KIDSCARE 2023 VOL 29

Edition 29 2023
WHY BEING A
CONSCIOUS
PARENT
MATTERS
LATE TALKING?
WHEN TO
TAKE
ACTION
HOW TO
TALK MONEY
PROBLEMS
WITH YOUR
KIDS
6 WAYS TO HELP
YOUR CHILD WRITE
WELL

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

KidsCare has gone social!
Join our community @
www.kidscaremag.com.au
Contents
Follow us @
Facebook - kidscaremag
Intagram - kidscaremagazine
MAGAZINE CONTACTS:
Editorial Content
editor@kidscaremag.com.au
Advertising Enquiries
advertise@kidscaremag.com.au
Distribution Enquiries
press@kidscaremag.com.au
Disclaimer
Kids Care Magazine is a community educational
resource and does not promote itself as a charity
or fund raising institution, nor solicit on behalf
of charities and is no way financially supported
by or associated with any government or similar
institution.
Distributions of the publication is quarterly and
are circulated via a database of interested parties,
including business, subscribers, advertisers, child
care organistations, and council library’s. A digital
eMag is distributed to a targeted database in each
State & Territory. All information published in the
Kids Care Magazine is in good faith and whilst every
effort is made to ensure that the publication is free of
error and omission, no responsibility or liability will
be accepted by Boothbook Pty Ltd.
Published by KidsCare Magazine
ABN:72 605 987 031
PP: 100023321
Health & Wellbeing
Pandemic babies behind on communication
Late talking? When to take action
Children lashing out - what can you do
Staying connected to your teen
Family Matters
How to talk money with your kids
Why being a conscious parent matters
Childcare fees - why competition doesnt mean
cheaper rates
Helping families with developmental concerns
Education
6 ways to help your child write well
How reading helps brain development
Food
Winter warming soups for those chilly nights
Curious Kids
Motherhood Bites
“A humorous account of motherhood”
Would you like your writing to be featured in our magazine,
on our webpage or shared on our social pages?
Submit your piece to the editor for consideration.
Articles should be approximately 1000 words and be
relevant to caring for kids and supporting families!
Email: editor@kidscaremag.com.au

www.childrens-week.org.au
Sponsored by

“THERE REALLY ARE
PLACES IN THE HEART YOU
DON’T EVEN KNOW EXIST
UNTIL YOU LOVE A CHILD.”
Anne Lamott
“THE THING ABOUT
PARENTING RULES IS
THERE AREN’T ANY.
THAT’S WHAT MAKES IT
SO DIFFICULT.”
Ewan McGregor
“HAVING A CHILD IS LIKE
GETTING A TATTOO ON YOUR
FACE... YOU BETTER BE
COMMITTED.”
Elizabeth Gilbert

Health & Well-Being
The world changed for all of us
when we were suddenly plunged
into a pandemic in 2020. COVID
sent us into a series of lockdowns
in a bid to control the spread of
the virus until a vaccine could be
developed.
Most of us knew that a vaccine
would be the key to our postpandemic
lives. But what about
those of us who knew nothing of
the world before COVID?
Our research group wanted to
understand what life was like for
babies born during the pandemic,
and what it might mean for their
general health and development.
In our latest paper, we found that
by age two, with the important
exception of communication,
these pandemic babies were
very similar to babies born before
the pandemic in behaviour and
development.
We followed families of babies
born in Ireland in the first three
months of the pandemic, between
March and May 2020. A total
of 354 families and their babies
visited us at six, 12 and 24 months
of age.
The visits, particularly the earlier
ones, were sometimes the only
trips the families made outside the
home. We were struck by some
babies’ wariness towards our
experienced paediatric staff, which
was often explained by comments
from parents like “she hasn’t been
out much”.
At each of the visits, we
asked the parents for lots of
information on their babies’ lives

and development by way of
questionnaires.
Usually, in a study like this, it’s
best to compare the babies to a
control group of other babies born
at the same time but without the
same challenges. As most of the
world was in lockdown, we did the
next best thing. We compared the
lockdown babies to a similar group
of babies born in Ireland before
the pandemic. This is a limitation
of our study, but there were no
comparable groups of babies
available at the same time.
Social lives and development
We found these lockdown babies
had tiny social circles. Because of
COVID restrictions, activities such
as parent and baby groups were
called off, and there were no visits
to other homes.
At six months, an average of
only three people had kissed the
babies, including their parents –
suggesting they hadn’t met many
relatives or family friends. One in
four babies had not met another
child their own age by their first
birthday.
We also asked parents what it
felt like to raise a baby during the
pandemic. Words such as “lonely”,
“isolating” and “challenging”
appeared repeatedly. Some
positive themes emerged too,
including parental bonding with
the new baby and more family time
due to the lockdown restrictions.
We looked at ten developmental
milestones at the babies’ first
birthday. Among these, fewer
pandemic babies had said their
first word, could point or wave
“bye-bye”, and slightly more
babies could crawl.
This makes sense when you think
about it. Babies were probably
hearing fewer words since they
were getting out and about less.
Also, the pandemic babies were
likely to be very familiar with their
home so there were few new

things to point to. And as parents
were working from home and
visitors didn’t generally come
to the house, there may have
been less need to learn how
to wave goodbye. It’s possible
more pandemic babies crawled
because they were more likely to
have spent more time at home
exploring.
At age two, we were interested to
see whether these developmental
differences had shifted. We
asked parents questions about
communication at this point
including whether the child could
say two or three words together
to convey an idea, whether they
could correctly point at something
when asked (for example, point at
the ball), and whether they could
follow a simple command (for
example, put the toy on the table).
The children born during the
pandemic again had slightly lower
scores in the communication
portion of the questionnaire, even
after we adjusted for factors such
as the mother’s education level
and the child’s age when the
questionnaire was completed.
But reassuringly, the pandemic
babies had similar scores to those
born before COVID in the other
developmental areas we looked at,
including motor skills and problemsolving
ability.
We were also relieved to see
no differences in reported
behaviour between pandemicborn
babies and those born
earlier. We asked parents almost
100 questions about their child’s
behaviour including about sleep
problems, anxious behaviour, how
emotionally reactive they were,
and whether they were socially
withdrawn.
What can we do?
Research groups in other countries
have also shown that babies
born shortly before or during
the pandemic had slightly lower
developmental scores.
Now that pandemic measures are
gone, it’s really important for all
babies born during the pandemic
to explore the exciting world.
Families should meet with relatives
and friends to expose their babies
to a wider range of people, and
babies should meet their peers at
play groups. We also know that
talking to babies and reading to
small children is highly beneficial.
All babies should have
developmental screening, which
is often provided by national
programmes. If families have any
particular concerns it’s important
they contact their healthcare
provider to discuss the child’s
development in more detail.
This enables early and directed
support to be provided to children
who are found to have a specific
developmental issue.
Susan Byrne
Senior Lecturer,
Department of Paediatrics
and Future Neuro,
RCSI University of Medicine
and Health Sciences
Jonathan Hourihane
Head of Paediatrics,
RCSI University of Medicine
and Health Sciences
This article was first published on
The Conversation
www.kidscaremag.com.au
9

