tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca-fr/topics/parenting-811/articlesParenting – La Conversation2024-03-28T20:41:08Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2258762024-03-28T20:41:08Z2024-03-28T20:41:08ZSpotting the signs of disordered eating in youth: Tips for parents and caregivers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584906/original/file-20240327-29-jlr0nd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=549%2C76%2C2570%2C1739&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Eating disorders are on the rise in youth, with research showing that health-care visits for eating disorders have doubled since before the COVID-19 pandemic.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the age of social media, youth are constantly bombarded with viral trends and toxic messages that set unrealistic standards about the ideal body image. This has translated into a far too <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001091">common expression of body shape dissatisfaction</a> in young people.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/eating-disorders">Eating disorders</a>, such as anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating disorder, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder are serious mental health conditions that affect approximately <a href="https://nied.ca/about-eating-disorders-in-canada/">one million Canadians</a>. These conditions are also on the rise in youth, with research showing that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2024.02.009">health-care visits for eating disorders doubled</a> during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to before the pandemic. </p>
<p>This is concerning, since there are already <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.jadohealth.2022.12.008">very long wait times</a> for eating disorder programs. </p>
<h2>Impact of eating disorders</h2>
<p>Individuals with eating disorders experience a problematic relationship with food, often accompanied by significant distress about their weight, shape and size. Many experience body image dissatisfaction and restrictive eating. </p>
<p>Eating disorders do not discriminate. They can occur in people of any race/ethnicity, age, socioeconomic class or gender. Youth who do not “fit” the stereotype of an eating disorder, especially <a href="https://nedic.ca/bipoc/">those from Black, Indigenous and racialized backgrounds, may face delayed recognition and diagnosis</a>.</p>
<p>Eating disorders impact every aspect of an individual’s life and contribute to significant distress for the affected individual and their family, including their siblings. <a href="https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/health-consequences/">They can have serious and life-threatening complications</a>, such as bradycardia (heart beating too slowly), osteoporosis (bone weakening) and anemia (low red blood cell count). Eating disorders are also associated with a high rate of premature death.</p>
<p>As clinicians and researchers, we have studied and worked with youth and their families struggling with eating disorders or “disordered eating” (the spectrum of unhealthy eating behaviour and patterns). Below we offer a guide for parents and other supportive adults on recognizing the signs of disordered eating in youth and offer practical resources and tips to support them effectively.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A teen boy sitting at a white table with an empty white plate on it, resting his head on his hand" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584907/original/file-20240327-16-158617.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584907/original/file-20240327-16-158617.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584907/original/file-20240327-16-158617.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584907/original/file-20240327-16-158617.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584907/original/file-20240327-16-158617.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584907/original/file-20240327-16-158617.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584907/original/file-20240327-16-158617.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Eating disorders impact every aspect of an individual’s life and contribute to significant distress for the affected individual and their family, including their siblings.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Signs of disordered eating</h2>
<p>Considering the growing concern about the rise in eating disorder behaviour in youth, and the importance of timely recognition and action, the following signs and symptoms of disordered eating are important to look out for:</p>
<p><strong>Behaviours related to disordered eating</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Excessive exercise to reduce weight or change body shape</p></li>
<li><p>Going to the bathroom immediately after eating</p></li>
<li><p>Eating in secret</p></li>
<li><p>Restricting foods, such as a specific food group</p></li>
<li><p>A preoccupation with losing weight or maintaining a low body weight</p></li>
<li><p>Frequently weighing themselves because of body image dissatisfaction</p></li>
<li><p>Unusual behaviour around food such as weighing/measuring food or cutting food into tiny pieces, or large consumption of liquids at mealtimes (for calorie dilution and a sensation of fullness)</p></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Physical signs of disordered eating</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Unexplained weight loss or weight fluctuations (up or down)</p></li>
<li><p>Delayed puberty or amenorrhea (missed periods)</p></li>
<li><p>Sensitive or damaged teeth</p></li>
<li><p>Dizziness or fainting</p></li>
<li><p>Feeling cold</p></li>
<li><p>Stomach pain</p></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Social and psychological signs of disordered eating</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Personality changes, such as social withdrawal and increased irritability</p></li>
<li><p>Depression or anxiety</p></li>
<li><p>Fighting with others about food, eating and weight</p></li>
<li><p>Avoidance of food-related social activities like birthdays or sleepovers</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>General recommendations for all parents and caregivers</h2>
<ol>
<li><p>Be on the lookout for sudden or drastic changes in your child’s eating habits, such as extreme dieting, avoiding certain foods, preoccupation with weight, and fears about losing control of overeating. Also, keep an eye out for frequent fluctuations in meal patterns.</p></li>
<li><p>Pay attention to any physical changes you notice in your child, such as unexplained weight loss or gain, persistent fatigue, or changes in mood. These could be signs of underlying issues related to disordered eating.</p></li>
<li><p>Be mindful of withdrawal from social situations that centre on food, such as avoiding gatherings where meals are involved.</p></li>
<li><p>In addition to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001091">social media use</a>, parent role modelling <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114508892471">can shape children’s attitudes and behaviour toward food and body image</a>. As a result, we recommend that parents ditch the weight-based talk. It is best to avoid commenting on people’s physical appearances, weight, shape and body sizes, including your own and others in your life. Rather, we recommend parents focus on health rather than appearances and empower youth to develop a positive relationship with food and their bodies.</p></li>
</ol>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A mother comforting an upset teen on a sofa" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584858/original/file-20240327-28-lk1lch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584858/original/file-20240327-28-lk1lch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584858/original/file-20240327-28-lk1lch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584858/original/file-20240327-28-lk1lch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584858/original/file-20240327-28-lk1lch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584858/original/file-20240327-28-lk1lch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584858/original/file-20240327-28-lk1lch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">If you notice some of the signs and symptoms of disordered eating, it is essential to talk with your child.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The importance of early identification and intervention</h2>
<p>If you notice some of the signs and symptoms of disordered eating, it is essential to talk with your child. Invite them to share their experiences and listen without judgement. Express compassion, kindness and concern about their health and well-being.</p>
<p>If you believe your child’s health is at risk, warmly but firmly tell them that you are worried about them and organize contact with a health-care professional. Make an appointment with your primary care provider and <a href="https://nedic.ca/media/uploaded/PARENTS-CARERS_checklist_for_PCP_-_fillable.pdf">come to your appointment prepared</a> to discuss the type of behaviour you have been seeing.</p>
<p>Previous research suggests that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2745">quickly seeking help may support better recovery from an eating disorder</a>. This awareness motivates both providers and family members into action to quickly identify eating disorder behaviour in youth and to advocate for them to receive comprehensive care from a diverse health-care team including psychologists, physicians, dieticians and social workers.</p>
<p>If you experience a long wait for targeted support in your area, consider also exploring <a href="https://nied.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Caregiver-Well-Being-Resource-Guide-5.pdf">reputable organizations in your geographical location</a>.</p>
<p>It is important for parents and caregivers to recognize that negative body talk does not mean that your child has an eating disorder. It is, however, something to be mindful of, especially when coupled with the signs of eating disorders provided above.</p>
<p>The National Eating Disorders Information Centre helpline and live chat are available seven days a week. For Helpline call 1-866-NEDIC-20 (toll-free) or live chat at <a href="https://nedic.ca/">nedic.ca</a></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225876/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amelia Austin receives funding from the University of Calgary's O’Brien Institute for Public Health and Cumming School of Medicine.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gina Dimitropoulos receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation and the UCalgary Research Excellence Chair.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sheri Madigan receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation, an anonymous donor, and the Canada Research Chairs program.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tracy Vaillancourt receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. She is the chair of the COVID-19 Task Force for the Royal Society of Canada. </span></em></p>Parents and other supportive adults can learn to recognize young people’s symptoms of disordered eating, which is a spectrum of unhealthy eating patterns and behaviour.Amelia Austin, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Mathison Centre for Youth Mental Health and Education, University of CalgaryGina Dimitropoulos, Associate professor, Faculty of Social Work, University of CalgarySheri Madigan, Professor, Canada Research Chair in Determinants of Child Development, Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of CalgaryTracy Vaillancourt, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in School-Based Mental Health and Violence Prevention, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2263892024-03-28T05:50:27Z2024-03-28T05:50:27ZA hollow egg or the whole basket? How much chocolate should my kid eat this Easter?<p>Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging than ever. </p>
<p>Meanwhile kids are receiving chocolate eggs at every turn from friends, relatives and the Easter Bunny (or bilby). </p>
<p>But this can also make it very tricky for parents to manage their kids’ chocolate intake. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/each-easter-we-spend-about-62-a-head-on-chocolates-but-the-cost-of-buying-unsustainable-products-can-be-far-greater-225784">Each Easter we spend about $62 a head on chocolates, but the cost of buying unsustainable products can be far greater</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What’s in chocolate?</h2>
<p>There are potential health benefits of chocolate. Cocoa beans are rich in fat, vitamins, minerals and phenolic compounds (or phytochemicals) which have been shown to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23462053">reduce blood pressure</a>. </p>
<p>But these phenolic compounds taste so bitter they make raw cocoa almost inedible. And this is where food processing steps in. </p>
<p>Sugar, milk fat and other ingredients are added to make milk chocolate – the amount of cocoa used is small. By the time you get to “white chocolate” there is no cocoa at all.</p>
<p>Overall, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29903472/">studies on the health benefits</a> of chocolate show very weak evidence that chocolate is good for our health.</p>
<p>If there is a benefit, it comes from very dark, bitter chocolate with a high proportion of cocoa (and phytochemicals), which children tend not to like. Dark chocolate sometimes gives adults a “mood boost” as it contains caffeine. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Chopped up dark chocolate on a board." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584317/original/file-20240326-24-t89j1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584317/original/file-20240326-24-t89j1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584317/original/file-20240326-24-t89j1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584317/original/file-20240326-24-t89j1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584317/original/file-20240326-24-t89j1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584317/original/file-20240326-24-t89j1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584317/original/file-20240326-24-t89j1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Dark chocolate is higher in bitter phytochemicals, which children do not tend to enjoy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/brown-dried-leaves-on-white-ceramic-plate-4ewSZirtA7U">Sigmund/ Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How much chocolate should kids eat?</h2>
<p>All types of chocolate are classed as “discretionary” foods, the same as biscuits, cake and sugary drinks. This means they should be considered as treats. </p>
<p>As a rough guide, kids aged two to three years should not have more than one serve per day of <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/how-much-do-we-need-each-day/recommended-number-serves-children-adolescents-and-toddlers">discretionary foods </a> and for older kids up to three serves per day. Translating this into “chocolate”, a serve of chocolate would be 25–30g. An average hollow chocolate Easter egg weighs in at around 100g. </p>
<p>But it is OK for children to have some chocolate as a treat. Kids are not going to go sugar crazy if they enjoy eating their bunny or have some extra chocolate over the Easter break. </p>
<p>If children eat only chocolate through the day, this could lead to a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30951762/">sugar crash</a> and leave kids hungry and cranky at bedtime. So make sure you fill them up with real food before letting them at the chocolate eggs. </p>
<p>Babies should not be offered chocolate as it will sensitise them to overly sweet flavours. But those <a href="https://growandgotoolbox.com/digital-resources/lumpy-road-to-solids">more than six months old</a> can join in the fun with a “real egg” hard boiled.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two young children hold boxes containing small, chocolate eggs in foil wrapping." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584314/original/file-20240326-28-46r6h3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584314/original/file-20240326-28-46r6h3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584314/original/file-20240326-28-46r6h3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584314/original/file-20240326-28-46r6h3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584314/original/file-20240326-28-46r6h3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584314/original/file-20240326-28-46r6h3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584314/original/file-20240326-28-46r6h3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">It is OK for kids to have chocolate as a treat.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/kids-holding-box-with-candies-7281861/">RDNE Stock Project/ Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How can you manage Easter festivities?</h2>
<p>When planning treats for your kids, there are a few things you can do to manage the chocolate:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>if you are buying eggs and bunnies, compare the weight of products to help you choose a suitable serving size for your child’s age</p></li>
<li><p>use small, individually wrapped eggs in your egg hunt. Smaller pre-wrapped portions help parents manage consumption over time without nagging and demonising chocolate as a “<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-can-kids-have-a-healthier-halloween-and-what-do-you-do-with-the-leftover-lollies-216634">bad food</a>”</p></li>
<li><p>ask family members to buy an alternative gift such as a book or game to reduce the sheer quantity of chocolates entering the house at Easter</p></li>
<li><p>remember bunnies eat carrots too! Offer savoury snacks before the chocolate to help fill them up with essential nutrients before they have their treats. </p></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-why-having-chocolate-can-make-you-feel-great-or-a-bit-sick-plus-4-tips-for-better-eating-202848">Here's why having chocolate can make you feel great or a bit sick – plus 4 tips for better eating</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226389/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Clare Dix receives funding from a Department of Health and Aged Care Preventative Health grant. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Helen Truby has received funding from the Commonwealth Department of Health: Public Health and Chronic Disease program for the Grow and Go Toolbox, the Medical Research Future Fund, National Health and Medical Research Council, The Victorian Cancer Agency and the AJ Logan Trust.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stella Boyd-Ford recives funding for employment from a Department of Health and Aged Care Preventative Health grant.</span></em></p>Easter is the time for chocolate. This can also make it very tricky for parents to manage their kids’ chocolate intake.Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of QueenslandHelen Truby, Professorial Research Fellow, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of QueenslandStella Boyd-Ford, Research Fellow with the Grow&Go Toolbox, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2257862024-03-25T19:06:24Z2024-03-25T19:06:24ZIs your child ‘overscheduled?’ How to get the balance right on extracurricular activities<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583936/original/file-20240325-16-b5vorr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=25%2C25%2C5628%2C3585&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/little-girls-doing-ballet-6717370/">Cottonbro Studio/ Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s a weeknight, parents rush through the door from work, grab a snack, and then speed off in various directions to children’s extracurricular activities. As they do, they are managing tired and hungry kids as they all move from one thing to the next. Sound familiar? </p>
