children start school excited about learning to read. 

And parents too! After many years of reading and re-reading 

(seemingly ad nauseam) favourite picture books aloud, it’s 

thrilling to see your child develop their own reading skills. 

But what if they seem to be “stuck” on books that still use 

lots of illustrations, such as graphic novels, comics or picture 

books? 

Many parents fret about their child still not having fallen in 

love with chapter books. You might mourn the fact they still 

aren’t reading the books you loved as a child – the Roald 

Dahl classics, the Narnia books or more recent releases 

such as the Harry Potter series. 

But the fact is, it’s counterproductive to push your child to 

read a whole chapter book independently if they are not 

ready. You might turn them off reading altogether. Here’s 

what to do instead.

Yes, chapter books are 

important. But don’t rush 

Chapter books are an important 

step in learning to read. They 

introduce increasingly complex 

storylines, themes, characters and 

settings. 

They expand children’s vocabulary 

(which is essential for developing 

reading comprehension). 

Importantly, when texts have no 

pictures, children must rely on 

decoding (recognising soundletter 

relationships) to make sense 

of the words. 

This helps with developing reading 

fluency (reading accurately 

with expression at a pace that 

allows for comprehension), and 

developing reading stamina 

(maintaining comprehension over 

longer passages of text). 

But the transition to chapter books 

can be daunting for children. It’s 

a big leap from picture books, 

where so much meaning is carried 

in the illustrations, to books where 

readers rely solely on the print to 

make sense of the text. 

Your child may not be ready 

to read entire chapter books 

independently. They may still not 

have developed what researchers 

call “automaticity” in their 

decoding skills (reading words 

without having to sound them out). 

Automaticity frees up mental 

space for paying attention to 

meaning. In other words, if you 

have to stop and sound words out 

all the time, it’s hard to follow the 

plot and can take the fun out of 

reading. 

Here are some ways you can help 

your child develop the skills they 

need to read and enjoy chapter 

books. 

Choose books that support the 

transition 

support young readers, with 

short chapters featuring plenty of 

images. 

There are picture books for older 

children, and don’t be frightened 

of graphic novels. As well as 

visual richness, they often offer 

sophisticated storylines and 

themes. 

Visit your local library and ask the 

children’s librarian for suggestions. 

Share the reading, make it fun and 

keep the conversation going 

Share the reading; you read a 

page or a paragraph, and they 

read a page or a paragraph, or 

even just a sentence or two. 

This makes reading less 

overwhelming for kids, but still 

allows them to practise. 

Plan reading time so it doesn’t 

compete with distractions such as 

screen time or siblings. 

Many books are designed to 

Your child may even like to help 

read a story to a younger sibling or 

36 www.kidscaremag.com.au 

to grandparents via Zoom. 

Read alongside your child so you 

can share ideas about the story, 

author or series. 

Talk with your child about movies, 

video games, images, art and 

comics. All of this talk helps build 

vocabulary and knowledge, which 

help them tackle more challenging 

texts. 

Respect their interests and keep it 

positive 

Let your child explore the books 

they’re interested in. 

Some children are not keen on 

fiction, and prefer to read about 

science or the world around them. 

These kinds of texts also help 

develop vocabulary and complex 

language. 

Remember, reading for pleasure 

is associated with overall reading 

attainment and writing ability. It’s 

a big part of becoming a lifetime 

reader. 

Yes, you can still suggest books

to your child. But don’t get upset 

if they say no, and definitely don’t 

insult their tastes by putting down 

their favourite books and authors. 

Whatever their response, keep the 

conversation channels open and 

help them feel confident about 

their own choices. 

Check your own anxiety levels and 

accept it takes time 

Children can pick up on parental 

anxiety about academic 

achievement. 

Anxiety takes up mental space and 

interferes with your child’s work 

as they practise more challenging 

reading. 

Children may seem to master 

their sounds and letters quickly, 

but still need years of schooling 

to develop the knowledge and 

language they need for skilled 

reading comprehension. They also 

need time to get used to the pages 

of full print and the smaller font 

size in chapter books. 