As a speech pathologist, university lecturer and
parent of young children, I often get asked a version
of the following:
My child isn’t talking yet. Is that a problem? And is it
my fault?
There is never a simple “yes” or “no” response, as
more information is always needed. But by the end of
the conversation, I nearly always end up saying “it’s
worth looking into”.
Suzanne Meldrum
Lecturer, Speech Pathology,
Edith Cowan University
The “wait-and-see” approach for late talkers –
those who seem to be lagging behind the spoken
communication of their peers – recommended by
previous generations has shifted as we learn more
about early childhood and how intervention can help.
Who are late talkers?
Late talkers are children who do not speak by the
usual time that others are off and chattering. They
do not have a diagnosis or “primary cause” such as
autism spectrum disorder, an intellectual disability or
hearing loss.
Late talking is not an official diagnosis in the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
so clinical cut-offs vary. The most common definition
is that late talkers do not have 50 words and/or do
not use two-word combinations by two years of age.
Others believe this definition is inadequate.
Research tends to divide this population into two
categories, those children who only have issues
using words (that is, they understand words) and
those who have issues with both expression and
comprehension.
Late talking is fairly common, with 13–20% of twoyear-olds
meeting the criteria. Children are generally
assessed for late talking between two and three years
via observation by a speech pathologist and parent
reports. Parents are asked to provide details of any
speech or language disorders in the family, how their
child communicates and checklists of the words they
understand or speak.
This information is then compared to a large sample
of children, to see if they fall within the “normal range”
for the number of words they know and use.
Will my late talker grow out of it?
Around 50% of children will “out-grow” their language
difficulties. This explains why the “wait-and-see”
recommendation has been popular for many years.
But there are several problems with this approach.
Firstly, late talkers may not fully catch up. “Late
www.kidscaremag.com.au
11

loomers” have been found to underperform in
language and literacy measures in the later primary
school years and beyond. So, while a late talker may
improve, they may face ongoing but perhaps more
subtle difficulties at a later age, when language skills
are critical to academic success and socialisation.
Seeking early treatment may mitigate this risk.
Secondly, late talking can have negative impacts
for the child during their toddler years. A child who
has few words may seem frustrated, withdrawn or
aggressive. Such behaviours are more common
among late talkers, likely because they lack the words
to express feelings or wants. Parents may feel their
children’s participation in family life and school or day
care is being limited. Treatment may help the child to
catch up to their peers and/or find alternate ways to
communicate, which can improve participation.
Lastly, but most importantly, the presence of early
language difficulties is a significant risk factor for
ongoing language difficulties, often diagnosed as
developmental language disorder.
This disorder occurs in at least one in five late
talkers and can have substantial lifelong impacts
on everyday functioning. Academic performance at
school, self-esteem, mental health and employment
opportunities are all negatively associated with a
developmental language disorder diagnosis.
The tricky part is we cannot accurately predict which
late talkers will go on to develop typical language
skills, and which ones will later be diagnosed with
developmental language disorder.
What are the risk factors for ongoing language
problems?
While is no single predictor that allows us to know
for sure which children will face ongoing language
problems, potential factors include being born male,
a family history of language disorders, socioeconomic
status, low birth weight and vocabulary size (both
speaking and understanding). Disorders of speech
and language cluster in families with genetic
inheritance a significant factor.
with their children and pass on an increased
likelihood of the same traits. In most cases, not all
the children in one family will be late talkers, so the
environment may be one part of the puzzle. Parents
should feel reassured they haven’t “caused” a
language delay by speaking too little to their child.
Encouraging early talk
Speech pathologists now take an active but cautious
view: intervene rather than watch and wait.
Intervention can be very helpful, consisting of training
for parents.
Techniques can include:
recognising and encouraging the other ways a child
might be communicating (such as eye gaze, pointing,
vocalising)
following the child’s interest during play
pausing more to notice and encourage the child’s
communication
reducing frequent questioning (“What’s that?” “Who’s
talking?”)
instead, using more language when interacting, such
as describing play (“I’ve got the green playdoh. I
might make a snail”).
Importantly, a recent systematic review examined
the results from 34 different intervention studies and
found that 93% of them reported improvements in
expressive vocabulary for late talkers.
So, when I am asked if late talking is a problem, I
stress there is no evidence parents are the cause of
their children’s difficulties and there is help available.
If your child isn’t speaking as much as other children
of the same age, it’s worth looking into it.
This article was first published on The Conversation
Reading disorders such as dyslexia are often
associated with language difficulties. Other factors
often mentioned by parents, such as a history of ear
infections or having older siblings (who might “do the
talking for them”) do not increase the likelihood of
language disorder.
Socioeconomic status and how parents interact with
their children are risk factors found in research, but
they are difficult to separate from the intergenerational
impacts of language disorders. Parents with language
problems may interact or communicate differently
12 www.kidscaremag.com.au

Health & Well-Being

Everyone with young children
experiences parenting
challenges. And these are
often exacerbated by parental
exhaustion, financial or relationship
difficulties, and work stress.
My kid is
biting, hitting
and kicking.
I’m at my wit’s
end, what can I
do?
John McAloon
Senior Lecturer,
Graduate School of Health,
University of Technology Sydney
I’m a clinical child psychologist
who runs a clinic for parents
experiencing difficulty parenting
young children. One of the first
questions parents ask us is “do I
need help?”
If there is more stress than
enjoyment for you in being a
parent, or you are becoming
increasingly reactive or angry, or
struggling to find things that work
in your situation, the answer may
be “yes”.
When parents come and see us,
they might tell us their child is
kicking or biting or screaming.
Or they might say their child is
anxious, worried or reticent. They
might also say they’re getting
angry and yelling at their child.
From decades of research, we
know there is every chance we
can improve these things. And
the earlier we start, the better the
outcomes.
What is the science behind
parenting?
Parents who seek help are often
referred into evidence-based
parenting programs.
The scientific evidence shows
babies are born with a genetic
blueprint that determines who
they will become. But even
identical twins arrive with unique
temperaments – the outward
expression of who they are.
A child’s genetics and
temperament are also influenced
by their developmental
environment. From a child’s
earliest days, the experiences
they have with their parents and
carers influence much of their
social, emotional, behavioural and
cognitive development.

Parents and carers are the most
important people in their child’s
life, and their attention is hugely
reinforcing for the child – they are
built to receive it, and develop as
a result.
I do need help!
It’s important families get
assistance from someone who is
experienced and qualified to treat
parenting difficulties.
But here’s how we work with
families who are experiencing
difficulties.
1) How were you parented?
We first ask parents who come to
see us what their experience of
being parented was like.
Sometimes they tell us it wasn’t
good and now they are getting
angry just like their parents did.
Other times, we hear parents are
so determined not to be like their
parents that they have made no
rules or routine.
Sometimes we see kids who worry,
who are anxious or clingy – and
we see their parents working hard
to protect them from the things
they worry about.
When parents come to us wanting
to change their child’s behaviour,
change generally has to start with
them – and their relationship with
their child.
2) How reactive has the family
become?
We work to calm parents who
are yelling or getting angry by
teaching them ways to calm and
allocate their attention away from
things that cause them anger.
Children who see parents regulate
their emotions learn to regulate
their own emotions and are better
able to control their own behaviour.
Unregulated emotions, on the
other hand, might result in the
child hitting, biting and kicking
because they’re unable to calm
themselves down, or because
hitting, biting and kicking ensure
their parents will interact with them.
3) What are the desirable
behaviours you’d like to see?
We want to know about everything
the child does that their parents
regard as desirable.
Parents can usually identify things
they like – but sometimes they say
there is no desirable behaviour. I
don’t think I’ve ever seen a child
who only behaves badly.
Desirable might mean an anxious
child behaving without worry.
For a child who runs around
causing mayhem, desirable might
be seeing them sitting down,
concentrating on colouring in.
For a child who has meltdowns,
desirable might be whenever
parents realise the meltdown is
starting to calm.
4) How can you reward desirable
behaviour?
We ask parents to develop new
habits: we ask them to start
commenting on and responding
in “relationally rich” ways to all the
desirable things their child does.
Relationally rich means parents
use verbal, physical and facial
responses to the child’s desirable
behaviour, so it increases.
Think about a see-saw. At one
end of the see-saw is desirable
16 www.kidscaremag.com.au

Questions to consider
How were you
parented?
How reactive has the
family become?
behaviour and we want to see
that go up. At the other end is
undesirable behaviour and we
want to see that go down. We
know, for most families, if parents
increase their engagement of the
child’s desirable behaviour, it will
increase.
If you’re concerned about a
child in your family, start by
discussing getting assistance.
This might be from a family GP
or from a clinical psychology
practice that specialises in
parenting. Remember, if you need
assistance, consult someone who
is experienced and qualified to
provide it.
What are the desirable
behaviours you’d like to
see?
How can you reward
desirable behaviour?
This article was first published on The
Conversation

Health & Wellbeing

‘Just leave me alone!’
Why staying connected to
your teenager is tricky but
important
Elise Woodman
Social Work Researcher and Lecturer,
Australian Catholic University
Parenting teenagers can feel daunting. With
high rates of youth mental health diagnoses and
persistent messages about adolescents’ desire for
independence, parents and carers are searching for
ways to support their kids and have a relationship with
them.
Family connectedness – the sense of belonging and
closeness that can be present in families of all shapes
and sizes – can protect young people’s wellbeing and
mental health.
Feeling connected to family can provide a stable
foundation for positive development and building a
sense of self. Family connection helps young people
feel secure and supported at home as they cope with
the changes of adolescence and explore the world
and relationships around them.
But it’s not always easy to foster when the teenager in
your life says they want you to leave them alone. Here
are some ideas to try.