<p>As of 2022–23, <a href="https://www.clearinghouseforsport.gov.au/research/ausplay/results/participation-report#key">almost 50% of Australian children</a> under 14 participated in extracurricular sport. According to the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/people-and-communities/cultural-and-creative-activities/latest-release">Australian Bureau of Statistics</a>, 19% of Australian children aged five to 14 did music out of school hours in 2021–22, while 13% did dance and 5% did drama. </p>
<p>There can be a <a href="https://www.parents.com/fun/sports/we-need-to-stop-pressuring-kids-to-be-the-best-at-their-sport/">lot of pressure</a> to have your child in extracurricular activities, as this is seen as a way of giving them a rounded education and upbringing. And it can get expensive.</p>
<p>Pre-pandemic, Australian families spent an <a href="https://mozo.com.au/family-finances/aussie-parents-are-spending-1-859-on-average-for-extracurricular-activities-says-mozo">average of A$1,859 per child</a> per year on extracurricular activities. </p>
<p>How do you get the balance right? </p>
<h2>What are the benefits?</h2>
<p>Extracurricular activities can provide a range of benefits. </p>
<p>Studies have shown extracurricular activities can help students academically. For example, a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21814871/">2011 study</a> of US high school students showed participation in extracurricular activities was linked with better results in maths. Other <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S027277570600046X">US studies</a> have shown students who participate in extracurricular activities are more likely to complete a college (university) degree. </p>
<p>Research has <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1230758.pdf">shown</a> extracurricular activities can help young people develop self belief, goal-setting, confidence and the ability to adapt to unfamiliar situations. </p>
<p>In turn, it can also help with mental health and emotional regulation. Team activities have especially been shown to reduce anxiety in already anxious kids, increase a sense of belonging and boost social awareness. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young boy dives into a pool marked with lane ropes." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583939/original/file-20240325-30-m69vwh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583939/original/file-20240325-30-m69vwh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583939/original/file-20240325-30-m69vwh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583939/original/file-20240325-30-m69vwh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583939/original/file-20240325-30-m69vwh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583939/original/file-20240325-30-m69vwh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583939/original/file-20240325-30-m69vwh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Extracurricular activities can help young people learn how to set goals.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/woman-in-black-one-piece-swimsuit-jumping-on-swimming-pool-during-daytime-gRof2_Ftu7A">Brian Matangelo/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-kids-whod-get-the-most-out-of-extracurricular-activities-are-missing-out-heres-how-to-improve-access-169447">The kids who'd get the most out of extracurricular activities are missing out – here's how to improve access</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What are the drawbacks?</h2>
<p>You may have heard media reporting about “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/pandemic-silver-lining-how-slashing-over-scheduling-may-be-saving-kids-life-skills-20220216-p59wxw.html">oversheduling</a>”. Too <a href="https://5210.psu.edu/your-childs-extracurricular-activities-too-much-or-just-right/">many activities</a> can see children neglect their schoolwork and limit family time, which are also important parts of growing up. It can also have an impact on children’s sleep. </p>
<p>High levels of sport in particular can lead to injuries and burnout.</p>
<p>It can also lead to “<a href="https://www.rchsd.org/programs-services/sports-medicine/conditions-treated/overtraining-syndromeburnout/#:%7E:text=Overtraining%20can%20result%20in%20mood,adequately%20from%20training%20and%20competition">overtraining syndrome</a>” where children don’t recover adequately from previous training or competitions. </p>
<p>Not only does a child lose interest in the activity but their mood is linked to how well they perform. The activity can also come to dominate the family’s life. </p>
<h2>How do you get the balance right?</h2>
<p>Start by working out as a family what is financially reasonable and how much time you can commit. Think about not just the game or lesson itself but any other regular training or practice that may be involved.</p>
<p>Look at what your child is genuinely interested in, rather than what you feel they should do (as this just adds unnecessary pressure). </p>
<p>You could consider limiting children to one or two activities per week. This allows the child to focus on that activity and any training or practice that goes with it. </p>
<p>But there is no magic number of activities experts consider to be the “perfect” amount – each child is different. Some <a href="https://childmind.org/article/finding-the-balance-with-after-school-activities/">other factors</a> you can consider are:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>is the child still getting adequate sleep? </p></li>
<li><p>can they still spend time with the rest of the family? </p></li>
<li><p>are they able to have some down time? </p></li>
<li><p>do they enjoy their activities? </p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young child plays the piano. A fluffy white dog is seated next to them." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583935/original/file-20240325-16-76atwz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583935/original/file-20240325-16-76atwz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583935/original/file-20240325-16-76atwz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583935/original/file-20240325-16-76atwz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583935/original/file-20240325-16-76atwz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583935/original/file-20240325-16-76atwz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583935/original/file-20240325-16-76atwz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When thinking about activities, consider what extras – such as daily practice – may be involved.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-boy-playing-a-piano-with-his-dog-besides-him-9428905/">Katya Wolf/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/grit-or-quit-how-to-help-your-child-develop-resilience-195195">Grit or quit? How to help your child develop resilience</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What age can you start?</h2>
<p>Children as young as two or three can benefit from extracurricular activities. As they start to assert their independence, programs in dance, sport or music can boost their ability to socialise with others, listen and get ready for school. </p>
<p>There are also benefits in starting extracurricular activities before the age of ten. Research <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10964-019-01110-2#Sec23">shows</a> if you start before ten, children are more likely to stick with the activity for longer because it will become part of their identity.</p>
<p>Having said that, there is of course no issue with starting new activities after this age as children grow and develop new interests.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225786/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elise Waghorn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Extra sport, music or dance can be a great way to develop your child’s interests and skills. But it can also be expensive and stressful for families.Elise Waghorn, Lecturer, School of Education, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2244152024-03-24T08:45:39Z2024-03-24T08:45:39ZParents who believe their children can have a better future are more likely to read and play with them – South African study<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581072/original/file-20240311-30-um21gu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C330%2C3020%2C2319&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Both children and parents benefit from daily play and reading activities.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">iThemba Projects</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Every day, a small group of women make their way through the community of Sweetwaters, near the South African city of Pietermaritzburg, with bags of toys and books. They work as home mentors supporting families who signed up for an early childhood development intervention. They swap puzzles and stories and provide resourceful activities for children and caregivers. Even the older siblings often sit and join the stories and games.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.unicef.org/southafrica/press-releases/more-40-cent-households-surveyed-have-no-books-home">An estimated 40% of homes</a> in South Africa do not have children’s books, according to Unicef data. In Sweetwaters, my research team has found (and reports in a forthcoming academic article), that number gets up to 83%.</p>
<p>Two decades ago a non-profit organisation, <a href="https://ithembaprojects.com/">iThemba</a> Projects, was established to partner with the community of Sweetwaters to provide opportunities for education and mentoring. (The word <em>ithemba</em> means “hope” in the predominant local language, isiZulu.) </p>
<p>The organisation’s child development intervention focuses on getting parents to read to, play with and talk to their children, whether newborn or already in school. The organisation believes that if it could change parents’ beliefs about children’s potential, this would instil hope in a community with the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7498647/">highest HIV</a> infection rates in the world, <a href="https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0211/Presentation%20QLFS%20Q2%202023.pdf">high unemployment</a>, and <a href="https://ilifalabantwana.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/SA-ECR_2019_12_09_2019_online_pages.pdf">low access</a> to early childhood education. </p>
<p>iThemba’s approach is in line with what’s long been established by developmental psychology researchers: that playing and reading time <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.20150183">in early childhood</a> has <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjac036">long-lasting</a> positive effects. </p>
<p>In a recent <a href="https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s10826-022-02334-w?sharing_token=ElJRvEtUkzhqY_-TM1069_e4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY7InKGn6fXK64EbylCyxWRnGZzkr3-N2HoxUUB3Zku3fdZZFZegNXjJckpI494qGEo2LonQRaxOZWFh7kQ4EOMbgbQ5MaaaMrqzZejVjipnxpkpG0NieK7WL7D9wEOjDOc%3D">collaborative paper</a> involving my research team from the US and iThemba, we set out to understand how parental beliefs and behaviours changed throughout the intervention and what best explained their progress. </p>
<p>We know that playing and reading are parenting practices that positively influence children throughout their lives. But how can non-profits support parents in high adversity contexts? How long does it take to change parenting habits? And what are the necessary preconditions? </p>
<p>We used programme data from between 2019 and 2021 to answer these questions. We found that length of time in the programme before the pandemic influenced how much reading and playing happened during the 2020 COVID lockdown. We also found that parents who believed their children could have a better future than them were more likely to read and play with them. </p>
<h2>What the research found</h2>
<p>As part of iThemba’s programme, 157 homes were visited every two weeks by mentors – most of whom live in the community – for up to two years. The mentors tracked caregivers’ reading and playing behaviours on every visit and parents reported on their support system and beliefs about children every six months. The programme encourages parents to engage in some reading and play behaviours every day.</p>
<p>The best predictors for parental reading and playing were the amount of time people spent in the programme, whether they had friends they could depend on, and how hopeful they were about their child’s future.</p>
<p>South Africa had <a href="https://www.news24.com/citypress/news/timeline-a-look-back-at-the-past-two-years-of-lockdown-20220323">several strict lockdowns</a> during the pandemic. The programme paused from March 2020 until November that year, then home visits resumed with masks and outside. </p>
<p>The pandemic disrupted the rhythms of most households and was especially stressful for those with young children. But the families who had been in the programme for at least a year before the onset of COVID were most likely to continue reading and playing with their children during the pandemic. Moreover, the parents who reported having people they could count on to help with childcare were more likely to read and play.</p>
<p>When the programme restarted in November those same families were more hopeful than those who had not had much time in the programme before the first lockdown. As a psychology researcher who studies <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36532158/">virtuous hope</a>, I found this aspect especially striking. </p>
<p>Virtuous hope is morally driven. It is the desire for a better future that serves a common good, rather than hope for personal success or fame; it often involves personal sacrifice and long-term thinking. Even after accounting for programme engagement and support systems, parents who believed – and hoped – their children could have a better future were more likely to read and play even when their daily lives were altered by something as disruptive as a global pandemic.</p>
<h2>Slow but sustainable</h2>
<p>However, neither hopefulness nor childhood development can occur in a vacuum. The work of iThemba Projects in Sweetwaters suggests that a relationally-driven home visitation programme is a necessary catalyst. Unlike many other interventions, this one is focused on relationship building. It expects change to happen over two years rather than over the course of a weekend-long seminar. It recognises that parents and caregivers need support, not just information.</p>
<p>The parenting changes being measured are slow, yet sustainable. Caregivers slowly built habits of playing and reading with their children and reported higher beliefs that these practices were important for child development. Most <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.671988/full">existing parenting</a> interventions in low and middle income countries are less than 12 sessions. Psychology is filled with micro-interventions, focusing efforts on brief workshops. However, we typically saw stable family improvements only after six months to one year (25 sessions). This should not be surprising. Forming new habits, establishing a support system, and building hope take time.</p>
<p>Hope cannot be studied in a vacuum. Nor can it be divorced from the human drive for the betterment of one’s community. This kind of hope cannot be quickly cultivated. It is sown through repeated visits, long-term family-community partnerships, and colourful children’s books.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224415/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kendra Thomas receives funding from the John Templeton Foundation.</span></em></p>Neither hopefulness nor childhood development can occur in a vacuum. Strong relational bonds matter, too.Kendra Thomas, Associate Professor of Psychology, Hope CollegeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2257802024-03-18T23:20:44Z2024-03-18T23:20:44Z‘Care is in everything we do and everything we are’: the work of Indigenous women needs to be valued<p>It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group.</p>
<p>Working with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner’s office, we worked with <a href="https://caepr.cass.anu.edu.au/research/publications/caring-about-care">more than 100 Indigenous women across</a> Australia to talk about their interpretations and experiences of care. </p>
<p>“Mainstream” definitions and measures of care do not include the vast and complex ways care is defined by First Nations women. This includes care not only for people, but for communities, Country and culture. </p>
<p>It means important work goes unrecognised, uncompensated or misunderstood, leading to the marginalisation of this crucial work and the women who do it.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/definitions-are-often-very-western-this-excludes-us-our-research-shows-how-to-boost-indigenous-participation-in-stem-223465">'Definitions are often very western. This excludes us.' Our research shows how to boost Indigenous participation in STEM</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Redefining the concept</h2>
<p>The Australian Human Rights Commission’s <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-social-justice/publications/wiyi-yani-u-thangani">Wiyi Yani U Thangani</a> report illuminates the crucial importance of the care provided by First Nations women. Our work follows and builds on this report.</p>
<p>An Indigenous woman from the East Kimberley told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Well, care for me, as an Indigenous person, is not just caring for your family, it’s caring for your Country.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another woman from the ACT told us care is a disposition, and a means of respecting culture and heritage: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>[Care is] enveloped in everything we do and everything we are and everything about where we are going and paying homage again to our ancestors and who’s come before us. That’s what care is.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This notion of care as a strength is an important insight from the women in this study. However, unpaid care is often unrecognised and undervalued in Australian policy, which while prioritising getting women into employment, has neglected funding and supporting the existing unpaid care work that women do. </p>