Accept that learning to read is 

a marathon, not a sprint. It’s big 

work for a young person. 

What if I’m still worried? 

If you are really worried about 

your child’s reading, talk to their 

teacher and consider if a sight 

or hearing test is warranted (to 

check they can see the letters and 

discriminate language sounds). 

If your child does have decoding 

difficulties, a systematic approach 

to learning about sound-letter 

relationships, and practice in 

reading accurately and fluently is 

important. 

In the end, though, your most 

important role is to give time and 

encouragement, to maintain an 

interest and enjoyment in reading 

together and independently. 

Written by: 

Helen Harper 

Senior Lecturer in English, Literacy 

and Language Education, University of 

New England 

Bronwyn Parkin 

Adjunct lecturer, Linguistics, University 

of Adelaide, University of Adelaide 

Pauline Jones 

Associate Professor in Language in 

Education, University of Wollongong 

Susan Feez 

Senior Lecturer, School of Education, 

University of New England 


Education

How to set up a kids’ art studio 

at home 

(and learn to love the mess) 

Naomi Zouwer 

Visual Artist and Lecturer in Teacher 

Education, University of Canberra 

Many parents want to encourage their 

children to be creative. This is not 

just about training the next Archibald 

Prize winner. Young people develop 

important emotional and cognitive 

skills when they make art. 

But at the same time, it can be tricky 

to know where to start. Or how to 

overcome the fear of a big clean up. 

I am a visual artist and art educator of 

big and small people. Here are some 

ways to support your child to set up 

their own art studio at home. 

All you have to do is make a space for 

them, supply the materials and not get 

too hung up on the mess! 

How to set up a kids studio 

First, you need to set up a space or 

a “kids studio”. Ideally, this is a place 

where your child can make and leave 

work in progress. 

Artists need time to mull over ideas. If 

they have to pack up their work at the 

end of each session, it disrupts the 

creative process. Artists like to make, 

take a break, think and go back to 

their work in spurts. Spurts can be five 

minutes or five hours. 

Not everyone has a separate backyard 

studio in their home. So your studio 

could be the dining table or a corner 

of the lounge room. You can always 

cover the studio with a tablecloth to 

signify it is “closed” during dinner or 

for other activities. 

Another excellent option is an easel. 

Standing at an easel to paint and draw 

helps the artist see their work better, 

as it allows them to stand back and 

look at the proportions of what they are 

doing. 

Kids are also happy to make on the 

floor! A simple mat can help designate 

a studio space. The important thing 

is your child can come and go as the 

urge takes them. 

And you don’t need special lights. 

Natural light is best as it doesn’t distort 

the colours and forms you are working 

with. 

How can you encourage them to 

start? 

Under the Reggio Emilio teaching 

philosophy, the environment 

around a child plays a central role 

in the process of making learning 

meaningful. 

One way to encourage your child 

to begin creating is to place freshly 

sharpened pencils in a jar (not a box 

that needs opening) on the table with 

some paper and a provocation. This 

could be some shells or anything you 

know your child might find curious. 

This becomes an offering to “come 

and draw here”. 

You could also have a construction 

area with a pile of cardboard next to 

masking tape (which children can 

tear themselves), scissors and a fully 

loaded stapler and a few images of 

houses as a provocation. 

You might like to consider having a 

wet area and a dry area. Painting, 

gluing and clay work happen in the 

wet area and cutting and drawing 

happen in the dry area. 

While it’s great to set up spaces 

for your child, remember they are 

the ones using it. So, one way of 

encouraging them is to invite them to 

set up and design the space with you. 

This means they are invested in where 

things go (and putting things away). 

Basic materials for your studio 

Pencils 

Steiner schools know that using 

quality art materials enhances the 

creative process. I love the pencils 

from German brand Lyra. Prismacolor 

pencils are another excellent brand. 

I also love Lyra’s stubby fat graphite 

sticks. These are good for all ages 

(from one and up) because they are 

sturdy and easily gripped. They also 

change when you add water, the 

graphite turns to paint - changing the 

drawing into a painting!

