For a lot of children, life can be fun and full of surprise and adventure. But for an increasing number of children, life can be stressful and filled with anxious thoughts. For Beatrice Bottomwell, life must be done 'just right' as she NEVER makes mistakes. Join Beatrice for an endearing reflection on the process of making a big mistake and the relief that comes when we stop feeling the need for perfectionism. Title: The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes Author: Mark Pett & Gary R

Captain Brave. That's his new name. And my goodness you should see his smile when I call him that. Today was a bit of a landmark day in our house. My superhero seven year old came up with the idea that he would like to ride the "Storm Coaster", Seaworld's highest and most thrilling ride. Some of you are thinking...."no biggie"....but let me fill you in on my son. He's an overthinker. Like me. (Sorry about that my darling child.) Every risk, every possibility, every fault, ev

If you're starting to feel anxious and you've got ten seconds to spare, try naming as many ice cream flavours as you can. This month's issue of Prevention magazine says that this simple task, uses a technique known as 'grounding', which can help bring your brain and body back to the present. Psychologist Vaile Wright says that it's a "distraction technique" and can free you from "any overwhelming feelings and unhealthy thoughts spinning in your head". Interestingly, naming ic

Every now and then there’s a movie that puts a fire in my soul. “Hidden Figures” is one of those. It seems to go from strength to strength, honouring equal rights, step parents and good leadership just to touch on a few. And while I was truly touched by the scene at the dinner table with Katherine Goble and her family (you’ll have to see the movie….I’m not going to wreck it!), for me, the highlight of the movie were the words of Mary Jackson whilst she was petitioning a judge

Most of my friends have had the experience of consoling me after I have been dealing with my daughter’s strength. “The force is strong with this one” seems to be a blissful statement that doesn’t even begin to touch on her perception of her capabilities. I was fighting it hard. But for all my efforts, trying to teach this tiny woman with an iron clad will that she would submit seemed to be useless. I am a fundamentalist. And there was a part of me that believed that ‘good par

If you have children who attend a particular Gold Coast private school, you know about the Lion at the front of the school. I noticed this week that his back is becoming shiny and smooth from all the attention he gets on a very regular basis. Our children call him Aslan, like the Lion from Narnia tales. My young daughter would love to spend time riding Aslan at least twice a day (at drop off and collection) and sometimes it takes all my powers of persuasion to encourage her

It was worth the wait. 5 years and nearly 1 month it took. But there were definitely moments, when it didn’t seem that way. Let me explain. My eldest child is a very, very picky eater. Same routine as usual, before I had my own children, I insisted that these children were incorrectly raised, tantrum throwers who weren’t being taught well, but let me assure you, this is not the case. From the day they he was born, literally, my child refused to breastfeed well and frankly, it

3 simple words. Could have gone either way. But I’m happy to say it went smoothly. I was at the local pool the other day with my two small children and they were exuberantly playing in the toddler pool. Splashing around there were giggles aplenty. And….they were outnumbered. Significantly. By some children who looked to be around upper primary age. I’m trying to strike a balance at the moment with my 5 yr old son between protecting him ferociously and letting him work through