<p>What is evident from our study is that Indigenous women want more support for the care work they do, as well as better care services largely within Aboriginal community-controlled organisations to assist them in doing it.</p>
<h2>Care has consequences</h2>
<p>Women frequently linked their demanding care loads to ongoing colonisation, which continues to create damage to the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. A woman from greater Sydney said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s colonial […] It’s just not being able to do things in the way we should be doing them […] because of the colonial structure and things like that. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>This includes the impacts of colonisation on gender roles, child removals, incarceration rates, poor health, poverty, racism and more. </p>
<p>It also includes the impacts of state institutions set up to “care”, but which are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/sep/01/coalition-hails-success-of-cashless-welfare-card-and-says-kalgoorlie-will-be-next-site">often uncaring</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/first-nations-children-are-still-being-removed-at-disproportionate-rates-cultural-assumptions-about-parenting-need-to-change-169090">may be violent and harmful</a>.</p>
<p>Ultimately, this requires Indigenous people’s care to heal, adding extra demands on existing care loads. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/first-nations-women-dont-always-access-health-care-after-head-injuries-from-family-violence-heres-why-206084">First Nations women don't always access health care after head injuries from family violence. Here's why</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Many of the women interviewed in this study were also tired, and often carers needed care too. Some were in, or had been through, periods of utter exhaustion and illness due to trying to carry their stressful care load. A Central Australian woman told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s hard. It’s draining. Every day just exhausted. Sometimes there’s days when I just can’t keep up with it. And I don’t want to listen, just go away. But those are days when they really need help. So yeah, it’s very exhausting.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Time is money, but no one gets paid</h2>
<p>Our research also included a time-use survey, which showed that all unpaid care activities accounted for, on average, 62% of our participant women’s time on a usual weekday (about 14.8 hours per day on average), with 48% of their time (around 11.5 hours) spent caring for others and/or caring for Country and culture specifically. </p>
<p>Because (lost) remuneration for this work was raised as a crucial point by Indigenous women during our interviews, we also calculated the approximate market value of this unpaid care work through using hourly award rates for corresponding care activities (sometimes called the replacement method, which understands the cost of this work in the paid market). </p>
<p>The estimated economic value of this work ranged between $223.01 and $457.39 per day (representing an estimated annual salary of between $81,175.64 and $118,921.40). This estimation is conservative as it does not include the multitasking of more than one care activity at the one time.</p>
<p>The estimation raises important questions as to what is owed to Indigenous women, not just because the economy free-rides on unpaid care, but also because much of this care work mops up the mess of colonisation. </p>
<p>Many of the women we spoke to also talked about how unpaid care and paid employment interact. </p>
<p>In addition to their unpaid care roles, most women in paid employment in this study had roles in the community sector which put them at the frontline of caring for community. They saw this work as part of their broader commitment to supporting their families, communities and advancing Indigenous peoples. It is therefore hard to draw a line for these women between paid and unpaid work, meaning it is rare to be able to “switch off”. </p>
<p>Often, employers didn’t realise the amount of unpaid care of this type women do in <a href="https://theconversation.com/during-naidoc-week-many-indigenous-women-are-assigned-unpaid-work-new-research-shows-how-prevalent-this-is-in-the-workplace-208454">their paid work roles</a>, even though this actually makes their paid employment successful. Women are also not paid adequately for these valuable skills.</p>
<h2>A new approach is needed</h2>
<p>Our research follows generations of Indigenous women who have long shown the strength of care, but also looks at how settler society makes this work harder. </p>
<p>This research underlines the importance of a new approach to supporting Indigenous women, in which their voices, ideas and needs are central, and where care is placed at the heart. This is different to just “fitting” Indigenous care into various settler models, policies and measures already in circulation.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225780/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elise Klein receives funding from the Gender Institute at the Australian National University. She is a member of the Anti-Poverty Centre, the Accountable Income Management Network and a Co-Director of the Australian Basic Income Lab.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chay Brown receives funding from the Office of Gender Equity and Diversity at the Northern Territory Government. She is affiliated with ANU, Tangentyere Council, and Her Story Mparntwe. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kayla Glynn-Braun is a First Nation Wiradjuri Women whom is a project coordinator at The Equality Institute and Co-Foundered Her Story Consulting and lead on U Right Sis? project, Indigenous Knowledge</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Janet Hunt and Zoe Staines do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>To First Nations women, ‘care’ is more broad and all-encompassing than traditional definitions. We need a new approach to capturing, and appreciating, their work, paid and unpaid.Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National UniversityChay Brown, Managing Director, Her Story Consulting & Postdoctoral fellow, Australian National UniversityJanet Hunt, Honorary Associate Professor, CAEPR, Australian National UniversityKayla Glynn-Braun, Director of Her Story, project coordinator at The Equality Institute, lead on U Right Sis? project, Indigenous KnowledgeZoe Staines, Senior Lecturer, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2247482024-03-14T19:25:26Z2024-03-14T19:25:26ZWe teach school kids about safe sex. We need to teach safe sexting too<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581513/original/file-20240313-16-gquzh6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=197%2C98%2C5784%2C3889&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/search/teenager%20cell%20phone/?orientation=landscape">Mart Production/ Pexels </a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Sexting involves taking self-made naked or partially naked sexual photos, videos or explicit texts and sending them online or via a mobile phone. They are more commonly referred to as “nudes” or “dick pics” by young people. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.latrobe.edu.au/arcshs/work/national-survey-of-secondary-students-and-sexual-health-2022">2021 survey</a> of almost 7,000 Australian teenagers (aged 14 to 18) found sexting was “ordinary practice” for young people. Of those surveyed, 86% reported they had received sexts and 70% said they had sent them. </p>
<p>Our new <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13634607241237675">research</a> explores Australian teens’ experiences with sexting and sext education. We conducted 49 interviews with 30 young Australians (aged 11 to 17), with 19 repeat interviews a year later. </p>
<p>Our findings show how current messages to simply avoid sexting do not work for young people. While the risks should be acknowledged, education should also include how to be respectful and safe with sexting. </p>
<h2>What are the laws around sexting?</h2>
<p>In most states and territories in Australia, it is legal to have sex when you are 16, but you need to be 18 to sext. </p>
<p>This is because <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14680777.2017.1367699">the creation of sexual images</a> of people who are minors is seen as creating child sexual exploitation materials. This is illegal under Commonwealth laws. </p>
<p>This makes sexting between young people under 18, consenting or otherwise, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-020-01727-6">both legally and ethically complex</a>. </p>
<p>States <a href="https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2021-03/intimate-image-laws-faqs.pdf">have diverse practices</a> regarding underage sexting (and police and prosecutors have some discretion). But if you are in possession of a naked image of someone under 18 or send a naked image of someone under 18, you are breaking the law. It is even illegal to own a naked photo of yourself under 18, even if that image is never sent to anyone. </p>
<p>Researchers have argued this legal approach to sexting can end up <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/109550/">punishing those it is supposed to protect</a>. It also adds to the shaming and fear around sexting for young people. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A teenager girl wearing headphones sits on a couch, looking at a phone." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581514/original/file-20240313-30-z1f8bf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581514/original/file-20240313-30-z1f8bf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581514/original/file-20240313-30-z1f8bf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581514/original/file-20240313-30-z1f8bf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581514/original/file-20240313-30-z1f8bf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581514/original/file-20240313-30-z1f8bf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581514/original/file-20240313-30-z1f8bf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Recent survey research shows more than 80% of Australian teenagers have received a sext.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/girl-in-headphones-using-a-phone-6256002/">Karolina Grabowska/ Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Our research</h2>
<p>Most young people in our study had their first experience of sexting between ten and 13-years-old. In many cases, this was before their first kiss.</p>
<p>But young people in our study said education about sexting in school tends to be based around risks, often in response to a particular incident and is mostly ignored by students. As Max* (12), told us, “it was just basically saying […] ‘don’t send them’”. Lauren (14) said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>They more veer on the safety side of things […] why nudes are bad […]. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>She argued this didn’t work. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>They [teens] know the warnings, but it just sort of goes in one ear and out the other. I don’t think kids listen to that.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Rightly or wrongly, teens in our study also saw relationships as a safe space for sexting. As Warren (17) noted:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If I was in a relationship, it’s a bit different ‘cause I trust them, they trust me.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This “don’t do it” messaging is akin to abstinence-only sex education, which is widely acknowledged to be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X05004672?casa_token=BO2XKrdl__EAAAAA:s0KQvKyW6my_3b-eQIrB1EST-QBcki1Jz-T5h75bEkbrScvkS6VTXo_LF2CaRSygSOsqION7utM">ineffective and fails to protect young people</a> from pregnancy and STIs. In contrast, comprehensive sexuality education has been proven to <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1525/srsp.2008.5.3.18">delay</a> first sexual experiences and increase contraceptive use. This shows offering young people access to important sexual information can protect them.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-havent-been-taught-about-sex-teens-talk-about-how-to-fix-school-sex-education-206001">'We haven't been taught about sex': teens talk about how to fix school sex education</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Young people want to be 'be prepared’</h2>
<p>Teens in our study acknowledged sexting had a “dark side”. </p>
<p>For many, their first sext was an unsolicited image known as “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563222004137?via%3Dihub">cyberflashing</a>”. Many knew of peers who had their own images leaked by other students <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/young-people/someone-threatening-to-share-my-nudes">without their consent</a>, even though none said this had happened to them. This sharing and leaking of private images has previously been known as “revenge porn” and forms part of an array of behaviours known as <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1524838016650189?casa_token=pF2nhihTKvMAAAAA%3AGlCJkuqbgvJogSIVntG4oGCCwGMGSe89-2z4XsqE1zgHMn24u-vtUU9rBWCuw-MC1U6w9SmY-Afyog">Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence</a>, which is illegal.</p>
<p>Teens wished they had been taught about sexting before encountering it so they could “be prepared”. Secondary school students said sexting education should begin in upper primary school with age-appropriate discussions continuing into high school, where, as Tiffany (15) told us, sexting “happens regularly, daily”.</p>
<p>Lauren said education around how to be respectful and consider issues like consent in online safety was also important: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I think it would be really useful, some people just don’t know, if you send something to someone that it’s obviously ‘private’ […] you just want to share it with that one person.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A teenage boy lies on a bed, reaching for his phone on a shelf behind his head." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581516/original/file-20240313-28-4oq51f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581516/original/file-20240313-28-4oq51f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581516/original/file-20240313-28-4oq51f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581516/original/file-20240313-28-4oq51f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581516/original/file-20240313-28-4oq51f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581516/original/file-20240313-28-4oq51f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581516/original/file-20240313-28-4oq51f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Young people interviewed as part of the research said teenagers ignored messages from schools not to sext.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/teenager-with-smartphone-in-bedroom-7241260/">Eren Li/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The UK is changing its approach</h2>
<p>Pretending sexting won’t or <a href="https://www.womensforumaustralia.org/no_its_not_ok_for_kids_to_send_headless_nudes">shouldn’t happen</a> because it is illegal is like pretending no one under 16 has sex, no young teenagers drink alcohol and no one takes illicit drugs. We don’t pretend these behaviours don’t exist: we educate for harm minimisation around them. </p>
<p>Recent guidance to schools in the United Kingdom around sexting reduces the emphasis on legal issues, while attempting to <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42380-019-00050-6">minimise shaming of young people</a> who sext. This approach emphasises young people’s rights and responsibilities to make informed choices over their own bodies and sexual selves. </p>
<p>Indeed, online sex <em>is</em> sex, forming part of a repertoire of sexual behaviours. Offering <a href="https://utpjournals.press/doi/abs/10.3138/cjhs.2017-0017">non-judgmental information</a> acknowledges sexuality as a legitimate part of human development. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/20-of-young-people-who-forwarded-nudes-say-they-had-permission-but-only-8-gave-it-why-the-gap-207913">20% of young people who forwarded nudes say they had permission – but only 8% gave it. Why the gap?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What can parents and teachers do?</h2>
<p>Parents and teachers can offer balanced information that identifies potential dangers but also <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-havent-been-taught-about-sex-teens-talk-about-how-to-fix-school-sex-education-206001">acknowledges the reality</a> of young people’s behaviours. </p>
<p>Instead of “don’t do it”, teens may be more receptive to discussions about consent and mutual respect for one another’s bodies as they would (and should) in real life.</p>
<p>If things do “go wrong” there are several services available.</p>
<p>The eSafety Commission acknowledges it is important young people know they can always <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/sending-nudes-sexting">say no to a request to send nudes</a>, and to avoid sharing intimate images and videos without consent . This is both breach of trust and against the law. It also has advice for when <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/young-people/my-nudes-have-been-shared">nudes have been shared</a>, if someone is trying to blackmail you over a naked image (“sextortion”) and provides a way to report <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/report/how-to-report-serious-online-abuse-illegal-restricted-content">image-based sexual abuse</a>.</p>
<p>You can also make a report to the <a href="https://www.accce.gov.au/">Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation</a> and US-based site <a href="https://takeitdown.ncmec.org/">Take It Down</a> </p>
<p>The federal government’s parenting website, the Raising Children Network also offers balanced <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/entertainment-technology/pornography-sexting/sexting-and-teenagers-practical-steps-for-problem-situations">step-by-step</a> guides if your child is asked to send a nude, receives one or has one shared without their consent. </p>
<p>Above all, maintaining an open dialogue and a <a href="https://psychcentral.com/blog/teens-sex-and-technology#summary">shame-free stance</a> will allow young people to feel safe to discuss anything with the adults in their lives. It also helps if teens know parents will help in a crisis, rather than punish them. </p>
<p><em>*Names have been changed.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224748/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This paper is an outcome of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project Adolescents' perceptions
of harm from accessing online sexual content (DP 190102435). As such, funding was received from the Australian Research Council.