Good quality pencils will need to be 

sharpened less, break less when they 

are dropped and will last a very long 

time. You can also replace individual 

pencils, so in the long run it is more 

economical. 

Paper 

Good quality paper also makes a 

difference. The feeling of a pencil 

dragging across a rough or smooth 

surface promotes a sensory feeling 

that you do not get from inferior quality 

materials. 

I like to use heavy watercolour paper. 

Look for paper thickness (200 to 

300gsm) and feel the texture. You are 

looking for a nice surface (touch lots 

of paper and you will begin to know 

what a nice surface feels like). Canson 

make good water colour pads and you 

can find something similar at most art 

shops. 

But sometimes all you need is a 

packet of A3 copy paper or a roll of 

butchers paper (which you can get 

from IKEA or Officeworks). 

As influential professor of art education 

Viktor Lowenfeld noted, children under 

four are in the “scribbling” phase of 

their artistic development. So, young 

children will burn through paper. 

Paint 

IKEA make great acrylic and 

watercolour paints and the colours are 

vibrant. 

I particularly like to use watercolours 

because they are like magic. They 

have a beautiful effect as they wash 

together, and they don’t dry up into 

blobs of plastic and destroy brushes 

(if you don’t clean them straight away). 

It’s easier to come and go from your 

work without the palaver of “getting the 

paints out”. 

When watercolours dry up, you just 

“wake them up from their sleep” with 

water. 

Brushes 

Use soft bristle brushes for water 

colour and firm bristle brushes for 

acrylic paint. 

You can get brushes from art stores 

but also Officeworks and IKEA. 

Examine the bristles closely: long soft 

floppy bristles or hard plastic ones 

are terrible to use and take the fun out 

painting. 

Use recycled materials where 

possible 

Art materials don’t have to cost the 

earth and you can be sustainable. 

Save magazines, newspapers, 

catalogues, flyers and cardboard 

boxes as they provide endless openended 

opportunities for making. 

Things to say and NOT to say 

As adults we tend to have decided 

what we can and can’t do. But do not 

say things to your child such as, “I 

can’t draw” or “I’m no good at art”. 

Role model a positive can-do attitude 

and show your child that you can try 

anything (and it doesn’t matter whether 

you are “good” or not). 

I like to give my students practical 

skills they can apply to openended 

activities. That is, there is no 

prescribed outcome. This is important 

to keep in mind. If you set your child 

up with a certain activity but they do 

something completely different – this is 

not wrong or bad. 

Try to provide an assortment of sizes, It seems counterintuitive, but avoid 

of short and long handles and shapes saying things such as, “that’s 

such as round and flat. This will help beautiful” or “that’s pretty”. Art isn’t 

your young artist explore a range of just about making beautiful things 

different marks. 

it’s also about expressing yourself or 

40 www.kidscaremag.com.au 

trying to make sense of the world. It is 

a process as much as a product. So, 

don’t get hung up on the final art work. 

So, instead of saying, “Oh that’s a 

great drawing of a giraffe”, ask them, 

“what were you thinking about when 

you made this?” 

Keep in mind, there’s also a good 

chance it’s not even a giraffe! Very 

young children can change what they 

are drawing along the way. They might 

start out drawing their family but end 

up drawing something completely 

different. And when you show them the 

drawing after a week they might have 

a completely different explanation for 

the artwork. 

So, don’t “correct” your child if they 

colour outside of the lines or draw 

something you can’t immediately 

understand. By the same token, never 

finish your child’s work for them. 

A final word on mess 

Creativity can (and should!) look really 

messy. It’s important to give your 

child the opportunity to make a mess 

in order to discover new possibilities, 

generate ideas and think through 

materials. 

This can understandably be offputting 

for parents. But if you have a 

designated area, then hopefully you 

can relax and know you are providing 

your child space to grow and develop 

creative and critical skills they need for 

now and in the future. 


Show your heart, 

help little hearts. 

Support kids born with heart disease 

Donate now at heartkids.org.au

Want your child to eat more veggies? 