Pushing away but wanting connection
Our previous research involved interviews with young
people, who told us that although their words and
actions sometimes push relatives away, they need
and value time with family much more than we might
realise.
Similar research suggests young people still want
family involvement, despite sometimes sending
mixed messages. In 2020, 80% of 15–to-19 year
olds surveyed rated family relationships as very or
extremely important.
Here’s what young people told us they wanted family
to do.
1. Be present in their lives
Time with family members is important to young
people. Connections are built by being engaged with
your teenagers during the mundanity of life – while
washing the dishes together, sharing meals or driving
places.
Young people need to see you are genuinely
interested in their lives. Ask open-ended questions
and remember the important things they tell you. A
good first step is putting away your phone – yep, just
like we keep telling them to.
Do not assume changes in their mood are just due
to hormones or neurological shifts. Teenagers in our
research told us sometimes they hide away in their
bedrooms because their parents are focused on work
and not mentally present to connect with.
When life gets busy, be explicit that you value time
with them and want more of it.
If you are not living with your young person, showing
a consistent interest in their lives is crucial to
maintaining your connection.
2. Share in each other’s
interests
Common interests naturally support time together and
engaged conversations.
Ask about the things they care about. Spend time
together doing the things they enjoy – op-shopping,
hiking, watching movies. Think about ways they can
enjoy their interests at home – cook a meal or watch a
movie together.
20 www.kidscaremag.com.au

3. Value them for who
they are right now
Young people want to feel valued as an important
part of the family and have their individuality and
ideas respected.
They are used to adult opinions being valued above
their own and appreciate you taking their views
seriously and being willing to change your mind.
Our research revealed different ways to show you
respect and accept them. Young people want you
to accept their friends, notice their strengths, and
be trusted with subject and career choices. They
definitely do not want to be compared to their
siblings.
4. Balance freedom and
boundaries
For many young people, being given independence
is a sign of trust and helps them feel more connected.
Even young people recognise they can be given
too much independence and, in the long term, see
reasonable boundaries as a sign of care.
Negotiate fair boundaries with your young person,
develop mutually agreed consequences and talk
things through calmly when things do not go to plan.
You don’t have to do it alone
I often hear parents express guilt about how they
parent. But parents are not solely responsible for
family connection. Young people and the wider family
also play an important role.
Supportive relationships with siblings, extended
family and close friends extend their network of
support. You can support and encourage these
relationships with others by keeping communication
open and suggesting opportunities to spend time
together.
interdependence and a more mutually supportive
relationship.
And just like the younger stages of infancy and
childhood, this too shall pass. As teenagers move
towards adulthood, most young people will become
clearer and more expressive about how they value
you and your relationship.
This article was first published on The Conversation
Hang in there!
Do not let your idea of adolescent independence stop
you from engaging with the young people in your
life – they value staying connected with family, even if
they do not always show it.
Even if connections have become strained, most
young people will be open to new efforts to connect.
As they grow, you can think about moving towards
www.kidscaremag.com.au
21

Family Matters
How do I tell my kids we are
currently short on money –
without freaking them out?
Rachael Sharman
Senior Lecturer in Psychology,
University of the Sunshine Coast

I was a teenager during Australia’s 1990s
“recession we had to have”, and remember
clearly a friend asking his dad for some
money to go to the movies.
With equal parts frustration and resignation,
the dad explained he’d been retrenched and
wasn’t certain employment was on the horizon
in his near future. So he really didn’t have any
spare money for cinema tickets.
Rather than being scary or upsetting, as
rather clueless teenagers this felt like
something of a lightbulb moment.
Many kids learn about their parents financial
difficulties this way. Something they’ve always
been able to have is suddenly denied them.
The penny drops.
But it’s not easy talking to your kids about the
cost-of-living crunch. Many fear worrying their
kids or leaving them with a lifelong “scarcity
mindset”, where a person is forever cursed
with a feeling spending money is always
wrong.
So how can parents communicate the
financial realities to their children? And how
might the messaging be different with younger
kids versus teens?
For younger kids, keep things calm and
simple
Most primary-aged children are oblivious to
macro conditions outside their home and
immediate community. They haven’t yet
developed the ability to put sudden changes
into perspective.
The key here is not to have your own
anxieties rub off on your kids.
Children this age look to their parents as
beacons of information and will very much
mirror any fear or anxiety you express. They
may even blow things out of proportion.
Keeping things calm and simple is key.
Provide a basic explanation that things cost
money, and you don’t have as much money
as normal right now, so as a family there are
certain things you just can’t afford.
Very young children can be relentlessly
narcissistic in their outlook – this is
developmentally normal.
They might even demand you work more or
harder so they can afford their desired items
and activities. The best you can do is laugh it
off and offer to try – but explain that for now,

the kids will have to come up with
something else to do.
Consider a plan to substitute their
previous activities with free ones. For
example, explain they can’t play their
usual sport this season, but you are
going to head to the local park every
week to kick the ball around and have
a picnic instead.
Ask teens for their opinions and ideas
Depending on their intrinsic interest
in the news and understanding of
maths, finance and economics, a
sudden and unexpected drop in
finances may also come as a shock to
teenagers.
But at around 12 years of age,
children undergo somewhat of an
explosion in frontal lobe function.
Their capacity to comprehend and
process even complex information
increases quite markedly.
So teens may not only understand
your current situation, but be able to
help out.
Giving teens a “role” to play in
assisting the family builds a sense
of competence and offers a teambased
problem-solving approach to
the emotional concerns they may be
feeling. In other words, they’ll feel less
powerless.
This approach is underpinned by
what psychologists and researchers
call “self-determination theory”.
This well-studied concept posits that
most humans have an innate need to:
• experience and demonstrate
autonomy (making your own
choices, acting on your own
volition)
• competence (feeling like you’re
good at something, have
achieved something worthwhile)
• relatedness (working well
with others, especially people
important to you).
So working as a team towards a
common goal is a great way for a
family to pull together and help each
others’ mental wellbeing.
Discuss with your teens what
activities, events and items might
need to go on the backburner or be
discontinued.
And don’t forget, teens have a very
well-honed hypocrisy radar – there’s
no point suggesting they cut back on
recreational activities, for example, if
you are not willing to do the same.
Use this as an opportunity to discuss
the difference between “wants” and
“needs” and ask them to sort family
spending into those categories.
Discuss points of disagreement
calmly.
Ask your teens to brainstorm ways
to improve your financial efficiency –
and help you in doing so. They might
enjoy coming up with ideas such as
grocery shopping with a strict meal
plan in cheaper stores, looking for
specials, riding or walking to school
where possible, getting a part time
job or helping out with childcare.
Rather than fixating on what we
have to go without, work with your
teenagers to come up with proactive
ideas on what you can do differently.
Frame it as working together to
achieve the same aim.
Teach your kids there can be
challenges in life, but how you go
about managing them is the key. This
will help them develop into resilient
adults.
This article was first published on The
Conversation
24 www.kidscaremag.com.au