Additional funding and support was received from both the Securing Digital Futures and Society and Culture research
themes at Edith Cowan University, which supported activities that informed the development of this work.
Giselle is also part of a not-for-profit Relationships and Sexuality education advocacy group, Bloom-Ed, whose views are not expressed here.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lelia Green receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC). She is a Co-Chief Investigator on the Discovery Project 'Adolescents’ perceptions of harm from accessing online sexual content' (DP 190102435). As such, funding was received from the Australian Research Council (2019-2023). It should be noted that teen sexting culture was not the focus of this grant, but was raised by teens when they were asked about online sexual content. Lelia also acknowledges significant in-kind support from the School of Arts and Humanities at Edith Cowan University. All views expressed are her own. </span></em></p>New research shows how current messages to ‘simply avoid’ sexting do not work for young people.Giselle Natassia Woodley, Researcher and Phd Candidate, Edith Cowan UniversityLelia Green, Professor of Communications, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2233842024-03-12T11:39:11Z2024-03-12T11:39:11ZFamily unbound: how western society is redefining and assembling families through digital platforms<p>Modern Western life offers a wide range of possibilities of what “family” can be: single parents, rainbow families, patchwork constellations, co-parenting, adoption, surrogacy and <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/us/childfree-by-choice-women-birth-rate-decline-cec/index.html">partnerships without children</a>. Family forms are diversifying and extending beyond the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jomf.12712">traditional</a>.</p>
<p>In many ways, the landscape of this fundamental institution is changing faster than laws and other institutions that can accommodate. As a result, certain online platforms are now seeking to bridge the gap, connecting individuals who are interested in forming non-traditional families and seeking guidance on how to do so.</p>
<h2>A Zeitgeist shift</h2>
<p>A website operating in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, <a href="https://www.familyship.org">Familyship.org</a>, is looking to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/14705931231201780">bridge this institutional and cultural gap</a>. Two women, Miriam Förster and Christine Wagner, set it up in order to form their ideal family. Together they found a co-father to take an active parental role and to provide ongoing support for the infant. While the women later ended their relationship, Christine and the co-father, who is gay, have continued to raise the child together.</p>
<p>The site was designed to help people weave new family ties according to a range of desired constellations. Regardless of relationship status, sexual orientation or gender, it’s designed to help anyone with a non-traditional understanding of family to conceive and raise a child. Over the past decade, more than 12,000 people have used the platform.</p>
<p>Users can seek various types of co-parents: hands-on, those with more passive “aunt or uncle” functions, or sperm donors who are less involved in the upbringing of the child. It is also possible to “mix and match” these parental roles as desired. The community is diverse with regard to gender, sexual orientation, relationship status, the desired form of family, and geographic location. Most users are based in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, and they’re generally politically liberal and well educated.</p>
<p>The overall goal of the platform was to help those wishing to be parents develop a child-centric family structure. Users are looking for ideal co-parenting partners to bear and rear offspring, not for romance or life partners. The platform affords privacy and protection for its users by offering strict privacy regulations and community access upon registration for a user fee.</p>
<h2>Liberation through innovative family models</h2>
<p>In our research, published in <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/14705931231201780"><em>Marketing Theory</em></a>, we analysed discourses in media coverage, interviewed the site’s founders, and accompanied 23 families or to-be families over a period of a year and a half. All names have been changed for privacy reasons.</p>
<p>Our analysis showed that there is a demand for platforms that enable and support individuals who question the societally dominant meanings of family. For example, Carlotta, a 38-year-old architect who is bisexual, describes herself as someone who struggles to maintain long-term relationships. After a year of reflecting on her wish to having a child, she came across the platform:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“At some point I [searched the Internet] and found a concept called co-parenting – it made total sense to me. I couldn’t believe that after all this worrying and thinking, my solution was right there. From one moment to the next, the burdening feeling was gone, and I felt so relieved to see a realistic option for having a child.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>She is now raising a child with a homosexual man in a co-parenting arrangement.</p>
<h2>Separating parenthood from romantic partnerships</h2>
<p>The platform’s co-founder, Christine Wagner, takes issue with the role of romantic entanglement in family formation and childrearing:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Eventually, it became obvious to me that this separation between the desire for children and partnership had to happen. This traditional coupling was also deeply rooted in my mind.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The disentanglement between romance and family formation is also a key reason for the popularity of the platform among heterosexual men and women. The platform was initially founded by a lesbian couple and used predominantly by the LGBTQIA+ community in the earlier years of the platform. Many users are drawn to the platform because they desire to reduce the perceived risk inherent in romantic relationships.</p>
<p>Emilia, a 37-year-old heterosexual woman, is one of them. An expatriate with a degree in literature and history, she co-parents with a homosexual man she found after moving to Berlin, which she dubs the “singles’ capital” of the world. Their second child is already in the planning. She reflects upon her journey:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I always knew I wanted to have a family and become a mother… But at the same time, I increasingly worried. My parents got divorced, as with so many other families. I see the marriages of my friends and the unstable relationships children are born into. And if you look at the official statistics, the divorce rates speak for themselves. To be honest, I don’t believe in this family model anymore. It is too risky to base a family on romantic emotions between two people. I want to find a stronger basis for my child’s future.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Claudia, a 35-year-old who graduated in design and business, is also co-parenting a child with a homosexual man. Her thoughts echo Emilia’s:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I actively thought about questions like: How important is it for me to have children? I came relatively quickly to the conclusion that it is very important for me to have children. But I really do have big doubts about the concept of a traditional family, and it doesn’t really suit me either.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Family creation afforded by platforms</h2>
<p>Social scientists have started to question the changing role of relationships and <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-fr/The+End+of+Love:+A+Sociology+of+Negative+Relations-p-9781509550258">love in the contemporary era</a>, in which popular social media and dating apps greatly influence our interactions and how we meet others. In this respect, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/14705931231201780">our study</a> helps advance understandings of “platformisation” of consumer culture. In practice, this means that corporations are once again closely involved in shaping our intimate relationships.</p>
<p>As a digital platform, Familyship.org contrasts with such trends. It can be better understood as a “social enterprise”, given it was a created by ordinary people as a nonprofit. In doing so, it became a successful initiative in shaping and re-imagining one of the most intimate spheres of our lives – the way people think about, create, and enact family.</p>
<p>For policy-making purposes, we consider the model of Familyship.org to be an interesting one to learn from. Its collaborative model helps individuals to share life experiences and find solutions to complex social and legal constraints in ways that leverage a network of expertise. The site protects privacy, enabling participants to talk freely and creatively about their desired family constellations in a closed community space.</p>
<p>As a <a href="https://direct.mit.edu/itgg/article/1/2/145/9448/The-Process-of-Social-Innovation">2006 paper</a> published in the MIT journal <em>Innovations</em> notes, “people are competent interpreters of their own lives and competent solvers of their own problems”. Similarly, policymakers should follow suit and foster the creation of similar kinds of protected platform spaces for social innovation and experimentation.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223384/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Part of the research project was funded by the the Swiss National Science Foundation P1SGP1_188106. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Schouten et Joonas Rokka ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur poste universitaire.</span></em></p>Whether LGBTQIA+, or sceptical of romantic love as the best foundation for their family, many are looking to the Internet to find co-parenting partners with whom to raise a child.Lydia Ottlewski, Assistant professor, University of Southern DenmarkJohn Schouten, Canada Research Chair in Social EnterpriseJoonas Rokka, Professeur en marketing, EM Lyon Business SchoolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2174332024-03-11T12:28:43Z2024-03-11T12:28:43ZVaccine-skeptical mothers say bad health care experiences made them distrust the medical system<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580008/original/file-20240305-18-5fkuf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=86%2C28%2C4623%2C3168&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Women's own negative medical experiences influence their vaccine decisions for their kids.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/VirusOutbreakPediatricVaccines/9249589410f742d586eeff3122190438/photo?boardId=71cbe30c136941ba87c7b57dabd12ef2&st=boards&mediaType=audio,photo,video,graphic&sortBy=&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=2&currentItemNo=0">AP Photo/Ted S. Warren</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Why would a mother reject safe, potentially lifesaving vaccines for her child?</p>
<p><a href="https://www.salon.com/2019/02/10/the-unsubtle-sexism-of-the-anti-vax-mom-meme/">Popular writing on vaccine skepticism</a> often denigrates white and middle-class mothers who reject some or all recommended vaccines <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/07/08/right-wing-anti-vaccine-hysteria-is-increasing-well-all-pay-price/">as hysterical</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2022.2069088">misinformed, zealous</a> <a href="https://www.canberra.edu.au/uncover/news-archive/2022/april/targetting-mothers-anti-vaxxers-insidious-strategies">or ignorant</a>. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/25/magazine/anti-vaccine-movement.html">Mainstream media</a> <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/07/anthony-fauci-coronavirus-vaccine-polio-measles">and medical providers</a> increasingly dismiss vaccine refusal as a hallmark of American fringe ideology, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/31/opinion/anti-vaccine-movement.html">far-right radicalization or anti-intellectualism</a>.</p>
<p>But vaccine skepticism, and the broader medical mistrust and far-reaching anxieties it reflects, is not just a fringe position.</p>
<p>Pediatric vaccination rates had already <a href="https://www.cedars-sinai.org/newsroom/2019-the-year-of-vaccine-preventable-diseases/">fallen sharply before the COVID-19 pandemic</a>, ushering in the return of measles, mumps and chickenpox to the U.S. in 2019. Four years after the pandemic’s onset, a growing number of Americans doubt the safety, efficacy and necessity of routine vaccines. Childhood vaccination rates have declined substantially across the U.S., which public health officials attribute to a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-immunizations-children-measles-acba3eb975fdfcd41732ed87511387f2">“spillover” effect</a> from pandemic-related vaccine skepticism and blame for the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/news-event/measles-outbreak">recent measles outbreak</a>. Almost half of American mothers <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2023/05/16/americans-largely-positive-views-of-childhood-vaccines-hold-steady/">rated the risk of side effects from the MMR vaccine</a> as medium or high in a 2023 survey by Pew Research. </p>
<p>Recommended vaccines go through rigorous testing and evaluation, and the most infamous charges of vaccine-induced injury <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/25766651">have been thoroughly debunked</a>. How do so many mothers – primary caregivers and health care decision-makers for their families – become wary of U.S. health care and one of its most proven preventive technologies?</p>
<p>I’m a cultural anthropologist who <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=nzIMuB8AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">studies the ways feelings and beliefs circulate in American society</a>. To investigate what’s behind mothers’ vaccine skepticism, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/maq.12764">I interviewed vaccine-skeptical mothers</a> about their perceptions of existing and novel vaccines. What they told me complicates sweeping and overly simplified portrayals of their misgivings by pointing to the U.S. health care system itself. The medical system’s failures and harms against women gave rise to their pervasive vaccine skepticism and generalized medical mistrust.</p>
<h2>The seeds of women’s skepticism</h2>
<p>I conducted <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/maq.12764">this ethnographic research</a> in Oregon from 2020 to 2021 with predominantly white mothers between the ages of 25 and 60. My findings reveal new insights about the origins of vaccine skepticism among this demographic. These women traced their distrust of vaccines, and of U.S. health care more generally, to ongoing and repeated instances of medical harm they experienced from childhood through childbirth.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580511/original/file-20240307-28-wlrbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="girl sitting on exam table faces a doctor viewer can see from behind" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580511/original/file-20240307-28-wlrbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580511/original/file-20240307-28-wlrbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580511/original/file-20240307-28-wlrbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580511/original/file-20240307-28-wlrbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580511/original/file-20240307-28-wlrbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580511/original/file-20240307-28-wlrbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580511/original/file-20240307-28-wlrbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A woman’s own childhood mistreatment by a doctor can shape her health care decisions for the next generation.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/little-girl-at-a-medical-appointment-royalty-free-image/1670275219">FatCamera/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>As young girls in medical offices, they were touched without consent, yelled at, disbelieved or threatened. One mother, Susan, recalled her pediatrician abruptly lying her down and performing a rectal exam without her consent at the age of 12. Another mother, Luna, shared how a pediatrician once threatened to have her institutionalized when she voiced anxiety at a routine physical.</p>
<p>As women giving birth, they often felt managed, pressured or discounted. One mother, Meryl, told me, “I felt like I was coerced under distress into Pitocin and induction” during labor. Another mother, Hallie, shared, “I really battled with my provider” throughout the childbirth experience. </p>
<p>Together with the convoluted bureaucracy of for-profit health care, experiences of medical harm contributed to “one million little touch points of information,” in one mother’s phrase, that underscored the untrustworthiness and harmful effects of U.S. health care writ large.</p>
<h2>A system that doesn’t serve them</h2>
<p>Many mothers I interviewed rejected the premise that public health entities such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration had their children’s best interests at heart. Instead, they tied childhood vaccination and the more recent development of COVID-19 vaccines to a bloated pharmaceutical industry and for-profit health care model. As one mother explained, “The FDA is not looking out for our health. They’re looking out for their wealth.”</p>
<p>After ongoing negative medical encounters, the women I interviewed lost trust not only in providers but the medical system. Frustrating experiences prompted them to “do their own research” in the name of bodily autonomy. Such research often included books, articles and podcasts deeply critical of vaccines, public health care and drug companies.</p>