Talk to them about ‘eating the rainbow’ 

Emma Beckett 

Senior Lecturer (Food Science and Human Nutrition), 

School of Environmental and Life Sciences, 

University of Newcastle 

Parents of young children today 

were raised during some of the most 

damaging periods of diet culture. From 

diet and “lite” foods and drinks, to 

expensive “superfoods”, one constant 

across these changing trends has been 

the moralisation of food as “good” or 

“bad”. 

These diet movements have led to 

many of us having difficult relationships 

with food, eating and dieting. If 

this sounds familiar, you might be 

wondering how to use the fun features 

of healthy foods to encourage kids to 

eat more of them. 

“Eating the rainbow” means regularly 

eating a variety of different coloured 

fruits and vegetables. Encouraging 

your child to eat a rainbow is backed 

by the evidence and can start 

more well-rounded and positive 

conversations with them about foods. 

Encouraging variety 

All fruits and vegetables are good for 

us. Depending on the age and sex of 

your child, Australia’s dietary guidelines 

recommend they eat 2–5.5 serves of 

vegetables and a 0.5–2 serves of fruit 

each day. 

Each fruit and vegetable has it’s own 

unique profile of nutrients, so the wider 

variety of fruit and vegetables you eat 

in those serves, the better. 

Eating a variety of fruits and 

vegetables each day has more benefits 

than just eating the one type on repeat, 

so striving for the rainbow can help 

encourage variety. 

Serving variety and colourful meals 

can also encourage us to eat more. So 

if you or your kids are struggling to eat 

enough fruit and vegetables, you can 

use the rainbow to help get all those 

serves in. 

Sparking adventurousness 

Chasing the rainbow can also help 

kids break out of their comfort zones 

and can be an early way to encourage 

adventurousness for new foods. 

While kids can benefit from routine, 

there are links between how 

adventurous we are with trying new 

foods and other healthy traits and 

habits. Those who love trying new 

things tend to have a higher quality diet 

than those who hate trying new things. 

Starting early conversations about 

the complexities of food 

Most parents of today’s kids were 

raised during the “reductionist” era of 

nutrition. The focus wasn’t on whole, 

complex foods, but on the key macro 

and micronutrients they contain. So, 

bread becomes all about the carbs and 

citrus becomes all about the vitamin C. 

When we think along these lines it’s 

easy to think bread is “bad” and citrus 

fruits are only a good source of vitamin 

C. 

But foods are much more complex 

than this. Nutrients are rarely found 

in just one food, and each food is 

seldom made of just one nutrient. And 

even more importantly, food isn’t just 

nutrients – it also contains “bioactive 

compounds”. 

These bioactives, which you might 

also see called phytonutrients or

phytochemicals (phyto means from 

plants), occur naturally in plant foods. 

They’re not essential for our survival 

like nutrients are, but they can have 

healthy benefits. 

Often these bioactives are linked to 

colours, so foods of different colours 

not only have different nutritional 

profiles, but they have different 

bioactive profiles too. 

In fact, the pigments that give fruits 

and vegetables their colours are often 

bioactives. For example, reds can 

be lycopenes, linked to heart and 

blood vessel health and purples can 

be anothcyanins, linked to improved 

inflammation. 

Kids don’t need to know which 

bioactive goes with which colour, or 

what they all do. But you can start 

conversations about the complexity of 

our biology and the food that nourishes 

it. 

Where does fresh food come from? 

Survey data regularly shows many kids 

don’t know where their food comes 

from, or don’t know which fruits and 

vegetables are which. 

Fruits and vegetables often change 

colours when they ripen, and different 

parts of the plants they come from are 

different colours. So talking about the 

rainbow can open up conversations 

about: 

• where food comes from 

• how it grows 

• which parts of each plant are safe 

to eat 

• which parts of the plants are tasty. 