Guidelines for physical
activity during pregnancy
Being active during pregnancy is safe and has health benefits for you and
your baby. It can reduce the risk of some pregnancy-related problems,
and supports a healthy pregnancy.
DO
REMEMBER
Aerobic activities
10
MIN
Muscle strengthening
activities
Drink plenty
of water
Short bursts of
activity work
Pelvic floor exercises
Any physical activity
is better than none
Avoid heat stress/
hyperthermia
If you have a healthy pregnancy, and you were active before pregnancy,
you can continue exercising.
If you were inactive before pregnancy, start slowly and build up your activity.
During your pregnancy aim to:
Be active on most, if not all, days of the week.
Do 30 to 60 minutes of moderate intensity activity
or 15 to 30 minutes of vigorous intensity activity.
Do muscle strengthening activities on at least 2 days
each week.
Break up long periods of sitting and standing still.
Do pelvic floor exercises.
If you have complications, seek advice from a health professional before being active.
For more information go to health.gov.au

Family Matters
Most parents don’t
pick a parenting
style. But that’s
why being a
‘conscious parent’
matters
Cher McGillivray
Assistant Professor
Psychology Department,
Bond University

The program Parental Guidance has been showing on
Channel 9 this month. This is the second season of
the show that pits 12 sets of parents with very different
parenting styles against each other to work out which is
“best”.
This year, for example, there is a couple who use
“American-style” parenting, pushing their young daughter
to excel in a range of academic and sporting pursuits. Then
there are parents who adopt an “unstructured style”, which
prioritises a child’s own decisions and mental health over
“conventional measures of success”.
But do most parents actively pick a parenting style? What
should you think about when it comes to how you parent?
Approaches to parenting
The way you parent does matter. Research shows
parenting is one of the greatest contributors to child and
adolescent development and wellbeing.
Most parenting approaches fall under one of four main
approaches:
1. neglectful:
these parents do not show enough love or interest in
the child, or set boundaries around behaviour. The
2023 Australian Childhood Maltreatment Study found
about 8.9% of surveyed Australians aged over 16 had
experienced neglect as children. Parental neglect can
result in a child who does not have the ability to regulate
their own emotions, has poor self-esteem and relationships
difficulties.
2. permissive:
these parents are lenient, accepting, promote
psychological autonomy and avoid coercive behavioural
practices. This approach has been linked to children
lacking resilience, doing worse in school and
struggling to control their impulses.
3. authoritarian:
these parents shows little warmth and are strict.
This may result in compliance when the child
is young, but when a child is older, they may
rebel, have low self-esteem and behavioural
issues.
4. authoritative:
here, parents are warm and loving but
give their child firm boundaries. They
support their child to develop a sense of
autonomy. The parent works together
with the child to solve problems rather
than telling them or controlling them.
Research shows this leads to a
positive self-esteem.
Falling into a style
But while many parents view
parenting as central to their
lives, they often don’t make a
conscious choice about their parenting style.
They tend to fall into a style because of how they were
parented, their culture, personality, family size, education
level and religion.
For example, if you were raised by very strict parents and
it worked for you, you may seek to do this with your own
children. If you hated this, this may seek to raise to children
without a lot of rules.
Even if parents do eagerly read up on different styles
before having a child, the pressures of life, work and family
tend to see parents lack the energy to remain consistent.
They either become more permissive as a way of letting go
or become stricter to regain control.
It is important to be conscious about parenting
So, while most of us won’t actively “choose” a parenting
approach and may use combinations of approaches, it is
important to be conscious of how you are parenting.
Being a conscious parent means being mindful and aware
of who you are as a parent. This allows you you to react in
more helpful ways while ensuring your needs as a parent
are also met.
This means reflecting on your and your child’s
temperaments.
For example, if you see a young person’s disruptive
behaviour as something that is done on purpose and rude,
you will likely have a bad reaction. But if you understand
your child has an exuberant temperament, their behaviour
may become less agitating.
Or, if your parents pushed you hard to succeed
academically, you may need to adjust your definition of
“success” if you have a child with learning difficulties or
who is much more interested in sport.
Being a conscious parent also means looking after
yourself. If you are aware of your needs, you can make
sure you get the rest and recuperation you need to make
good decisions as a parent.
Be consistent but adapt
But while parenting needs to be consistent (so kids know
what to expect), this does not mean you can’t or should not
adapt your style to the circumstances.
For one thing, it will likely alter as your child grows.
Parenting a toddler or young child is very different from
parenting a teenager. Younger children can be directed
and “told” a lot more than older children. But other
circumstances also change. Your shy, clingy toddler may
become an extroverted, independent teen.
Lastly, don’t worry about what your friends (or people on
TV) are doing. Just keep thinking about what your family
needs are and how your choices are fitting in with your
parenting goals.
This article was first published on The Conversation

Family Matters
As fees keep climbing,
this is why competition
isn’t enough to deliver
cheaper childcare
Danielle Wood
Chief executive officer,
Grattan Institute

The Australian consumer watchdog is
halfway through an inquiry into childcare
prices.
The Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission’s interim report was released
on Wednesday. It comes just days after
the federal government’s increased
childcare subsidies kicked in on July 1.
This is one of two major inquiries the
federal government has commissioned on
childcare. The Productivity Commission is
also looking at how early education is set
up in Australia.
After six months on the job, the ACCC
report is full of facts and figures but short
on conclusions.
However, reading between the lines of the
146 pages, the implication is competition
alone is probably not enough to deliver
high-quality and affordable childcare for
Australian families.
Childcare markets are highly localised
The first reason for this is choice is much
more limited than it may appear. Childcare
markets are highly localised. Centres only
really compete within a 2-3km radius,
because most parents are not willing to
travel more than 15 minutes for care.
The ACCC’s survey of parents suggests
location and availability are the two most
important factors in informing where
parents chose to send their child. That’s
understandable – if you can’t find a
convenient place on the days you need,
most other considerations are moot.
But that dynamic softens the degree of
competition between centres.
The ACCC finds that affordability of care
– the out-of-pocket costs parents face
– is most important for determining how
much care parents use. But crucially, once
the decision has been made to use a
certain amount of care, price appears less
important than other factors. Indeed, price
is only fifth on the list of the things parents

consider when choosing between
centres.
The implication here is price
competition is weak. Indeed, fees
are actually higher in local markets
with more childcare services. This
is likely due to a larger number of
services in wealthier areas where
parents can afford to pay more.
Switching is costly
The second factor that softens
competition is parents rarely switch
providers.
The ACCC found 65% of parents
they surveyed had not switched
provider since 2020. One in five of
this group said the reason they did
not switch was that they didn’t want
to disrupt their children. Moving into
a new environment and building
new relationships with educators
is a barrier to moving to a betterquality
or lower-priced centre.
Quality is hard to judge
The third reason is it is hard for
parents to judge the “quality” of
childcare services.
Of course parents want to put their
children in high-quality care, but
they find it difficult to measure key
dimensions of quality, such as the
standard of the educators.
The government has tried to fill
some of the information gaps
by introducing National Quality
Standards, but the ACCC found
parents do not place emphasis on
these – probably because many are
unaware of them.
Fees have risen
One trigger for this ACCC inquiry
was the increases in childcare
centres’ fees – something that has
been costly not only for parents and
but also governments (who pick up
an average of 60% of the fee for
centre-based care via the childcare
subsidy).
The ACCC shows between 2018
and 2022 childcare fees – the total
amount charged – increased across
childcare service types by between
20% and 32%. Government
subsidises have reduced the impact
of these rises on parents, with outof-pocket
expenses for childcare
growing at a slower rate.
It is not surprising childcare costs
tend to grow faster than inflation.
That’s because childcare is highly
labour intensive with limited scope
for productivity gains. But the
ACCC’s analysis show fees have
also grown faster than wages over
the past five years.
These high fees hurt everyone, but
particularly low-income households.
The ACCC’s analysis shows outof-pocket
expenses as a share of
disposable income were higher
on average for households in the
bottom 10% of income earners,
despite the higher subsidy for this
group.
Follow the money
The interim report flags the most
important part of the ACCC’s work is
yet to come – understanding where
the money is going.
The childcare market is highly
diverse, with different models
of care, and centres run by
government, for-profit and notfor-profit
providers. Many people
struggle to understand how
childcare can simultaneously cost
so much for governments and
parents, while its workers are paid
so little.
Some in the industry are making
good money. As articles in the
financial media regularly remind us,
it is a market where private equity
and commercial property investors
see attractive returns relative to the
risks.
In the next phase of its inquiry, the
ACCC will examine costs, profits,
and quality across the sector. If
there are excess profits being
made, I’m confident the ACCC will
find them.
This next stage of the inquiry will
also inform whether the ACCC
recommends stronger price
regulation for the sector. This interim
report is treading softly, but it looks
like this is where the ACCC is
heading.
The final report is due by December
31.
This article was first published on The Conversation