<p>These materials, which have proliferated since 2020, cast light on past vaccine trials gone awry, broader histories of medical harm and abuse, the rapid growth of the recommended vaccine schedule in the late 20th century and the massive profits reaped from drug development and for-profit health care. They confirmed and hardened women’s suspicions about U.S. health care.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580514/original/file-20240307-23-p10d28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="hands point to a handwritten vaccination record" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580514/original/file-20240307-23-p10d28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580514/original/file-20240307-23-p10d28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580514/original/file-20240307-23-p10d28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580514/original/file-20240307-23-p10d28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580514/original/file-20240307-23-p10d28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=561&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580514/original/file-20240307-23-p10d28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=561&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580514/original/file-20240307-23-p10d28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=561&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">The number of recommended childhood vaccines has increased over time.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/tom-lyons-dir-of-communications-of-the-boston-public-health-news-photo/1340505911">Mike Adaskaveg/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>The stories these women told me add nuance to existing academic research into vaccine skepticism. Most studies have considered vaccine skepticism among <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/maq.12214">primarily white and middle-class parents</a> to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243214532711">an outgrowth of today’s neoliberal parenting</a> and <a href="https://nyupress.org/9781479874835/calling-the-shots/">intensive mothering</a>. Researchers have theorized vaccine skepticism among white and well-off mothers to be an outcome of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14797585.2021.1886425">consumer health care</a> and its emphasis on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01459740.2016.1145219">individual choice</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.04.023">risk reduction</a>. Other researchers highlight vaccine skepticism as a collective identity that can provide mothers with a <a href="https://doi.org/10.14506/ca31.3.04">sense of belonging</a>.</p>
<h2>Seeing medical care as a threat to health</h2>
<p>The perceptions mothers shared are far from isolated or fringe, and they are not unreasonable. Rather, they represent a growing population of Americans who hold the pervasive belief that U.S. health care harms more than it helps.</p>
<p>Data suggests that the number of Americans harmed in the course of treatment remains high, with <a href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/quality-u-s-healthcare-system-compare-countries/#patient-safety">incidents of medical error in the U.S.</a> outnumbering those in peer countries, despite more money being spent per capita on health care. <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2023/07/report-highlights-public-health-impact-of-serious-harms-from-diagnostic-error-in-us#:%7E:text=The%20overall%20average%20error%20rate,missed%20in%2017.5%25%20of%20cases.">One 2023 study</a> found that diagnostic error, one kind of medical error, accounted for 371,000 deaths and 424,000 permanent disabilities among Americans every year. </p>
<p>Studies reveal particularly high rates of medical error in the treatment of <a href="https://www.bu.edu/bulawreview/files/2022/03/JEAN-PIERRE.pdf">vulnerable communities</a>, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-018-0828-7">women, people of color</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.01452">disabled</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0166762">poor</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8861755/">LGBTQ+ and gender-nonconforming individuals</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3111/13696998.2013.848210">the elderly</a>. The number of U.S. women who have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.9043">died because of pregnancy-related causes</a> has increased substantially in recent years, with maternal death rates doubling between 1999 and 2019.</p>
<p>The prevalence of medical harm points to the relevance of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ivan-Illich">philosopher Ivan Illich</a>’s manifesto against the “disease of medical progress.” In his 1982 book “<a href="https://search.worldcat.org/title/8493694">Medical Nemesis</a>,” he insisted that rather than being incidental, harm flows inevitably from the structure of institutionalized and for-profit health care itself. Illich wrote, “The medical establishment has become a major threat to health,” and has created its own “epidemic” of iatrogenic illness – that is, illness caused by a physician or the health care system itself.</p>
<p>Four decades later, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp1407373">medical mistrust among Americans</a> remains alarmingly high. Only 23% of Americans express high confidence in the medical system. The United States ranks 24th out of 29 peer high-income countries for the level of public trust in medical providers.</p>
<p>For people like the mothers I interviewed, who have experienced real or perceived harm at the hands of medical providers; have felt belittled, dismissed or disbelieved in a doctor’s office; or spent countless hours fighting to pay for, understand or use health benefits, skepticism and distrust are rational responses to lived experience. These attitudes do not emerge solely from ignorance, conspiracy thinking, far-right extremism or hysteria, but rather the historical and ongoing harms endemic to the U.S. health care system itself.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217433/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Johanna Richlin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Vaccine skepticism, and the broader medical mistrust and far-reaching anxieties it reflects, is not just a fringe position in the 21st century.Johanna Richlin, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of MaineLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2218562024-03-07T23:42:24Z2024-03-07T23:42:24ZOur family is always glued to separate devices. How can we connect again?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580349/original/file-20240307-26-3uw5xe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=158%2C186%2C6043%2C3876&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/irresponsible-parents-ignoring-lonely-daughter-bored-1643131846">Space_Cat/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s Saturday afternoon and the kids are all connected to separate devices. So are the parents. Sounds familiar?</p>
<p>Many families want to set ground rules to help them reduce their screen time – and have time to connect with each other, without devices. </p>
<p>But it can be difficult to know where to start and how to make a plan that suits your family. </p>
<h2>First, look at your own screen time</h2>
<p>Before telling children to “hop off the tech”, it’s important parents understand how much they are using screens themselves. </p>
<p>Globally, the average person <a href="https://explodingtopics.com/blog/screen-time-stats">spends</a> an average of six hours and 58 minutes on screens each day. This has increased by 13%, or 49 minutes, since 2013. </p>
<p>Parents who report high screen time use <a href="https://www.rchpoll.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ACHP-Poll7_Detailed-Report-June21.pdf">tend to see this</a> filtering down to the children in their family too. <a href="https://www.rchpoll.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ACHP-Poll7_Detailed-Report-June21.pdf">Two-thirds</a> of primary school-aged children in Australia have their own mobile screen-based device. </p>
<p>Australia’s screen time guidelines <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/resources/short-articles/too-much-time-screens">recommended</a> children aged five to 17 years have no more than two hours of sedentary screen time (excluding homework) each day. For those aged two to five years, it’s no more than one hour a day. And the guidelines recommend no screen time at all for children under two. </p>
<p>Yet the majority of children, across age groups, exceed these maximums. A <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/mar/04/does-children-toddlers-kids-watching-tv-impact-development-learning">new Australian study released this week</a> found the average three-year-old is exposed to two hours and 52 minutes of screen time a day. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/development-of-vision-in-early-childhood-no-screens-before-age-two-193192">Development of vision in early childhood: No screens before age two</a>
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<h2>Some screen time is OK, too much increases risks</h2>
<p>Technology has profoundly impacted children’s lives, offering both opportunities and challenges. </p>
<p>On one hand, it provides access to <a href="https://www.twinscience.com/en/parent-advice/benefits-of-technology-to-children/">educational resources</a>, can develop creativity, facilitates communication with peers and family members, and allows students to seek out new information.</p>
<p>On the other hand, excessive screen use <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/resources/short-articles/too-much-time-screens">can result in</a> too much time being sedentary, delays in <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2815514?guestAccessKey=af1b82f5-2ff4-4cc9-a88c-2720ef541470&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=030424">developmental milestones</a>, disrupted <a href="https://parentingscience.com/electronic-media-and-sleep-problems-in-children/#:%7E:text=Does%20this%20put%20kids%20at,(Lund%20et%20al%202021">sleep</a> and daytime drowsiness.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Tired boy looks out the window" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Disrupted sleep can leave children tired the next day.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sad-bored-caucasian-boy-travelling-by-2168424981">Yulia Raneva/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Too much screen time can <a href="https://www.qustodio.com/en/blog/technology-child-social-development/">affect</a> social skills, as it replaces time spent in face-to-face social interactions. This is where children learn verbal and non-verbal communication, develop empathy, learn patience and how to take turns.</p>
<p>Many families also <a href="https://doi.org/10.23965/AJEC.43.2.02">worry about</a> how to maintain a positive relationship with their children when so much of their time is spent glued to screens.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/3-ways-to-help-your-child-transition-off-screens-and-avoid-the-dreaded-tech-tantrums-220138">3 ways to help your child transition off screens and avoid the dreaded 'tech tantrums'</a>
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<h2>What about when we’re all on devices?</h2>
<p>When families are all using devices simultaneously, it results in less face-to-face interactions, reducing communication and resulting in a shift in family dynamics. </p>
<p>The increased use of wireless technology enables families to easily tune out from each other by putting in earphones, reducing the <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.611670">opportunity for conversation</a>. Family members wearing earphones during shared activities or meals creates a physical barrier and encourages people to retreat into their own digital worlds.</p>
<p>Wearing earphones for long periods may also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2010.07.015">reduce</a> connection to, and closeness with, family members. Research from video gaming, for instance, found excessing gaming increases feelings of isolation, loneliness and the displacement of real-world social interactions, alongside weakened relationships with peers and family members.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/mum-dad-im-bored-how-to-teach-children-to-manage-their-own-boredom-these-holidays-217680">'Mum, Dad, I'm bored!' How to teach children to manage their own boredom these holidays</a>
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<h2>How can I set screen time limits?</h2>
<p>Start by sitting down as a family and <a href="https://parents.au.reachout.com/skills-to-build/wellbeing/technology-and-teenagers">discussing what limits</a> you all feel would be appropriate when using TVs, phones and gaming – and when is an appropriate time to use them.</p>
<p>Have <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/resources/short-articles/too-much-time-screens">set rules</a> around family time – for example, no devices at the dinner table – so you can connect through face-to-face interactions. </p>
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<img alt="Mother talks to her family at the dinner table" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">One rule might be no devices at the dinner table.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/multigeneration-mixed-race-family-eating-meal-1564283620">Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Consider locking your phone or devices away at certain periods throughout the week, such as after 9pm (or within an hour of bedtime for younger children) and seek out opportunities to balance your days with physical activities, such kicking a footy at the park or going on a family bush walk. </p>
<p>Parents can model healthy behaviour by regulating and setting limits on their own screen time. This might mean limiting your social media scrolling to 15 or 30 minutes a day and keeping your phone in the next room when you’re not using it. </p>
<p>When establishing appropriate boundaries and ensuring children’s safety, it is crucial for parents and guardians to engage in open communication about technology use. This <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003169390/children-technology-healthy-development-catherine-knibbs">includes</a> teaching critical thinking skills to navigate online content safely and employing parental control tools and privacy settings.</p>
<p>Parents can foster a supportive and trusting relationship with children from an early age so children feel comfortable discussing their online experiences and sharing their fears or concerns.</p>
<p><em>For resources to help you develop your own family’s screen time plan, visit the <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/babies/play-learning/media-technology/screen-time">Raising Children Network</a>.</em></p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/help-ive-just-discovered-my-teen-has-watched-porn-what-should-i-do-215892">Help, I've just discovered my teen has watched porn! What should I do?</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221856/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elise Waghorn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many families want to set ground rules to reduce their screen time – and have time to connect with each other, without devices. Here’s where to start.Elise Waghorn, Lecturer, School of Education, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2233992024-02-26T13:09:06Z2024-02-26T13:09:06ZRelationship anarchy is about creating bonds that suit people, not social conventions<p>By its very nature, friendship is <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/anarchy">anarchic</a>: it has few rules and is not regulated by the government. Our friendships are usually egalitarian, flexible and non-exclusive. We treat our friends as individuals and care about their interests. We support them and don’t tell them what to do; our friendships fit around, rather than govern, our lives. </p>
<p>But interestingly, friendship is the exception when it comes to <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2020/10/people-who-prioritize-friendship-over-romance/616779/">intimacy</a>. Few of us want anarchic love lives, or to treat our children as equals. We gravitate instead towards more rigid, hierarchical, structured forms of intimacy in these relationships. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/i-have-4-partners-and-several-comet-romances-this-is-what-its-like-to-be-a-relationship-anarchist_uk_64ba8dcfe4b093f07cb48251">Relationship anarchists</a> do not hold with these ideas. They argue we must try harder to relate as equals, reject hierarchy between relationships and accept that intimate life can take many forms. </p>
<p>Critics would suggest relationship anarchy is just a lifestyle – an attempt to evade commitment. But the concept is best understood as political, and a development of the core themes of anarchist thinking. This reflects the values and practices involved, and reminds us that the flourishing of intimacy might require radical change. </p>
<p>These core themes include rejecting the idea that there should be one dominant form of authority – like a president, boss or patriarch; wariness of social class or status which arbitrarily privileges some people other others; and a deep respect for the idea that individuals should be able to govern their own lives and support each other. Applied to intimate relationships, these themes define relationship anarchy. </p>
<p>But political anarchism is not above violence and disorder. As someone whose work explores the philosophy of love, sex and relationships – and different approaches to intimacy – I view it as an attitude towards our social predicament where people try to relate as equals and reject unnecessary constraints. </p>
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<h2>Equals without constraints</h2>
<p>Relationship anarchists critique society and imagine alternatives. Their main target is the idea that there are different kinds of relationships and some are more important than others.</p>