Rainbows go with everything 

As children get older, you can start 

talking about what happens to the 

colours of foods when when you 

cook or mix them. Some foods that 

aren’t very tasty alone might be more 

palatable when you mix them with 

some other colours. For example, bitter 

green leafy vegetables can be tastier if 

we combine them with sour from citrus 

or sweetness from berries. 

Cooking might make foods brighter 

or duller, and can release or change 

nutrients and bioactives. 

Colours can be used in kitchen 

science experiments – like cabbage or 

blueberries acting as natural indicators 

of acidity. 

Kids don’t need to know all the details 

to benefit from eating the rainbow, 

but talking about colours can spark 

curiosity. The rainbow is diverse, so it 

reduces the focus on individual foods, 

making healthy eating easier and more 

fun. 


Curious 

Kids 

Why do I feel happier when 

the sun is out? 

Mabli, aged 13, Barry, Wales 

That is exactly the same 

question I asked many years 

ago when I was sitting on a 

nice sunny beach, far away 

on a lovely warm island. 

I remember thinking, “Oh 

gosh, tomorrow I need to fly 

back to rainy London where 

the weather is horrible. I don’t 

want to go; the weather will 

make me unhappy.” 

I actually did some research 

into whether sunshine does 

make us happier. I’m a 

professor of economics, and 

I wanted to look at whether 

higher temperatures, more 

sunshine and less rainfall on 

a given day makes people 

happier. Happiness matters 

to economists because 

it is an important way of 

measuring quality of life. Did 

you know that the Office of 

National Statistics has been 

collecting happiness data for 

more than 10 years? 

My own research has shown 

that while sunshine matters 

as a seasonal factor, it 

doesn’t matter much whether 

it’s sunny on any given day 

here in the UK. The sunlight 

you get over the course of a 

season is what’s important. 

You may generally feel a bit 

unhappier in the winter, but 

it won’t matter much whether 

it’s a sunny or a cloudy 

winter’s day. 

Medically, exposure to 

sunlight causes your brain 

to produce the hormone 

serotonin inside your body. 

Hormones are complex 

chemicals that play an 

important role in regulating 

many of your body functions. 

Two functions that are 

affected by serotonin are 

your mood and your sleep 

quality. When you’re exposed 

to sunlight your body will 

make more serotonin, which 

can boost your mood and 

make you feel better. High 

levels of serotonin will make 

you a feeling positive and full 

of energy. 

At night, when it is dark, 

your body produces another 

hormone called melatonin. 

Melatonin helps your body 

relax and will make you 

feel tired. It’s a chemical 

produced by your body 

to prepare you for a good 

night’s sleep. A good balance 

between these two chemicals 

is very important in regulating 

your energy levels, giving 

you a good night’s rest and 

making you feel well during 

the day. 

Not enough sunshine 

However, for many people it 

is hard to balance sunlight 

with darkness. People who 

work indoors a lot, or live in 

parts of the world where it 

gets dark for a long time – 

like countries near the North 

Pole in the winter – may not 

get enough sunlight. 

There is typically 100 times 

less light in a house and 25 

times less light in an office 

when compared to a nice 

sunny day outside. This is 

why getting outside in the sun 

is a great way to get some 

exercise, enjoy the fresh air, 

and boost your mood all at 

the same time. 

People who live in places 

where there is less daylight 

are more likely to suffer from 

seasonal affective disorder 

(Sad). Sad is a type of 

depression that often occurs 

in the autumn and winter. 

People with Sad may 

experience symptoms such 

as low energy, sadness, 

sleep problems, and a 

decreased interest in 

activities they normally enjoy. 

The most common treatment 

for Sad is light therapy where 

you sit underneath bright 

artificial lights for some time. 

This mimics sunshine and will 

trick your body into creating 

serotonin. 

We need the light 

However, there is more to 

sunlight than just hormones. 

Your skin produces Vitamin 

D from sunlight and this is 

important for strong bones 

and being healthy. From April 

to September most people in 

the UK make enough Vitamin 

D from sunshine alone. In the 

winter, though, you won’t get 

enough from sunshine, which 

is why the UK government 

recommends that everyone 

should consider taking 

vitamin D supplements in the 

autumn and winter. 