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

Family Matters
More children than ever are struggling
with developmental concerns.
We need to help families connect and
thrive
Early childhood has received a great deal of
attention in recent weeks, as Australia has sought to
understand ways to relieve the cost pressures on the
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
The NDIS independent review has released its interim
report, which noted many more young children with
developmental concerns were entering the scheme
than was ever anticipated when it began ten years
ago.
A common explanation is the lack of services
available to children with developmental concerns
outside of the NDIS, making the scheme the “only
lifeboat in the ocean”. This is accurate, and there
is near universal recognition that families need
accessible options broader than just the NDIS to seek
support for their child.
However, less attention has been paid to another
possibility: that there are actually more children than
ever before who are struggling with developmental
difficulties.
Early childhood development in Australia
Early childhood is generally considered to be the
period from birth to entry into primary school –
32 www.kidscaremag.com.au

typically around five years of age in Australia.
Early childhood is a critical period of rapid growth
and development in a child’s life. The skills and
security that children are provided in these years lay
the foundations for health and wellbeing that impact
their whole life.
Recent data shows signs Australian children may be
experiencing developmental concerns at a greater
rate than before.
The Australian Early Development Census of more
than 300,000 children entering primary school found
slightly fewer children were “developmentally on
www.kidscaremag.com.au
track” in all areas of development – down from 55.4%
in 2018 to 54.8% in 2021. At a time when Australia
has never been wealthier, any backward shift in child
development is a cause for concern.
It is also not just the NDIS that is receiving increased
referrals for child developmental concerns. Health
systems in states and territories have recently
experienced unprecedented demand for child
development services, leading to wait lists up to two
years long.
While interpreting population-wide trends is an
inherently complex task, this is clear circumstantial
33

evidence Australian children are struggling more than
ever before.
Decades of research has identified ingredients that
can help promote optimal child development. These
“protective” factors provide a roadmap for how we
can support children and families during the early
years.
Society has experienced significant change
over past decades, and there is evidence these
environmental changes have weakened some of the
protective factors that support children during early
development. Parents are under pressure, and they
need help.
Weakening of protective factors in early childhood
Children learn best in the early years through
a combination of play, exploration and social
interaction. Critically, the conditions that enable this
learning are created by the relationship between
the child and the community around them, primarily
parents and carers.
In supporting children’s development, parents’ most
valuable commodities are time, attention and energy.
But these commodities are also finite – if they are
spent in one place, then they must be taken away
from somewhere else.
The changes we have experienced as a society over
the previous decades have put particular pressure on
these commodities.
While parents are spending more time than ever
with their children, they are spending no less time in
paid employment. The creation of increasingly busy
households negatively impacts parents’ stress and
mood, which can change the family environment and
the quality of parent-child interactions.
Further impacting this is the rise of digital technology,
such as smart phones. The now ubiquitous use of
smartphones means that when parents are engaged
with their child – for example, play, mealtimes and
bedtime routines – they are also often expected (or
feel compelled) to be available to friends and work
colleagues.
The divided attention this creates has been found
to decrease the quality of, and time for, parent-child
interaction, with potential flow-on effects on child
language development and behaviour.
Connectedness to community is one other protective
34 www.kidscaremag.com.au

factor for families, linking families to broader support
as well as a sense of belonging. This is particularly
true for families experiencing social disadvantage
or who have a child with developmental disabilities.
However, there is increasing evidence within
Australia, as with other Western nations, that social
contact between people is declining, which weakens
the power of this protective factor.
Rebuilding protective factors
In the short-term, we are unlikely to reverse trends in
parental employment or digital technology use. There
is also an argument that we shouldn’t seek to do so.
Work can provide families with increased financial
security, and parents with a sense of purpose and
belonging outside of the demands of parenting.
Digital technology has also created significant
benefits to the community, including social
connectedness through an online environment.
However, we must also start the process of building
back these protective factors for families. Parents and
families are doing all they can to create safe harbours
within their own home. But we must do more to help
parents undertake their most important role in a more
supportive ecosystem.
Part of the solution is empowering parents with the
knowledge of the importance of play, exploration and
social interaction in child development.
Parents want to find every way possible to support
their child. Helping parents understand the key
ingredients of child development, and their critical
role in creating the time and space for those activities,
is a vital first step towards this goal.
But we must also build systems that meet the modern
demands of parenting and child development. These
would include employment systems that recognise
the importance of the quality of family time, not just
the quantity of it. And education systems that build
communities from birth, not just from age five. The
restructuring of health systems to support families
within communities, rather than take families out
of them. Finally, economic systems that financially
support parents to connect with young children,
rather than financially disadvantaging those who do.
Society has changed, and unless we change too, our
children will get left behind.
Andrew Whitehouse
Bennett Chair of Autism, Telethon Kids Institute,
The University of Western Australia
This article was first published on The Conversation

Education
From shopping lists to
jokes on the fridge –
6 ways parents can help
their primary kids learn to
write well
Anabela Malpique
Senior Lecturer,
Edith Cowan University
Deborah Pino Pasternak
Associate Professor in early Childhood
Education and Community,
University of Canberra
Debora Valcan
Murdoch University
Susan Ledger
Professor Susan Ledger,
Head of School - Dean of Education,
University of Newcastle, NSW.,
University of Newcastle

