Search results: mental health

Why the struggles typical of being a new dad need to be talked about.

How good information, good people and time can make a huge difference.

Most parents are doing their best, while still plagued with doubt. Parent Coach Jenny Hale offers a much-needed confidence boost.

Expensive, exhausting and too much effort? Or an invaluable opportunity to make memories and reconnect...

The breakdown of a relationship doesn't need to get in the way of raising secure and confident kids. Advice for navigating the challenges of separation and co-parenting.

Five tips for continuing to foster a nurturing environment when one home has become two.

Let's be honest, fatherhood isn't always easy, and neither is talking about it. Here's an important how-to guide for dad chats.

The pressure can mount as the year wraps up. Survival tips for enjoying the ride.

How to apply an aircraft safety message to the mental well-being of your whānau.

If the goal of sport is fitness and enjoyment, what do we do when competition makes things a bit tense? Great conversations to have while watching the Olympics!

It's vitally important we encourage our teens to think about what they could do to look after themselves and others when faced with high-risk situations.

Sunshine, free time and a bunch of mates. Sounds idyllic! Help teens create great memories while staying safe.

Looking after yourself is especially important if you're parenting solo. Here are some ideas for how.

Activities that help both parents and kids harness the benefits of mindfulness.

Why generosity is so good for us all and ideas for ways to get kids giving.

Feeling jolly tired? Tis the season for a rest and some recovery time with our nearest and dearest.

Navigating risk is an important life skill, so here are some ideas for talking to kids about safety.

A chat about vaping can help our kids think about addiction while developing empathy for others and some healthy hesitancy of their own.

Trying something new pushes us out of our comfort zones. And while some of us need more of a push than others, the benefits are universal.

How do we talk to an anxious teen, and do they really want to hear what we've got to say? Listening is a good place to start, followed by a little bit of curiosity and a whole lot of empathy.

The annual State of the Nation Parenting Survey has revealed that most of us are feeling the pinch and juggling multiple life stressors. Nathan Wallis offers some coping strategies.

So many great things to do, so little time! It helps to know your priorities but also to know your limits.

Life lethargy is a legitimate struggle for many of us right now. How do we lighten the load when everything feels so heavy?

By front-footing these trickier conversations, you’re setting your young person up with the knowledge and confidence to build healthy, respectful relationships for life.

Feeling a bit thinly spread? Tips for self-care when you're needed everywhere!

A bit of fresh air can really help shift a winter funk. But why go out when you feel like staying in?

No one thrives in isolation - not parents, not children. We need community, but how do we find it?

Is it a problem that most toddlers can navigate YouTube on their parent's phone, operate an iPad and recognise Bluey from a mile away?

Ever had a surprisingly big reaction to something? Could be that there were some big emotions boiling away beneath the surface...

Is it time to enlist the troops? Parent Coach Jenny Hale offers advice to busy parents who do all the work.

What to say, what not to say and how to listen when your child is anxious about the return to school.

To nurture healthy self-esteem in our kids, we need to talk more about the wonderful things our bodies can do and less about what they look like.

Dodgy content is everywhere unfortunately, so our kids need to know they can talk to us about anything, at any time, whatever they stumble across.

Drug use is obviously a big conversation, but long lectures probably won’t have the desired effect. Try these conversation starters to help us get to the heart of the issue with our young people.

Worried your kids can only communicate well online? With some coaching and practise, they can also master the art of making friends IRL.

Goal setting is a helpful life skill and with age-and-stage guidance, we can support our kids to aim high.

It might feel every kind of awkward, but the best thing we can do is create a space where our kids know they can talk to us about anything.

Why regular check-ins with our kids about what’s happening in their online worlds and how it's making them feel are so very important.

Pets can become companions and even family members. So how do we support our kids when a furry friend is no more?

Why is something which happened so long ago still so important? A great question, and one worth talking about with our tamariki.

First, take a look at what the causes could be, and second, have some good questions up your sleeve to engage in helpful conversations.

Sometimes, despite our best efforts to manage and support our kids' technology use, they see things we wish they hadn’t. And then it's time to talk.

Atmosphere is fundamental to our family’s well-being. So how do we keep the mood harmonious when things are getting tense?

Stress makes the brain work overtime, leaving us feeling overwhelmed. Here's a tool to help you find some calm.

With our support, experiencing big emotions helps our kids learn to understand, and then manage their feelings.

From pyjama days and beach hangs to lunchboxes, homework and after-school activities – how to adjust and find the pace that works for your whānau.

Ideas for navigating pyjama party pitfalls and guiding kids to sleepover success – when they’re good and ready.

Need a break? There’s fun to be had at home, and it’s also a great place to hit refresh.

Feeling stretched in all directions? Ideas for supporting well-being and extending your bandwidth.

Why caring for your family starts with caring for yourself, and self-care strategies that are more kindness, less pressure.

No matter how ‘messy’ the breakdown of a relationship, there are a few key strategies that can make the journey significantly smoother for your kids.

No one wants their child to be bullied and no one wants their child to be a bully, hence it’s something we need to keep talking about.

How pink shirts can help eliminate bullying and make the world a better place for everyone.

Time is a precious resource in family life. Why do we need to keep some spare and how do we ensure we have a buffer?

Any kind of weather event can be unsettling for children and challenging for parents. How can we support our kids emotionally through a natural disaster?

A complex question with no easy answer! But here are some useful things to think about and helpful questions to ask.

Less is more? More is more? How to balance the benefits of extra-curricular activities with the pressures of over-scheduling.