<p>They reject how relationships appear in the media; good relationships needn’t last forever, be exclusive, between two people, domestic, involve romantic love or practical entanglement. This critical eye also extends to our attitudes towards children, animals and the environment. </p>
<p>Relationship anarchy’s aversion to hierarchy separates it from <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/relationships/a46109633/what-is-a-swinger/">swinging</a> or forms of <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/japp.12240">polyamory</a> which distinguish between sex and romance, <a href="https://www.morethantwo.com/polyconfigurations.html">“primary” and “secondary” partners</a>, or which think the government should privilege some relationships through marriage law. </p>
<p>The practical heart of relationship anarchy is the idea that we design relationships to suit us, not mirror social expectations. Do we want to share a home? Is sexual intimacy important? If so, what kind exactly? This process also involves creating a framework to guide our broader intimate life. How will we choose together? How and when can we revise our framework? What about disagreements?</p>
<p>Relationship anarchists will disagree about the content of these frameworks. Can two relationship anarchists agree to be romantically exclusive, for example, set rules for each other, or decide to never revise their framework? Should they retain, repurpose or reject common labels such as “partner”?</p>
<p>My own view is that agreements are acceptable if they support our <a href="https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=romantic-agency-loving-well-in-modern-life--9781509551521">ability to be intimate</a>, but we should embrace “minimal non-monogamy” and remain open to the possibility our desires will change. </p>
<h2>Community and self-development</h2>
<p>Community is central to relationship anarchy. From queer feminist Andie Nordgren’s “<a href="https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/andie-nordgren-the-short-instructional-manifesto-for-relationship-anarchy">short instructional manifesto</a>” – which jumpstarted relationship anarchy – to <a href="https://ia803109.us.archive.org/14/items/rad2019zine/RAD%202019%20Zine%20for%20online%20reading.pdf">zines</a> like Communities Not Couples, the <a href="https://violetbeau00.medium.com/relationship-anarchy-smorgasbord-practical-applications-78ad8d911b0b">relationship “smorgasbord”</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/decolonizing.love/?hl=en">social media influencers</a>, relationship anarchists educate each other and share resources. </p>
<p>They also embrace <a href="https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/2722-mutual-aid">supporting each other</a> when social institutions are inadequate. This might involve providing money, establishing accessible community spaces, sourcing contraception and caregiving.</p>
<p>Relationship anarchy requires self-development. Since we are shaped by our social context, we often lack the skills needed to overhaul our relationships, whether that’s communicating effectively or managing emotions such as jealousy and insecurity.</p>
<p>Relationship anarchists embrace the idea that we cannot behave now in ways that would be <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/Prefigurative+Politics:+Building+Tomorrow+Today-p-9781509535910">unacceptable in our ideal society</a>. We cannot be callous or dishonest in trying to bring about open and equal relationships. Instead, trying to embody our desired changes in our actions helps us develop the skills needed to ensure these changes are sustainable. </p>
<p>Talk of relationship anarchy often prompts objections. Liberals think government involvement in private life prevents harm, and that common social norms and ideals of relationships prevent anxiety. A relationship anarchist would ask us to consider the real source of these worries. </p>
<p>We are well able to harm each other within existing government frameworks: police, immigration, social and health services often harm people in unconventional relationships through policies that <a href="https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/21/orphaned-by-decree-italy-same-sex-parents-react-losing-rights">do not recognise the family life of non-heterosexual people</a>. Or which make it hard for immigrant families to be together, or deny visitation rights to unmarried people, for example.</p>
<p>Community networks of care are active in resisting and repairing these harms, and their efforts are evidence that we can successfully oversee our own needs when it comes to intimacy. </p>
<p>Similarly, a more active approach to our relationships, where we reflect on our needs and desires, set boundaries and communicate, <a href="https://scribepublications.co.uk/books-authors/books/polysecure-9781914484957">builds confidence and decreases anxiety</a>. A realistic and flexible attitude towards intimacy makes it harder to trip on the <a href="https://blog.oup.com/2019/09/why-love-ends/">gap between ideals and reality</a>.</p>
<p>Realism, not revolution, is at the heart of relationship anarchy. Social criticism can be radical – ranging from love and domesticity to childcare, companionship and co-operation – but efforts to remould our relationships should be done with care. We can both expose social contradictions and oppressive laws and accept common ground with other views and initiatives.</p>
<p>Most of all, we should be wary of attempts to cast relationship anarchy as a fad or lifestyle. It is political – a commitment to nurture agency when it comes to intimacy. Like conversation, relationship anarchy is a process; it can be messy, loud, and unpredictable, but it can change us entirely.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223399/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Luke Brunning does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Relationship anarchists argue that we should relate to one another as equals and accept that intimacy can take many forms.Luke Brunning, Lecturer in Applied Ethics, University of LeedsLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2208472024-02-23T03:31:31Z2024-02-23T03:31:31ZYouTube influencer Ruby Franke will go to prison for child abuse. What are the ethics of family vlogging?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577488/original/file-20240222-24-jtf0xb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C17%2C6000%2C3637&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/woman-holding-black-dslr-camera-VLgS0UfNfvE">Warren/Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Mother and family YouTube creator Ruby Franke was this week <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68353302">sentenced</a> to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse.</p>
<p>Franke came under fire from viewers many times throughout her time on YouTube for her controversial parenting, which included videos of <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66719859">withholding food</a> from the children, or sharing she made her son <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XZS5XuftWc">sleep on a bean bag</a> for seven months after pranking his younger brother.</p>
<p>In court, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68353302">prosecutor Eric Clarke said</a> “the children were regularly denied food, water, beds to sleep in, and virtually all forms of entertainment”.</p>
<p>Now, nine years after the channel started, Franke and her friend and business partner Jodi Hilderbrandt are going to prison. </p>
<p>Family channels are very popular on YouTube, with millions of subscribers. They feature the intimate lives of a family, are most often run by the mothers and focus on everyday family life: school, food, parenting, and occasionally discipline.</p>
<p>Family channels have been <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/04/youtube-family-vloggings-dark-side.html">consistently scrutinised</a> by the media and others online for sharing the lives of children online without their consent. While the Franke case is an extreme example, it raises important questions about sharing children’s lives online.</p>
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<h2>‘Sharenting’</h2>
<p>Parents sharing – or, more often, oversharing – information about their children online has been called “<a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-14508-036">sharenting</a>”. Sharenting allows parents to publicly post about their children and receive praise and validation, while also providing a sense of community. Many parents online share information in <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-i-post-photos-of-my-children-online-heres-what-new-parents-need-to-know-about-sharenting-190507">low-risk ways</a> on their private social media accounts. </p>
<p>However, when influencers share their children to their massive public platforms, the risks are magnified. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/should-i-post-photos-of-my-children-online-heres-what-new-parents-need-to-know-about-sharenting-190507">Should I post photos of my children online? Here's what new parents need to know about sharenting</a>
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<p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334801974_Our_Baby_on_YouTube_The_Gendered_Life_Stories_of_the_Unborn">Researchers</a> worry about how this level of sharing is taking away agency from children and how it creates an online life story for them to which they cannot consent. There are also real risks of sharing children to <a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/2016/04/why-youtube-mums-are-taking-their-kids-offline">potential predators online</a>, with concerns about videos being saved or embedded into unsavoury websites. </p>
<p>To combat some of these risks, YouTube recommends parents turn off the embedding function on videos as part of its <a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9229229?hl=en-GB">best practice guide</a> for content with children.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577489/original/file-20240222-22-y4s9va.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="YouTube browser" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577489/original/file-20240222-22-y4s9va.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577489/original/file-20240222-22-y4s9va.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577489/original/file-20240222-22-y4s9va.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577489/original/file-20240222-22-y4s9va.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577489/original/file-20240222-22-y4s9va.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577489/original/file-20240222-22-y4s9va.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577489/original/file-20240222-22-y4s9va.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">YouTube has a best practice guide for content with children.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/manchester-feb-13-youtube-gb-website-176457944">JuliusKielaitis/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>In one case, YouTuber Allison Irons took her children off her channel after looking at her analytics and realising her videos were being <a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/2016/04/why-youtube-mums-are-taking-their-kids-offline">embedded onto websites</a> for paedophiles. After turning off the embedding function, her male viewership dropped from 40% to 17%.</p>
<p>Outside of legal issues, YouTube is largely a self-policing platform, where users and content creators dictate what is appropriate content within their own communities. </p>
<p>There have been multiple cases in which the community has decided the actions of a family channel have been inappropriate. The YouTube channel DaddyOFive shocked the community <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/04/daddyofive-youtube-abuse-controversy-explained.html">when the parents were shown</a> “pranking” their children on camera, in a way many interpreted as abuse. The channel is no longer active.</p>
<p>Similarly, Myka and James Stauffer received severe backlash after posting videos about <a href="https://www.thecut.com/2020/08/youtube-myka-james-stauffer-huxley-adoption.html">giving up their adopted child</a> after making multiple videos sharing his face and name with their followers.</p>
<p>But it’s not just children of influencers who are concerned about their lives being shared online. A survey <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32567783/">conducted in 2020</a> found “children were generally quite negative toward sharenting” and all children in the survey wanted their parents to ask for permission before posting content of them online. </p>
<h2>The case against 8 Passengers</h2>
<p>Ruby Franke and husband Kevin Franke began their YouTube channel, 8 passengers, in 2015. The channel featured the couple and their six children. At the height of the channel, they had 2.5 million subscribers and 1 billion channel views. The channel was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Franke">deleted in 2022</a> after a series of controversies involving the channel. Ruby and Kevin have since separated.</p>
<p>A 2020 petition called for an investigation into the Franke parents based on elements of their videos, including one in which Ruby Franke <a href="https://www.thecut.com/article/ruby-franke-utah-mommy-vlogger-pleads-guilty-to-child-abuse.html">refused</a> to drop lunch off at school for her six-year-old daughter, stating it was her responsibility to bring food and teachers were not allowed to feed her. </p>
<p>In 2023, one of Franke’s young children “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/09/01/ruby-franke-youtube-8passengers-child-abuse/">escaped</a>”, according to media reports, and asked a neighbour for help, who then contacted the police, leading to this month’s court hearing.</p>
<p>The court heard the children had been victims of severe <a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-physically-disciplining-kids-is-an-act-of-violence-31425">corporal punishment</a>, including removal of food and bedding, and physical punishments such as being made to perform wall-sits or do manual labour in harsh weather. </p>
<p>Of course, not all family vloggers are the same as 8 Passengers. However, we do need to consider the ethical ramifications of sharing children online and the rights of all children on family channels.</p>
<h2>What should family vlogging look like?</h2>
<p>The landscape of family channels on YouTube is changing. In 2021, France implemented a <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/04/12/family-vlogs-child-influencers-exploitation-youtube-laws/">law</a> to protect the income of children online. In the United States, the <a href="https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-and-cassidy-propose-bipartisan-bill-to-update-childrens-online-privacy-rules">Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act</a> came into effect in 2021. </p>
<p>The world of sharing your child online is ethically complex. Sharenting could impact the development of a child’s identity formation and <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/the-impact-of-sharenting-6361714">sense of self</a>. </p>
<p>It’s imperative parents be aware of the dangers of public sharing and take the necessary steps to protect their children. Ask permission before sharing your children online, and consider the long-term effects of curating an online life for them. For more research on online child safety and education, parents should consult the <a href="https://digitalchild.org.au/">Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-arent-there-any-legal-protections-for-the-children-of-influencers-196463">Why aren't there any legal protections for the children of influencers?</a>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Edith Jennifer Hill does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>While the Ruby Franke case is an extreme example, it raises important questions of sharing children’s lives online.Edith Jennifer Hill, Associate Lecturer, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2222942024-02-21T17:27:59Z2024-02-21T17:27:59ZHow colourism affects families in the UK – and how positive parenting can challenge it<p>Actor Lupita Nyong'o <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-49976837">describes colourism</a> as “the daughter of racism” in “a world that rewards lighter skin over darker skin”. <a href="https://theconversation.com/colourism-how-skin-shade-prejudice-impacts-black-men-in-the-uk-175786">This form</a> of <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00380385211069507">prejudice</a> sees people more penalised the darker their skin is and the further their features are from those associated with whiteness. </p>
<p>In 2021, we developed the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01419870.2022.2149275">Everyday Colourism Scale</a> to capture individual people’s perceptions of interpersonal colourism. This tool has allowed us to start to examine associations between experiences of colourism and demographic characteristics and various health and wellbeing outcomes. We found that experiencing colourism is associated with negative <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S174014452300092X">body image</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01419870.2024.2311139">Our skin shade study</a> has found that colourism affects both men and women, and can shape how people feel about themselves and how they choose romantic partners. It also shows how often this starts at home. We have found that families in the UK play a significant role in introducing children to colourist views and that these, in turn, can shape and undermine family relations.</p>