1.Getyour dstow riteforareasonItdoesn’tmaterhowsmalthetaskis .Encouragingchild rentowriteforaclearpurposeiskey.Itcanbeasimpleremindernote,amesagetogoinsomeone’slunchbox,ashopinglistorabirthdaycard.2.W ritetogethe rforfunEncouragefamilyactivitiesthatmakewritingfun.Createjokes,ridles,stories,rhyminglists,andanythingelseyoucanthinkof!3. isplayw ritingdoneinthefamilyUsethefridge,familynoticeboardorcalendar.Thishowschildrenhowritingworksinourlivesandhowimportantitisandhowitisvalued.4. dstoreadyou irwritingAskchildrentoreadtheirwritingaloud.Thishowsyourkidsyouareinterestedinwhatheyaredoing.Also,whenchildrenreadtheirwritenworkaloud,theywilinevitablynoticesomemis takes(soit ’slik erevis ingtheirwork).5. agingWhenworkingonwritingskilswithyourchild,makesureyouarepositive.Youcouldsaythingsuchas,“Inoticedthatyourealyfocusedonyourwriting”or“Irealylik ehowyoused[thatword]”.Alsorecogniseanyprogresintheirwritingeforts,“Inoticedthatyoucheckedyourcapitaleters”.6. tscho olTalktoyourchild’steacheraboutwhatyouaredoingathomeandaskforsugestionsaboutwhatyourchildnedstofurtherdeveloptheirwritingskils.This The ConversationEducationEducationFr om ents elp
ellLearninghowtobeaconfidentandcomunicativewriterisoneofthemostimportantskilstudentslearnatschol.ButNAPLANresultshowasignificantdeclineinAustralianstudents’writingperformance.Researchfortheperiodto2018,showsyearninestudentsperformednearly1.5yearsbehindtheaveragestudentin201.Internationalstudieshavealsoraisedconcernsaboutstudents’writingperformance,stresingthenedtolearnmoreabouthowritingistaughtinprimaryschols.So,whatishapeninginAustralianprimaryclasroms?Andwhatcanparentsdotohelptheirchildrenlearntowriteathome?OurnewresearchIn2020,wesurveyed310primaryteachersaroundAustralia.Throughanonlinequestionaire,weaskedteachersabouthetimechildrenspentwritingintheirclasromsandwhatypesofactivitiestheydidtoteachwriting.Whilethishasbenstudiedathestatelevel,thisisthefirstnationalsurveyinAustraliaboutheteachingofwritingtoprimarystudents.Whilenoclasromisthesame,theAustralianEducationResearchOrganisationrecomendsprimarystudentshouldspendatleastonehourperday–or30minutes(fivehours)awek–doingwritingactivitiesandbeingtaughtwriting.Mosteachersinoursurveysaidtheirstudentsusualyspentabouthrehoursawekonwritingactivitiesintheirclasroms.Butresponsesvariedconsiderably,withsometeachersreportingonly15minutesofwritingpracticeperwekandothersreporting7.5hoursperwek.Mosteacherspentmoretimeteachingspeling(about8minutes)thananyotherwritingskil.Theyspentanaverageof34minutesteachinghandwriting,1minutesteachingtyping,35minutesteachingplaningstrategies,and42minutesteachingchildrenstrategiestorevisetheirtexts.Whilethedevelopmentofspelingskilsisobviouslyimportant,thelackofatentiongiventoplaningandreviewingapieceofwritingisconcerning.Researchshowschildrenwhoplanandrevisetheirtextsendupwritingmuchigherqualitypiecesofwriting.However,studiesalsoshowthatunleschildrenaretaughthowtodothis,theyrarelydoit.Howmucharefamiliesaskedtohelp?Inoursurvey,weaskedteachersaboutheuseof20diferentstrategiesforteachingwriting.Butstrategiestopromotewritingathomewithparentalsuportweretheleastreported.Almost65%ofteacherswesurveyedneveraskedstudentstowriteathomewiththesuportofafamilymember.Meanwhileabout7%saidtheyrarely(onceayear)orneveraskedparentsorcarerstoreadtheirchildren’swritenwork.Thisisconcerningasresearchshowsparentalinvolvementhelpschildrenbuildtheirwritingskils.So,ourfindingshowanedforteachersandfamiliestoworktogethermore.Aswelasthenedtoprovidefamilieswithmoreguidanceaboutwhatheycandotosuportchildrenasdevelopingwriters.Whatcanfamiliesdo?Ifyouwantodomoretohelpyourchildlearntowriteandwritewel,therearemanythingsyoucandoinyoureverydaylifeathome.Herearesomerecomendationstoconsider:Anabela alpique Senior ctur
,EdithCowanUniversityDebor ah asternakAsociateProfesorinearlyChildhodEducationandComunity,Univ
anberr aDebor
alc anMurdochUniversitySusanLedgerPr of
sor dger ,He
ation,
W.,Univ
wc astle
D
Bencour Takethe initiativea NS par V
way
of Pino S
of shopping article Ecan School primary C
Ne the PM
hfridge was - De lists kids first – le published on

Education
Poverty is linked to poorer
brain development –
but reading can help
counteract it
Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian
Professor of Clinical
Neuropsychology,
University of Cambridge
Christelle Langley
Postdoctoral Research Associate,
Cognitive Neuroscience,
University of Cambridge
Jianfeng Feng
Professor of Science and
Technology for Brain-Inspired
Intelligence,
Fudan University
Yun-Jun Sun
Postdoctoral Fellow,
Institute of Science and
Technology for Brain-Inspired
Intelligence (ISTBI),
Fudan University

EducationEducationPovertyislinkedtoporerbr ain elopment but eading count
act itEarlychildhodisacriticalperiodforbraindevelopment,whichisimportantforbostingcognitionandmentalwelbeing.Godbrainhealthathisageisdirectlylinkedtobetermentalheath,cognitionandeducationalatainmentinadolescenceandadulthod.Itcanalsoprovideresilienceintimesofstres.But,sadly,braindevelopmentcanbehamperedbypoverty.Studieshaveshownthatearlychildhodpovertyisariskfactorforlowereducationalatainment.Itisalsoasociatedwithdiferencesinbrainstructure,porercognition,behaviouralproblemsandmentalhealthsymptoms.Thishowsjusthowimportantitistogivealchildrenanequalchanceinlife.Butuntilsufficientmeasuresaretakentoreduceinequalityandimproveoutcomes,ournewstudy,publishedinPsychologicalMedicine,showsonelow-costactivitythatmayatleastcounteractsomeofthenegativefectsofpovertyonthebrain:readingforpleasure.WealthandbrainhealthHigherfamilyincomeinchildhodtendstobeasociatedwithigherscoresonasesmentsoflanguage,workingmemoryandtheprocesingofsocialandemotionalcues.Researchashownthathebrain’souterlayer,caledthecortex,hasalargersurfaceareandisthickerinpeoplewithighersocioeconomicstatusthaninporerpeople.Beingwealthyhasalsobenlinkedwithavingmoregreymater(tisueintheouterlayersofthebrain)inthefrontalandtemporalregions(situatedjustbehindthears)ofthebrain.Andweknowthatheseareasuporthedevelopmentofcognitiveskils.Theasociationbetwenwealthandcognitionisgreatestinthemosteconomicalydisadvantagedfamilies.Amongchildrenfromlowerincomefamilies,smaldiferencesinincomeareasociatedwithBarbaraJacquelynSahakianProfesorofClinicalNeuropsychology,UniversityofCambridgeChristeleLangleyPostdoctoralResearchAsociate,CognitiveNeuroscience,UniversityofCambridgeJianfengFengProfesorofScienceandTechnologyforBrain-InspiredInteligence,FudanUniversityYun-JunSunPostdoctoralFelow,InstituteofScienceandTechnologyforBrain-InspiredInteligence(ISTBI),FudanUniversity
dev
can – help

elatively large differences in surface area. Among
children from higher income families, similar income
increments are associated with smaller differences in
surface area.
Importantly, the results from one study found that
when mothers with low socioeconomic status were
given monthly cash gifts, their children’s brain
health improved. On average, they developed more
changeable brains (plasticity) and better adaptation
to their environment. They also found it easier to
subsequently develop cognitive skills.
Our socioeconomic status will even influence our
decision-making. A report from the London School of
Economics found that poverty seems to shift people’s
focus towards meeting immediate needs and threats.
They become more focused on the present with little
space for future plans - and also tended to be more
averse to taking risks.
It also showed that children from low socioeconomic
background families seem to have poorer stress
coping mechanisms and feel less self-confident.
But what are the reasons for these effects of poverty on
the brain and academic achievement?
Ultimately, more research is needed to fully understand
why poverty affects the brain in this way. There are
many contributing factors which will interact. These
include poor nutrition and stress on the family caused
by financial problems. A lack of safe spaces and good
facilities to play and exercise in, as well as limited
access to computers and other educational support
systems, could also play a role.
Reading for pleasure
There has been much interest of late in levelling up. So
what measures can we put in place to counteract the
negative effects of poverty which could be applicable
globally?
Our observational study shows a dramatic and
positive link between a fun and simple activity –
reading for pleasure in early childhood – and better
cognition, mental health and educational attainment in
adolescence.
We analysed the data from the Adolescent Brain and
Cognitive Development (ABCD) project, a US national
cohort study with more than 10,000 participants across
different ethnicities and and varying socioeconomic
status. The dataset contained measures of young
adolescents ages nine to 13 and how many years
they had spent reading for pleasure during their early
childhood. It also included data on their cognitive,
mental health and brain health.
About half of the group of adolescents starting reading
early in childhood, whereas the other, approximately
half, had never read in early childhood, or had begun
reading late on.
We discovered that reading for pleasure in
early childhood was linked with better scores on
comprehensive cognition assessments and better
educational attainment in young adolescence. It was
also associated with fewer mental health problems and
less time spent on electronic devices.
Our results showed that reading for pleasure in
early childhood can be beneficial regardless of
socioeconomic status. It may also be helpful regardless
of the children’s initial intelligence level. That’s because
the effect didn’t depend on how many years of
education the children’s parents had had – which is our
best measure for very young children’s intelligence (IQ
is partially heritable).
We also discovered that children who read for pleasure
had larger cortical surface areas in several brain
regions that are significantly related to cognition and
mental health (including the frontal areas). Importantly,
this was the case regardless of socioeconomic status.
The result therefore suggests that reading for pleasure
in early childhood may be an effective intervention to
counteract the negative effects of poverty on the brain.
While our current data was obtained from families
across the United States, future analyses will include
investigations with data from other countries – including
developing countries, when comparable data become
available.
So how could reading boost cognition exactly?
It is already known that language learning, including
through reading and discussing books, is a key factor
in healthy brain development. It is also a critical
building block for other forms of cognition, including
executive functions (such as memory, planning and
self-control) and social intelligence.
Because there are many different reasons why poverty
may negatively affect brain development, we need a
comprehensive and holistic approach to improving
outcomes. While reading for pleasure is unlikely, on its
own, to fully address the challenging effects of poverty
on the brain, it provides a simple method for improving
children’s development and attainment.
Our findings also have important implications for
parents, educators and policy makers in facilitating
reading for pleasure in young children. It could, for
example, help counteract some of the negative effects
on young children’s cognitive development of the
COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.
This article was first published on The Conversation
40 www.kidscaremag.com.au