Parent Coach Kristin Ward explains how a simple reframe can make boundaries more effective, keeping children safe and parents sane!

A practical guide to Snapchat – how does it work, what are the concerns and what are the benefits?

Supporting a teenager’s emerging need for autonomy requires a delicate balance. Here are three things autonomy-supportive parents will keep in mind.

Kids behaving in ways you're not keen on? We can mentally time travel to 'worst case scenarios' in the future OR we can calmly keep parenting in the moment.

Ever find yourself drifting away? Clinical psychologist Ele Porteous shares some strategies to help us reconnect with the present moment, so we can truly connect with our little ones.

Why critical thinking matters more than ever, and how we can empower our kids to think for themselves.

Why (and how!) parents should persist with being physically affectionate with their young kids, tweens AND teens!

Free online resources are available to all parents and caregivers and meant to inspire by offering hope for families, equip with information and strategies whilst journeying with them through key transition times.

Pro tips for powerful and productive exam prep.

A 101 on TikTok: what it is, how it works, why kids love it and what to look out for.

Equipping our kids with tools to make the sixty-or-so minutes between bells more enjoyable for everyone.

How to stay involved in your child’s world as they experience the highs and lows of developing romantic feelings.

Life doesn’t stop throwing curveballs just because a baby is on the way. Carly Roberton reflects on a season marked by anxiety, chaos and the good things that still shone through.

When our kids are struggling at school, it's hard to know when to step in - and what those steps should look like!

Online connection is a fact of life for today's tweens and teens - but can our kids handle themselves when messages are no longer appropriate?

Old phone, new phone, smart phone, dumb phone. A guide to supporting kids to have a phone and use it wisely.

Time for a phone? Start with a robust conversation with your child about the skills and responsibilities required.

Parenting Place has an inclusive, friendly, supportive work culture where staff are celebrated often. Our people have a heart for our land, our heritage, our faith, our history and are driven by our mission to support New Zealand families, Come join us.

Why is it so hard to get a tired child to sleep? A consistent routine and some KFC might help, writes family coach Jenny Hale.

No one enjoys stuffing up, but mistakes are how we learn. So how we face our own failings can really help our kids.

Giving our kids gifts can be delightful. It can also be expensive and even fraught with disappointment. A few good chats in the lead up can really help.

These last few years have been the season of the screen – with good reason! When it comes to pulling the plug, gently and thoughtfully is the key.

Hot, bothered and bored? It's time for a sprinkler under the trampoline and other summer classics.

When confronting headlines and traumatic events reach our kids, how do we support them with the right information at just the right time?

How a simple Q&A can help our kids find calm in the face of yet another storm.

Kids turning up their noses at your delicious and nutritious lovingly prepared meals? Try the no fuss/no drama approach to feeding the whānau.

How the simple act of sitting together around the table offers significant health and well-being benefits to our kids.

We talk a lot about the need to support kids through their big feelings but what about our own? How taking a break can help everyone cool down.

The value of grandparenting and how to enhance the relationship for all three generations.

Big feelings can cause big behaviours – moments that call for a fresh parenting approach. Psychologist Katherine Tarr explains the theory and practice of emotion coaching.

Conversation starters to help our kids embrace the reality that winning isn’t everything and losing isn’t failing.

While there's no one-size-fits-all guide to baby sleep, we can offer insights and strategies to support more restful days and peaceful nights.

Attachment can mean a lot of things in parenting. Here we take a closer look at a theory of human relationships – specifically how children develop a close relationship with at least one caregiver.

Tricky behaviours! Talking about what’s really going on below the surface can help make everyone feel – and behave – better.

What's a tween? No longer a little kid but not yet a teenager. This is an important developmental stage where connection is key.

When tech takes more of our attention than it should, it gets in the way of genuine connection and relationship building. So what do we do? Try a digital detox!

A beautiful thing about being in a family is that even though ruptures can (and will!) happen in our relationships, so can repair.

Holly Brooker reflects on a challenging childhood and her remarkable mother who was determined to turn the page for the sake of her family.

From troubled child to teenage mum to adored and celebrated grandmother - how one woman found hope and moved her family towards a whole new future.

How to we navigate important conversations about cash? “Money doesn't grow on trees” has traditionally been a starting point, but we can probably do better... right?

Boundaries help keep our young people safe, but like everything else in the teen years, our approach to rules and limits will be a little different.

Hold tight, you're still needed! And connection is still within reach... even when our teenagers withdraw.

It's here to help, or is it? The pros, cons and conversation starters concerning Artificial Intelligence and our kids.

Some kids are sending Snaps, some are dancing on TikTok, others are styling their breakfast for the gram. But what are the Discord crew up to?

Robust conversations and practical measures are required to keep our kids safer online. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you navigate this process.

Little loving steps can help a child feel confident with a babysitter, and parents feel happy about heading out!

Diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) at age 40, Kylie DellaBarca Steel – mum to three young sons – started a blog to document her journey and kindly shares this post with Parenting Place.

Grounding thoughts and tools to help you navigate 'life and death' conversations with your kids, whether you're facing loss now or preparing for honest discussions in the future.

Is there a ‘magic ratio’ when it comes to positive vs negative interactions in healthy relationships? What is it, how will I implement it and do I even have time?!

Shedding light on ‘manosphere’ as a concept – what it is, why our young people might know more about it than we do, and how we can help them navigate this particularly tricky patch of online terrain.

What's a parent to do on exam day? Keep calm, stay cool (well, do your best) and be available...

Sleigh bells ring, but should Santa drop off a phone? 5 things to tick off your list before you wrap up technology this Christmas.