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<img alt="A mother and child." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577070/original/file-20240221-16-ymuuml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577070/original/file-20240221-16-ymuuml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577070/original/file-20240221-16-ymuuml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577070/original/file-20240221-16-ymuuml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577070/original/file-20240221-16-ymuuml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577070/original/file-20240221-16-ymuuml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577070/original/file-20240221-16-ymuuml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Families can challenge colourism through positive parenting and love.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/mother-son-504833179">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>How colourism can play out in the home</h2>
<p>For our study, we conducted interviews in 2019 with 33 people of colour (24 women and nine men) who were black, South Asian, East Asian or of mixed ethnic backgrounds (predominantly black and white). </p>
<p>We found that women and men’s experiences of familial colourism differed. The women we spoke to were targeted and affected more than men. </p>
<p>In a patriarchal society, <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/27821646">women</a> are subjected to global appearance ideals that posit light skin as beautiful and feminine. Our previous work on <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00380385211069507">black men’s experiences of colourism</a> found that light skin is seen as desirable in women – it is often a status symbol. </p>
<p>Our new findings show that familial awareness of the social capital inherent in light skin, particularly for women, affects how families treat their children. </p>
<p>Marie, a 50-year-old Chinese woman who participated in our research, described conflicting feelings about going out in the sun due to colourism from women in her family. She said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I don’t like going outside because I’m going to get darker and end up looking like a peasant. My parents were peasants. When they were growing up, they used to work in the countryside. I remember as a kid, mum saying: ‘No, don’t go outside because you’ll get dark, and you’ll end up looking like you work in the paddy fields.’</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Marie’s story suggests that family colourism may relate to feelings of shame. From her account, her mother seems to associate dark skin with low socioeconomic status and wants to distance her family from it. </p>
<p>Other participants described how dark skin was seen as ugly in ways that suggested that it might also be a source of shame. Portia, a 51-year-old black woman, said that her father told her, at 13, that she was “black and ugly” like her grandmother – his own mother. “It’s something that is etched on my brain,” she said. To her mind, it showed “how deep this self-hatred is”.</p>
<p>Participants also discussed the impact of family colourism on romantic relationships. Chloe, a 33-year-old woman with a black mother and white father, said skin shade influenced her choice of partner. “This is really sad,” she said. “My mum doesn’t like us to date black people … She only wants us to date white people.” </p>
<p>Chloe later said that her mother did not mind a former Chinese boyfriend, but was opposed to her dating south Asian people. Her mother was also uncomfortable with her having a partner from a mixed ethnic background.</p>
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<img alt="A multigenerational family at dinner." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577071/original/file-20240221-20-6sbwbz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577071/original/file-20240221-20-6sbwbz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577071/original/file-20240221-20-6sbwbz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577071/original/file-20240221-20-6sbwbz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577071/original/file-20240221-20-6sbwbz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577071/original/file-20240221-20-6sbwbz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577071/original/file-20240221-20-6sbwbz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Skin-shade prejudice can shape familial relations.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/happy-asian-extended-family-laughing-mans-2083727323">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>‘Oppositional consciousness’</h2>
<p>Some of our participants described the impact of familial colourism on their sense of self-worth, body image and wellbeing. Divya, a 43-year-old Indian woman, suggested that her mother’s colourist views negatively affected her when she was growing up:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>One of the biggest issues I had was with my mum always, always going on about how it’s better to be fairer, that you’ll only find a boy if you’re fairer and you’re only beautiful if you’re fair. And I think that really, really got to me.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These findings chime with what scholars have found in <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0192513X10390858?journalCode=jfia">the US</a> and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01419870.2013.788200">Brazil</a>. Families can actively make children aware of colourism and inflict it too. These same studies, though, have also highlighted how some families speak about colourism as a way of opposing and resisting it. </p>
<p>US sociologists JeffriAnne Wilder and Colleen Cain talk about “oppositional consciousness” to describe the process by which families can challenge colourist views and promote acceptance, celebrating all skin tones. </p>
<p>Our participants, too, described how their families helped them to appreciate people of all skin shades. Some had parents who encouraged them to take pride in their skin shades. Others described trying to raise awareness about colourism among their own children. </p>
<p>Portia told us that she talks with her son about colourism and they do not let it slide when they encounter it. Doing so, to her mind, is about healing, “because otherwise you end up carrying this stuff around, thinking it’s your fault. It is not.” It is also about ensuring her son grows up with confidence: “I don’t want him carrying this baggage around. I want him to go into the world as confident as he can be as a young black man.”</p>
<p>Colourism has a profound impact on people’s wellbeing. Experiencing this at the hands of the people closest to you is detrimental. This is particularly the case since racialised minority families are <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jftr.12262">often seen to be havens</a> from the racialised prejudice and discrimination experienced outside the home. </p>
<p>Figuring out how to challenge it, then, is paramount. By educating the next generation, families have a key role to play in disrupting the transmission of this prejudice. </p>
<p>For one participant, Malakai, it is about teaching love and positive parenting: “You, as a people, need to educate your children and tell them that they are beautiful. Teach the younger ones, educate them. And teach love among our people.”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222294/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aisha Phoenix receives funding from the UKRI as a Future Leaders Fellow. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nadia Craddock does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Families in the UK play a significant role in introducing children to colourist views. They can also be instrumental in challenging them.Aisha Phoenix, Lecturer in Social Justice, King's College LondonNadia Craddock, Senior Research Fellow at Centre for Appearance Research, King's College LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2234602024-02-20T19:56:41Z2024-02-20T19:56:41ZScreen time doesn’t have to be sedentary: 3 ways it can get kids moving<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576629/original/file-20240220-24-su035y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=108%2C83%2C4809%2C3209&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/girl-in-sleeveless-dress-oOMIgQ0Nr5U">Kelly Sikkema/ Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>There have been concerns about screens making kids more sedentary and less active since TV was introduced more than half a century ago.</p>
<p>“Screen use” and “not enough exercise” are (separately) among the <a href="https://rchpoll.org.au/polls/top-10-child-health-problems-what-australian-parents-think/">top health concerns</a> Australian parents have about their children. </p>
<p>But screens are not necessarily the enemy of exercise. Our research looks at how screens can help children be physically active. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/screen-time-for-kids-is-an-outdated-concept-so-lets-ditch-it-and-focus-on-quality-instead-186462">'Screen time' for kids is an outdated concept, so let's ditch it and focus on quality instead</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How much exercise do kids need?</h2>
<p>Australian <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/physical-activity-and-exercise-guidelines-for-all-australians#summary-by-age">guidelines</a> around how much physical activity children need to do each day varies, depending on their age. And it’s even important for babies to spend time being active each day. </p>
<p>It’s recommended children up to 12 months old have at least 30 minutes of tummy time and as much interactive floor play as possible each day. Toddlers and preschoolers should be active for at least three hours per day, including energetic play. </p>
<p>For children five and above, it’s recommended at least 60 minutes each day of moderate to vigorous physical activity that makes the heart beat faster, including vigorous activities and activities that strengthen muscle and bone.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A boy plays kicks a soccer ball between cones." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576440/original/file-20240219-29-42nfsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576440/original/file-20240219-29-42nfsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576440/original/file-20240219-29-42nfsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576440/original/file-20240219-29-42nfsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576440/original/file-20240219-29-42nfsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576440/original/file-20240219-29-42nfsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576440/original/file-20240219-29-42nfsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Older children should be physically active for at least an hour per day.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/boys-attending-soccer-training-on-school-1937240467">Matimix/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Our research</h2>
<p>Concerns around screens making children sedentary are at least in part based on <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/chso.12512?casa_token=egFX3JIA-GYAAAAA%3AFEQmZ00ziLA_pEqvnPU2ctesT9Jigod08UbhSsAEu6y0rxkYzi4f75Rrnx9A4k9wyhvrZN_czHos07E">outdated ideas</a> that position technology as either “good” or “bad”. Researchers today are <a href="https://theconversation.com/screen-time-for-kids-is-an-outdated-concept-so-lets-ditch-it-and-focus-on-quality-instead-186462">more focused</a> on how screens are used and in what context.</p>
<p>We are working on a <a href="https://dataportal.arc.gov.au/NCGP/Web/Grant/Grant/LP190100387">larger project</a> to develop online resources for parents about using digital technologies with their children.</p>
<p>In this part of the study, we have been exploring ideas on how to use technology to encourage young children to be active. </p>
<p>We gave a group of 13 families with children under five ideas on how to use technology to help their children be more active. Every week for 12 weeks, they received information and ideas from the federal government’s parenting website <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/">Raising Children Network</a>, <a href="https://www.playgroupwa.com.au/">Playgroup WA</a> and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/abckids">ABC Kids</a>. </p>
<p>From this work, three messages to parents stood out: </p>
<h2>1. Children can be active while using screens</h2>
<p>We tend to think that when children are using screens, they are passive and sitting still. </p>
<p>But our study showed children can certainly be active while watching. So it is useful to provide space for them to do this and encourage them to move in response to what they are watching. This may run counter to traditional instructions to children watching TV to “sit still and be quiet”.</p>
<p>Content that involves music and dance (like the Wiggles) will naturally get children moving. But parents also found it helpful to encourage children to mimic their favourite character’s “action moves” when watching programs such as Spiderman or PJ Masks. </p>
<p>Our study looked at children five and under but older children could use digital games (such as Nintendo Switch’s Sports) that promote physical activity. Or they could use augmented reality apps that get them moving, such as Pokémon Go.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A child holds a mobile phone with Pokemon Go on the screen." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576436/original/file-20240219-18-nbwq6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576436/original/file-20240219-18-nbwq6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576436/original/file-20240219-18-nbwq6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576436/original/file-20240219-18-nbwq6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576436/original/file-20240219-18-nbwq6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576436/original/file-20240219-18-nbwq6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576436/original/file-20240219-18-nbwq6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Digital games can help motivate children to be active.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/vancouver-canada-july-22-2016-young-456766453">Ivan Sabo/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>2. Technology can inspire off-screen physical activity</h2>
<p>Parents told us they were able to use screens to inspire physical activity after viewing has stopped.</p>
<p>For example after watching <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/abckids/early-education/reflective-journal/get-moving-with-humptys-big-adventure/13792388">Humpty’s Big Adventure</a> parents could encourage children to build an obstacle course. Or watch the Bluey episode Keepy Uppy and then play the game. </p>
<p>This can help <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/nutrition-fitness/physical-activity/physical-activity-getting-involved">introduce variety</a> into children’s physical play, which is important for developing new skills. As we have noted in a <a href="https://theconversation.com/3-ways-to-help-your-child-transition-off-screens-and-avoid-the-dreaded-tech-tantrums-220138">previous article</a>, using an idea from a program can also help children transition away from screens without tantrums.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/3-ways-to-help-your-child-transition-off-screens-and-avoid-the-dreaded-tech-tantrums-220138">3 ways to help your child transition off screens and avoid the dreaded 'tech tantrums'</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>3. Taking videos can keep kids excited about moving</h2>
<p>Many adults have watches or apps that record their steps and exercise and this helps them stay motivated to move. Technology can similarly be used to promote children’s activity.</p>
<p>Children in our study loved watching videos of themselves being active. Playing these back immediately or later (and sharing with family), reinforced their enthusiasm about how fun it is to be active. It also encouraged children to keep trying with skills. </p>
<p>You could try filming your child racing on their bike, demonstrating their skills on the monkey bars, climbing a tall part of the playground or working on ball skills.</p>
<p>For older children, you can also record dance, choreography or specific sporting skills such as stroke correction in tennis or swimming. </p>
<p>Parents also reported their children enjoyed using a stopwatch app to improve their time when completing a lap on their bike or tackling monkey bars. Other apps, like maps, can help plan a vigorous family walk.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223460/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Juliana Zabatiero receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Highfield consults for ABC Kids, with a focus on supporting healthy technology use in play and learning. With colleagues, she receives or has received funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Leon Straker receives funding from the Australian Research Council and National Health and Medical Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Susan Edwards receives funding from Australian Research Council. </span></em></p>We tend to think when children are using screens, they are passive and sitting still. But they can move in response to what they watch. Or get inspiration for what to play next.Juliana Zabatiero, Research Fellow, Curtin UniversityKate Highfield, Associate Professor, Early Childhood Education Academic Lead, University of CanberraLeon Straker, Professor of Physiotherapy, Curtin UniversitySusan Edwards, Professor of Education, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2218502024-02-19T13:43:19Z2024-02-19T13:43:19ZHow having conversations with children builds their language — and strengthens family connections<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576189/original/file-20240216-16-eufedv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C7321%2C3396&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Intentionally integrating vocabulary into conversations from topics children are curious about helps grow children's language skills. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Parents and caregivers of school-aged children are all too familiar with the after-school conversation that sounds a little something like: </p>