40w.kidscaremag.com.auhalf,hadnevereadinearlychildhod,orhadbegunreadinglateon.Wediscoveredthatreadingforpleasureinearlychildhodwaslinkedwithbeterscoresoncomprehensivecognitionasesmentsandbetereducationalatainmentinyoungadolescence.Itwasalsoasociatedwithfewermentalhealthproblemsandlestimespentonelectronicdevices.Ouresultshowedthatreadingforpleasureinearlychildhodcanbebeneficialregardlesofsocioeconomicstatus.Itmayalsobehelpfulregardlesofthechildren’sinitialinteligencelevel.That’sbecausethefectdidn’tdependonhowmanyearsofeducationthechildren’sparentshadhad–whichisourbestmeasureforveryoungchildren’sinteligence(IQispartialyheritable).Wealsodiscoveredthatchildrenwhoreadforpleasurehadlargercorticalsurfaceareasinseveralbrainregionsthataresignificantlyrelatedtocognitionandmentalhealth(includingthefrontalareas).Importantly,thiswasthecaseregardlesofsocioeconomicstatus.Theresulthereforesugeststhatreadingforpleasureinearlychildhodmaybeanefectiveinterventiontocounteracthenegativefectsofpovertyonthebrain.WhileourcurentdatawasobtainedfromfamiliesacrostheUnitedStates,futureanalyseswilincludeinvestigationswithdatafromothercountries–includingdevelopingcountries,whencomparabledatabecomeavailable.Sohowcouldreadingbostcognitionexactly?Itisalreadyknownthatlanguagelearning,includingthroughreadingandiscusingboks,isakeyfactorinhealthybraindevelopment.Itisalsoacriticalbuildingblockforotherformsofcognition,includingexecutivefunctions(suchasmemory,planingandself-control)andsocialinteligence.Becausetherearemanydiferentreasonswhypovertymaynegativelyafectbraindevelopment,wenedacomprehensiveandholisticaproachtoimprovingoutcomes.Whilereadingforpleasureisunlikely,onitsown,tofulyadresthechalengingefectsofpovertyonthebrain,itprovidesasimplemethodforimprovingchildren’sdevelopmentandatainment.Ourfindingsalsohaveimportantimplicationsforparents,educatorsandpolicymakersinfacilitatingreadingforpleasureinyoungchildren.Itcould,forexample,helpcounteractsomeofthenegativefectsonyoungchildren’scognitivedevelopmentoftheCOVID-19pandemiclockdowns.This TODATE,HE’SPROTECTED.ApleandtheAplelogoaretrademarksofApleInc.,registeredintheU.S.andothercountries.ApStoreisaservicemarkofApleInc.DownloadVaciDateFREfromyourapstore.Formoreinformation,askyourGP,imunisationproviderorVacinationMaters
article was first published Conversationrelativelylargediferencesinsurfacearea.Amongchildrenfromhigherincomefamilies,similarincomeincrementsareasociatedwithsmalerdiferencesinsurfacearea.Importantly,theresultsfromonestudyfoundthatwhenmotherswithlowsocioeconomicstatusweregivenmonthlycashgifts,theirchildren’sbrainhealthimproved.Onaverage,theydevelopedmorechangeablebrains(plasticity)andbeteradaptationtotheirenvironment.Theyalsofounditeasiertosubsequentlydevelopcognitiveskils.Oursocioeconomicstatuswileveninfluenceourdecision-making.AreportfromtheLondonScholofEconomicsfoundthatpovertysemstoshiftpeople’sfocustowardsmetingimediatenedsandthreats.Theybecomemorefocusedonthepresentwithlitlespaceforfutureplans-andalsotendedtobemoreaversetotakingrisks.Italsoshowedthatchildrenfromlowsocioeconomicbackgroundfamiliesemtohaveporerstrescopingmechanismsandfeleself-confident.Butwhatarethereasonsforthesefectsofpovertyonthebrainandacademicachievement?Ultimately,moreresearchisnededtofulyunderstandwhypovertyafectsthebraininthisway.Therearemanycontributingfactorswhichwilinteract.Theseincludepornutritionandstresonthefamilycausedbyfinancialproblems.Alackofsafespacesandgodfacilitiestoplayandexercisein,aswelaslimitedacestocomputersandothereducationalsuportsystems,couldalsoplayarole.ReadingforpleasureTherehasbenmuchinterestoflateinlevelingup.Sowhatmeasurescanweputinplacetocounteracthenegativefectsofpovertywhichcouldbeaplicableglobaly?Ourobservationalstudyshowsadramaticandpositivelinkbetwenafunandsimpleactivity–readingforpleasureinearlychildhod–andbetercognition,mentalhealthandeducationalatainmentinadolescence.WeanalysedthedatafromtheAdolescentBrainandCognitiveDevelopment(ABCD)project,aUSnationalcohortstudywithmorethan10,0participantsacrosdiferentethnicitiesandandvaryingsocioeconomicstatus.Thedatasetcontainedmeasuresofyoungadolescentsagesnineto13andhowmanyearstheyhadspentreadingforpleasureduringtheirearlychildhod.Italsoincludedataontheircognitive,mentalhealthandbrainhealth.Abouthalfofthegroupofadolescentstartingreadingearlyinchildhod,whereastheother,aproximatelyAuthorisedbytheQuenslandGovernment,WiliamSt,Brisbane.YOURCHILDRENAREN’TFULYPROTECTEDIFTHEIRVACINATIONSAREOVERDUE•Vacinationsaresafe•Protectsyourchildandothersincomunityagainstlifethreateningdiseases•Ifyou’vemisedany,acatch-upschedulecanbedevelopedwithyourGPorimunisationproviderTRACKTHEIRVACINATIONSWITHTHEFREVACIDATEAP.WHENHE’SUP

Winter Warming S
VEGGIE LENTIL SOUP
Ingredients
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 medium carrot, diced
1 medium potato, diced
1 medium parsnip, peeled and diced
1 stick celery, diced
125g red lentils
6 cups chicken stock* or water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 or 3 sprigs parsley, chopped
Method
Saute onion and garlic in a large pot with a little water until
onion is translucent.
Add carrot, potato, parsnip and celery and cook for a further
5 minutes.
Stir in lentils, stock and tomato paste. Bring to the boil, cover
and simmer for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When lentils and vegetables are just cooked, add parsley.
ASIAN NOODLE SOUP
Ingredients
4 cups chicken stock
¼ Chinese cabbage, finely sliced
1 small red chilli, finely sliced (optional)
2 tablespoons coriander, chopped
1 bunch bok choy, shredded
1 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped
2 tablespoons reduced-salt soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
125g Hokkien egg noodles, cooked
1 cup skinless chicken, cooked and shredded
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1 spring onion, sliced
Method
Combine stock and cabbage in a large pot and bring to the
boil.
Simmer over gentle heat for 5 minutes or until tender.
Add chilli, coriander, bok choy, ginger and sauces.
Divide hot noodles and chicken between 4 deep serving
bowls.
Ladle soup mixture over noodles, add bean sprouts and
garnish with spring onion.

oups
Cold nights and steaming bowls of hearty soup is what
winter is all about. Take advantage of the cooler weather to
experiment with different pulses and beans to add variety
and flavour to your winter soup recipes!
HEARTY MINESTRONE SOUP
Ingredients
CLASSIC PUMPKIN SOUP
Ingredients
1 medium brown onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
425g can crushed tomatoes
300g can four bean mix, rinsed and drained
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
2 sticks celery, sliced
1 large parsnip, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
4 cups beef stock*
2 cups water
½ cup small pasta*
6 Brussel sprouts, finely sliced or 1 cup sliced cabbage
Method
Cook onion and garlic in a large pot with a little water until
onion is translucent.
Add tomato, carrot, celery, parsnip, tomato paste, bay leaf,
beef stock and water.
Bring to the boil, add the pasta and simmer for 15 minutes or
until tender.
Add Brussel sprouts and beans.
Cook for a further 5 minutes.
1 medium brown onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
750g pumpkin, peeled and cubed
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock*
¼ cup low-fat natural yoghurt
Method
Heat oil in a large pot and cook onion and garlic over low
heat until onion is translucent.
Add pumpkin, potato and stock and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until pumpkin is
tender.
Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Puree in a blender until smooth.
Add yoghurt to serve.
Tips: If the soup is too thick add a little low-fat milk to make
desired consistency.