There is also an evolutionary 

component. Human eyesight 

is designed for daylight. We 

don’t have good night vision 

like cats. A long time ago in 

the past, when we didn’t have 

streetlamps, long periods of 

darkness might have made 

our ancestors nervous, 

fearful, and therefore 

unhappy. And while you don’t 

have to worry about being 

eaten by a lion at night any 

more, you may still have 

some of that fear from your 

ancestors 5,000 years ago. 

Please remember that while 

sunlight can have many 

positive effects on your 

mood and health, it’s also 

important to be safe in the 

sun. This means wearing 

sunscreen, wearing a hat and 

sunglasses, and avoiding 

being in direct sunlight for 

too long. And never look at 

the sun directly. That’s super 

dangerous. 

Franz Buscha 

Professor of Economics, 

University of Westminster 

This article was first published on The 

Conversation

Motherhood 

Bites! 

Brooke Turnbull 

Aspiring author, blogger, fulltime consumer of baked goods, wife 

and now mother. Welcome to an honest account of pregnancy and 

motherhood.....well my honest account anyway! 

You can follow Brooke on Instagram @thebrookeshelves 

We recently decided to take 

a mini-break away to Cairns. 

Despite the fact that holidays 

with kids is really just often 

parenting in a new location, 

we packed up and headed to 

Palm Cove. 

It was a beautiful trip, the kids 

were as good as they could 

be in a new place, our 3 year 

old had the time of his life 

exploring and we, as parents, 

started to relax. Away from 

real life, I put away thoughts 

of who’s upcoming birthday it 

was, what to have for dinner, 

the snacks to buy for the 

week, whether my husband 

had called his mother, 

whether I had called mine. I 

just sat, sipping my wine and 

emptying my mind of all its 

thoughts. Until it was time to 

go home. 

Suddenly the weight of life 

crashed back into me with 

unexpected force. I had to 

repack the clothes (why 

weren’t they fitting in the 

suitcase like before, we 

hadn’t even bought anything!) 

I had to organise the plane 

snacks (where the heck was 

I going to put these now, with 

the cabin allowance suddenly 

so small?) 

I had to dress the kids for 

the plane (socks and warm 

onesie for the little one, 

comfortable pants, warm 

jumper and socks and shoes 

for the 3 year old, but also be 

careful of that fabric because 

he might find it itchy and start 

to fuss and disrupt everyone 

else on the plane.) 

I had to look up the bus 

timetable to the airport 

(because we’d stayed in Palm 

Cove without a car, and also, 

inexplicably, had promised 

our vehicle-mad toddler that 

we would take him on a bus). 

I had to check in our flights 

(because they were all 

booked by me, months 

before, and so had been sent 

to my email address). 

I had to comfort the baby and 

stroke the toddler’s hair at the 

airport (because apparently 

his dad doesn’t do it “proply”.) 

I had so much on my mind, 

that when it came to actually 

boarding the flight, when the 

flight attendant asked me 

a question, I looked at him 

blankly. 

“Boarding pass?” He 

repeated, watching me 

wrangle the baby and the 

clinging toddler, both of 

whose boarding passes I had 

on my phone. 

“Don’t swipe yours, just the 

toddler’s, because the infant 

is going to sit on your lap” he 

said, aiming his scanner at 

my phone and waiting. 

“Sorry?” I said, not 

understanding the instruction. 

“Just the toddler’s, not 

yours or the baby’s” he said, 

wiggling the scanner in the 

direction of my phone. 

I could see he was impatient, 


I was holding up the line. 

Mortified, I quickly opened 

the boarding pass on my 

phone and held it under 

the scanner. The buzz that 

sounded made it clear to 

me, and everyone else, that 

I had done the wrong thing. 

The flight attendant sighed 

and my husband stepped in. 

Gently taking my phone off 

me, he swiped across for my 

toddler’s boarding pass and 

got it scanned. 