Curious
Kids
What happens if you don’t get
enough sleep?
Hedya, age 11, Australia
This is a really good
question Hedya, because it
makes us think about how
important sleep is. Actually,
sleep is one of the most
important things we do.
While you were sleeping …
When we sleep our bodies
are really doing quite a lot of
work. In the first few hours,
we go into a very deep
sleep. That’s when our body
is resting and repairing. It’s
when we fill up our energy
stores for the next day.
active, want to do things, or
get excited about things.
No wonder a lack of sleep
can make us grumpy and
irritable.
If we don’t get enough
REM sleep, it makes it
harder to concentrate and
learn. It makes it harder
to remember school work
from one day to the next. All
these things make it harder
to do well in school.
So having the right amount
of sleep is really important.
How about if I have a few
bad nights?
If we don’t get good sleep
on one night or two, we
can probably catch up.
Our bodies and brains will
recover and we will be fine.
But if we don’t have enough
sleep or not good quality
sleep for a long time, that’s
different. As sleep controls
so many aspects of our
health, this can really mess
with our bodies and brains.
We are more likely to fail
a year at school, put on
weight, become depressed
and get pretty sick for a
long time, just to name a
few examples.
So it’s really best to set up
good sleep patterns early in
life so that doesn’t happen
to us.
At different times of the
night, we also have a lot of
lighter sleep. This includes
something called “rapid
eye movement” sleep or
REM sleep. That’s when
someone’s eyes flicker and
move, even when shut.
During this type of sleep,
we dream. Our brain is very,
very active. It’s busy sorting
and organising information,
storing memories and even
working out problems.
So there’s a lot of really
important things that go on
when we sleep.
How much is enough sleep?
Not everybody needs
exactly the same amount
of sleep. But people who
study sleep, like me, think
someone in your age group,
Hedya, usually needs
between nine and 11 hours
a night.
We also need good quality
sleep. This means it needs
to be restful, without too
much waking up at night.
It also means we need to
make sure we go to bed
and wake up around the
same times every day.
So what happens if we don’t
sleep?
The first most obvious thing
that happens when we don’t
sleep is we get sleepy.
When we don’t get enough
rest, it’s also harder to be
44 www.kidscaremag.com.au
Sarah Blunden
Professor and Head of
Paediatric Sleep Research,
CQUniversity Australia
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
It’s that time of year again for
us. The approaching birthday
of our oldest child.
This always brings a lot
of emotions. Genuine,
bittersweet sadness at
the quickly passing years;
excitement as we plan and
imagine how he’ll react to
the presents and surprises;
and dread. Honest to God,
transcendental, utter dread.
Not for his birthday, or the
existential realisation that all
too soon he will be heading
out into the world as an
adult and ready to take on
those responsibilities (he’s
four, this is a while away
but lets not let reality
get in the way of the
hyperbole). It’s
the dread of the
birthday party.
More specifically,
the dread of the
daycare birthday
party.
You see, we have been lucky
enough that from the time of
Mr Four’s birth we have been
surrounded by friends who
all have kids the same age.
All born within 6 months of
each other, he’s grown up with
these little friends by his side.
But they all go to different
daycares.
So, of course, he’s made other
little friends at his school.
Several of them. Many of
whose names I do not know,
and who I definitely couldn’t
pick out of a line up.
You see, I’m one of those
daycare mums. You know…
the bad ones. The ones who
can’t remember the names
of the other parents, or their
children (except to say that
their kid was absolutely the
one that caused the outbreak
of Hand Foot and Mouth and
thanks very much for that).
The ones that bring a *gasp*
store bought plate to the
celebration days (ensuring
that it’s gluten, nut, dairy,
sugar, egg and avocado free
of course, I’m not a monster).
The ones that essentially the
other daycare mums steer
clear of.
We try and band together,
at least, us bad mums.
Passing each
other at drop off
and mouthing
the “F” word
at each other
as we attempt
to corral our
children into the
room with several
screaming and
crying children being lovingly
coddled by several people,
kissing our progeny quickly
and running away before
much of a scene can be
caused.
Us bad daycare mums
remember a time of
McDonald’s parties and play
centre hot dogs, when you
could turn your back on your
child and let them fall off a
high beam onto a soft surface
www.kidscaremag.com.au
and not immediately be
judged for not watching
your child like an absolute
Apache helicopter.
So daycare parties are…a lot.
There’s the usual catering to
dietary requirements, which
is never any problem, then
there’s attempting to find a
place where all children and
their smaller siblings aren’t
going to fall and break an arm
while attempting to cross a
rope bridge, which is a mildly
harder problem to overcome.
But most of all, there’s the
conversation. For two whole
hours, you’re stuck with
people that you have only
murmured to in passing “It’s a
bit nippy out,” no matter how
seasonable the day outside.
For two whole hours you have
to find a way to tell amusing
and entertaining anecdotes to
these cardigan wearing, pearl
clutching, yes parents about
how you shouted at your
child, but not in a “let’s
all call Child Services
way” and more of
a “just enough to
make them funny”
way.
You spend hours
talking about nap times of
the younger sibling, school
choices for the oldest, the
weather lately, what does
everyone do with their spare
time (other than wrangle tiny
dictators from one activity to
the other, only to have those
same dictators declare what
an awful day they had).
It is the
absolute
worst. But
I’ve found
a hack. A
secret weapon to
get you through this
event that ensures you all
leave satisfied and happy.
Here it is. Find some common
ground.
We all know that this is the
essence of being able to
connect with someone else.
And you know what all of us
connect over? To borrow
a tired cliche, it is a truth
universally acknowledged
that all kids (yes, Karen, even
yours) are a**s. Loveable,
adorable, hilarious little
buggers.
As soon as you can all
acknowledge it, understand it
and laugh about it, the pearl
clutching lessens, the
cardigans tie around
waists instead and
true connection
begins. And, look,
alternatively, when
all else fails, invite
as many of the
bad mums as
you can. You can
almost guarantee
one will turn up with
a pitcher of margaritas
and a deck chair, ready to
make the most of two hours
where they can let their
(mostly supervised) kid run
wild on jelly snakes and cake.
That’s when the real party
starts.
45

WEAR RED
Day for
Friday 27 October 2023
Join Australia’s largest child safety
education and awareness day.
educate
DONATE
It’s all about keeping kids safe!
Register your school or early learning centre today!
DanielMorcombe.com.au

IMPORTANT information on
keeping kids safe
RECOGNISE
REACT
You have the
right to be safe
and you can get
HELP
HELP
SAFE
“I feel yucky”
REPORT
“Run to find help”
TALK
Talk
to the five grownups
on your safety network
until you get the help
you need
HELP
“Tell someone”
Kids Helpline
1800 55 1800
Emergency
000
Check out our FREE videos and resources at
DanielMorcombe.com.au
#DayForDaniel #KeepingKidsSafe #RecogniseReactReport

Show your heart,
help little hearts.
Support kids born with heart disease
Donate now at heartkids.org.au