“They didn’t want yours 

because of the baby.” He 

said, scanning his own 

and ushering me away 

from the flight attendant 

apologetically and, I felt, 

deeply patronisingly. Like 

I was being ushered into a 

1930’s asylum for ‘hysterical 

women’. I exploded. 

“Well, how was I supposed 

to know that?!” I yelled at my 

husband, all my anxiety and 

hackles rising to the surface. 

“He said as much,” he 

responded, looking at me 

like I had grown a second 

head (and I had, it was red 

in the face and about to bite 

someone’s arm off) before 

lifting up the toddler and 

showing him the plane. 

Effortlessly cool and calm, 

because the effort was, in 

fact, less. An older couple 

shuffled past us and gave 

him indulgent smiles. I was 

infuriated. How little he had 

to do to get a smile from 

the people who were, only 

moments before, huffing 

because I had been holding 

them up. 

It wasn’t until we had settled 

onto the plane, the kids 

buckled in, the cabin luggage 

stored, the snacks distributed, 

the electronics switched to 

aeroplane mode with shows 

downloaded, and the baby 

snuggled in and sleeping that 

I was able to, finally take a 

breath and stop wanting to 

push my husband out the 

emergency exit. 

That silent mental load really 

is an a-hole. 

So, next time you come 

across a woman who is 

perhaps a little slower with 

answering a mundane 

question, spare a thought for 

all the extra, unseen mental 

work she’s doing in order to 

answer that question properly. 

Maybe she’s solving the 

riddle of “where is the bear 

that we absolutely cannot, 

under any circumstance, 

lose because this will cause 

World War III”, or maybe 

she’s grappling with the last 

numerical value needed in 

the to code in order to cure 

cancer. We never really 

know what people are going 

through, whether they’re 

mums or not. But if she does 

have a kid or two hanging off 

her, instead of huffing, give 

her a smile, maybe a thumbs 

up and tell her she’s doing 

just fine. Sometimes it’s all we 

really need. 

45

How to keep 

your teeth 

HEALTHY 

Drink well 

Drink tap water, it is safe and protects your teeth. 

Eat well 

to keep your teeth healthy. 

Everyday drinks: tap water, 

plain milk and soy milk with 

calcium. 

Limit sometimes drinks: fruit 

juice, soft drinks, cordials, 

sports drinks, fizzy drinks, 

energy drinks, flavoured 

water, flavoured iced teas 

and flavoured milk. 

Everyday foods: fruit, vegetables, 

grains, breads and cereals, 

cheese and yoghurt and lean 

meats, chicken, fish, lentils, 

beans, tofu, eggs, nuts and 

seeds. 

Limit sometimes food: muesli 

bars, cakes, donuts, sweet 

biscuits, ice cream, chocolates, 

lollies, honey and jam. 

Clean well 

Brush your teeth morning and night. 

Brush teeth with a small, soft 

toothbrush as soon as they appear. 

From 18 months, use a small 

(pea-sized) amount of low fluoride 

toothpaste. 

Spit out toothpaste after brushing. 

Don’t swallow or eat the toothpaste. 

Stay well 

children need a 

dental check-up 

by their second 

birthday. 

Tooth decay can start as soon as teeth appear. 

Don’t wait until there is a problem. 

Your child may be eligible for free public oral 

health care. Find out more by visiting: 

www.health.qld.gov.au/oralhealth 

Reproduced with the permission of the 

NSW Centre for Oral Health Strategy and WentWest Ltd

WHEN HE’S 

UP TO DATE, 

HE’S PROTECTED. 

YOUR CHILDREN AREN’T 

FULLY PROTECTED IF THEIR 

VACCINATIONS ARE OVERDUE 

• Vaccinations are safe 

• Protects your child and others in community 

against life threatening diseases 

• If you’ve missed any, a catch-up schedule can be 

developed with your GP or immunisation provider 

TRACK THEIR VACCINATIONS 

WITH THE FREE VACCIDATE APP. 

For more information, ask your GP, 

immunisation provider or 

Vaccination Matters 

Download VacciDate 

FREE from your app store. 

Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. 

App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.

KIDSCARE 2023 VOL 28

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