<p>“How was school?” </p>
<p>“Fine.” </p>
<p>“What did you learn?” </p>
<p>“Nothing.”</p>
<p>Conversations between children of <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-study-of-warlpiri-language-shows-how-baby-talk-helps-little-kids-learn-to-speak-207835">all ages</a> and attentive, caring adults <a href="https://www.hanen.org/helpful-info/articles/power-turn-taking.aspx">offer strong benefits</a> in all domains of children’s <a href="https://www.apa.org/topics/parenting/helping-kids">well-being</a>.</p>
<p>When these conversations are purposeful and strategic, they can even strengthen skills that contribute to <a href="https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/vocabulary/articles/talking-counts#">stronger literacy and language development</a>.</p>
<h2>More than information exchange</h2>
<p>When we engage in quality conversations with children, we are doing more than finding out how their day was at school. </p>
<p>Talking with children <a href="https://decoda.ca/talking-is-teaching/">teaches them about their world</a>, <a href="https://www.lena.org/new-research-links-early-vocabulary-skills-to-teacher-child-interaction-in-preschool-classrooms/">enhances their vocabulary</a>, <a href="https://www.integrativemind.com/blog/strengthening-parent-child-communication-building-trust-and-understanding">strengthens trust and relationships</a> and models formal <a href="https://thesixshifts.com/2021/08/2035/">language structures</a> — how an arrangement and order of <a href="https://surreyschoolsone.ca/teachers/literacy/elementary/reading-essentials/language-structures/#">words in the context of specific sentences yields meaning</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man and girl seated at different ends of a couch with mugs." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576070/original/file-20240215-22-te0oax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576070/original/file-20240215-22-te0oax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576070/original/file-20240215-22-te0oax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576070/original/file-20240215-22-te0oax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576070/original/file-20240215-22-te0oax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576070/original/file-20240215-22-te0oax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576070/original/file-20240215-22-te0oax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Quality conversations have multiple benefits.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The power of conversations between children and adults even has the potential to affect connectivity in select regions of the brain. </p>
<p>In a recent study in the <em>Journal of Neuroscience</em>, conversational “turns” — where there is a back-and-forth conversational exchange between children and attentive adults — were linked to increased strength of white matter connections between regions of the brain <a href="https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1034-22.2023">related to speech and comprehension of written and spoken language.</a> </p>
<h2>Sparking language-building conversations</h2>
<p>The list below details some ways parents or caregivers can spark language-building conversations that accelerate children’s literacy and family relationships:</p>
<p><strong>Actively listen.</strong> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parents/essentials/toddlersandpreschoolers/communication/activelistening.html#">Active listening</a> involves showing an authentic interest in what children have to say. Active listening looks like minimizing distractions, making eye contact, stopping other things you are doing, lowering yourself to their physical level (by sitting or bending down, for instance) and reflecting or repeating back what they are saying and what they may be feeling to make sure you understand. </p>
<p><strong>Ask open-ended questions.</strong> Open-ended questions encourage children to <a href="https://decoda.ca/talking-is-teaching/">pause, think and reflect</a> instead of simply responding “yes” or “no” or “nothing.” Open-ended questions typically begin with the following words and phrases: </p>
<ul>
<li>Why, how, describe … </li>
<li>Tell me about …</li>
<li>What do you think about … </li>
<li>I wonder (if / why / how) …</li>
<li>What do you notice about … </li>
<li>Tell me more about …</li>
<li>What else do you want me to know about that? </li>
</ul>
<p>Open-ended questions can also be used as follow-ups to other questions.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two adults sitting on a porch with a child." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576190/original/file-20240216-24-pejfg0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576190/original/file-20240216-24-pejfg0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576190/original/file-20240216-24-pejfg0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576190/original/file-20240216-24-pejfg0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576190/original/file-20240216-24-pejfg0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=556&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576190/original/file-20240216-24-pejfg0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=556&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576190/original/file-20240216-24-pejfg0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=556&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Asking children what they notice is one way to guide an open-ended conversation.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>Try the “Strive-for-Five” framework.</strong> “Strive-for-Five” is a conversational framework pioneered by educators David Dickinson and Ann B. Morse and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2266">recently adapted by</a> educational researchers Sonia Q. Cabell and Tricia A. Zucker. This <a href="https://coursemedia.erikson.edu/eriksononline/CPC/2014_2015/Module1/Documents/Purposeful_Talk/Strive_for_Five_Experience.pdf">framework is intended</a> to enhance conversations by encouraging parents, caregivers and educators to strive for <em>five</em> conversational turns with children instead of the typical three in order to foster foundational language skill development. To try this, respond to children in a way that challenges their thinking and encourages using language. Rather than stopping short at the third conversational point, attempt to continue the conversation by asking fun, <a href="https://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/advice/questions-every-parent-should-ask-their-kid/">open-ended follow-up questions</a> or share another thought to try to extend the exchange.</p>
<p><strong>Embed conversations in everyday routines.</strong> If you find it difficult to actively listen and engage in purposeful conversations during certain times of the day, try to schedule time where active listening may be more feasible, like during <a href="https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/spending-quality-time-with-your-child#:%7E:text=Create%20a%20special%20ritual%20for,how%20she%20makes%20you%20feel">everyday routines</a> or when <a href="https://laughplayread.wordpress.com/2018/04/09/strive-for-five/">reading aloud</a>. </p>
<p><strong>Scaffold the conversation.</strong> Scaffolding is a strategy used to support learning by building on skills children already have and gradually reducing the support provided. Scaffolding conversations with children might include:</p>
<ul>
<li>repeating words or phrases so they are used correctly;</li>
<li>integrating vocabulary from topics they are learning about or are curious about;</li>
<li>providing sentence starters that invite them to finish the sentence;</li>
<li>asking questions that challenge their thinking to move a conversation past the third talking turn.<br></li>
</ul>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rVaRdVt6Ihw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Video from Parent Lab discusses how scaffolding conversations with children strengthens language-building skills, autonomy, confidence and connections.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Engaging in frequent, meaningful conversations with children of all ages helps strengthen their <a href="https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/about-reading/articles/simple-view-reading">language comprehension</a>, and in turn, reading comprehension. </p>
<p>Elevating the quality of conversations by using any or all of these suggestions has the potential to enhance the fundamental components of language comprehension, while simultaneously building and maintaining family connections.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221850/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kimberly Hillier does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Engaging in purposeful, meaningful and strategic conversations with children can directly support children’s language comprehension, an important component of reading.Kimberly Hillier, Instructor, Faculty of Education, University of WindsorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1766622024-02-15T13:53:50Z2024-02-15T13:53:50ZChildren are expensive – not just for parents, but the environment – so how many is too many?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573356/original/file-20240205-19-6s8ovc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C6%2C2120%2C1390&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Protecting the planet for future children might mean having fewer children.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/people-with-placards-and-posters-on-global-strike-royalty-free-image/1181043800?phrase=climate+protest+kid&adppopup=true">Halfpoint/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>People born in the future stand to inherit a planet in the midst of a global ecological crisis. <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201106093027.htm">Natural habitats are being decimated</a>, the world <a href="https://theconversation.com/arctic-report-card-2023-from-wildfires-to-melting-sea-ice-the-warmest-summer-on-record-had-cascading-impacts-across-the-arctic-218872">is growing hotter</a>, and scientists fear we are experiencing <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09678">the sixth mass extinction event in Earth’s history</a>. </p>
<p>Under such circumstances, is it reasonable to bring a child into the world?</p>
<p><a href="https://philosophy.arizona.edu/person/trevor-hedberg">My philosophical research</a> deals with environmental and procreative ethics – the ethics of choosing how many children to have or whether to have them at all. Recently, my work has explored <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-Environmental-Impact-of-Overpopulation-The-Ethics-of-Procreation/Hedberg/p/book/9781032236766">questions where these two fields intersect</a>, such as how climate change should affect <a href="https://www.pdcnet.org/eip/content/eip_2019_0020_0001_0042_0065">decision-making about having a family</a>.</p>
<p>Procreation is often viewed as a personal or private choice that should not be scrutinized. However, it is a choice that affects others: the parents, the children themselves and the people who will inhabit the world alongside those children in the future. Thus, it is an appropriate topic for moral reflection.</p>
<h2>A lifelong footprint</h2>
<p>Let’s start by thinking about why it might be wrong to have a large family.</p>
<p>Many people who care about the environment believe they are obligated to try to reduce their impact: driving fuel-efficient vehicles, recycling and purchasing food locally, for example.</p>
<p>But the decision to have a child – to create another person who will most likely adopt a similar lifestyle to your own – vastly outweighs the impact of these activities. Based on the average distance a car travels each year, people in developed countries can save the equivalent of 2.4 metric tons of CO2 emissions each year by living without a vehicle, according to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa7541">one literature review</a>. For comparison, having one fewer child saves 58.6 metric tons each year.</p>
<p>So, if you think you are obligated to do other activities to reduce your impact on the environment, you should limit your family size, too.</p>
<p>In response, however, some people may argue that adding a single person to a planet of 8 billion <a href="https://doi.org/10.5840/enviroethics201133326">cannot make a meaningful difference</a>. According to this argument, one new person would constitute such a tiny percentage of the overall contribution to climate change and other environmental problems that the impact would be morally negligible.</p>
<h2>Crunching the numbers</h2>
<p>Environmental ethicists debate how to quantify an individual’s impact on the environment, especially their lifetime carbon emissions.</p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://stat.oregonstate.edu/directory/paul-murtaugh">statistician Paul Murtaugh</a> and scientist <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Michael-G-Schlax-5771424">Michael Schlax</a> attempted to <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/pdfs/OSUCarbonStudy.pdf">estimate the “carbon legacy</a>” tied to a couple’s choice to procreate. They estimated the total lifetime emissions of individuals living in the world’s most populous 11 countries. They also assumed a parent was responsible for all emissions tied to their genetic lineage: all of their own emissions, half their children’s emissions, one-quarter of their grandchildren’s emissions, and so on. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575665/original/file-20240214-18-llni5m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A camera in the back of a minivan captures two adults riding in the front seat and two brunette children sitting in the back row." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575665/original/file-20240214-18-llni5m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575665/original/file-20240214-18-llni5m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575665/original/file-20240214-18-llni5m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575665/original/file-20240214-18-llni5m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575665/original/file-20240214-18-llni5m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575665/original/file-20240214-18-llni5m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575665/original/file-20240214-18-llni5m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Calculating how many emissions an average person is responsible for is tricky – but for the average American lifestyle, it’s high.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/family-riding-together-in-car-royalty-free-image/103058683?phrase=minivan+kids&adppopup=true">PhotoAlto/Ale Ventura/PhotoAlto Agency RF Collections via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If emissions stayed similar to 2005 levels for several generations, an American couple having one fewer child <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/pdfs/OSUCarbonStudy.pdf">would save 9,441 metric tons of CO2-equivalent</a>, according to their calculations. Driving a more fuel-efficient car, on the other hand – getting 10 more miles to the gallon – would save only 148 metric tons of CO2-equivalent.</p>
<p>Philosopher <a href="https://web.utk.edu/%7Enolt/">John Nolt</a> has attempted to estimate <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/21550085.2011.561584">how much harm</a> the average American causes over their lifetime in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. He found that the average American contributes roughly one two-billionth of the total greenhouse gases that cause climate change. But since climate change may harm billions of people over the next millennium, this person may be responsible for the severe suffering, or even death, of one or two future people.</p>
<h2>Collective toll</h2>
<p>Such estimates are, at best, imprecise. Nevertheless, even if one assumes that each individual child’s impact on the environment is relatively insignificant on the global scale, that does not necessarily mean that procreators are off the moral hook.</p>
<p>One common thought in ethics is that people should avoid participating in enterprises that involve collective wrongdoing. In other words, we should avoid contributing to institutions and practices that cause bad outcomes, even if our own individual contribution to that outcome is tiny. </p>
<p>Suppose someone considers making a small donation to an organization that they learn is engaged in immoral activities, such as polluting a local river. Even if the potential donation is only a few dollars – too small to make any difference to the organization’s operations – that money would express a degree of complicity in that behavior, or perhaps even an endorsement. The morally right thing to do is avoid supporting the organization when possible.</p>
<p>We could reason the same way about procreation: Overpopulation is a collective problem that is <a href="http://www.mlcfoundation.org.in/#assets/ijpd/2023-1/V_3_1_7.pdf">degrading the environment and causing harm</a>, so individuals should <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-Environmental-Impact-of-Overpopulation-The-Ethics-of-Procreation/Hedberg/p/book/9781032236766">reduce their contribution to it</a> when they can.</p>
<h2>Moral gray zone</h2>
<p>But perhaps having children warrants an exception. Parenthood is often a crucial part of people’s life plans and makes their lives far more meaningful, even if it does come at a cost to the planet. Some people believe <a href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691036656/children-of-choice">reproductive freedom is so important</a> that no one should feel moral pressure to restrict the size of their family.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575662/original/file-20240214-28-63i1r3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Three women, one of whom has white hair, stand smiling around a baby in a blue outfit and a pacifier." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575662/original/file-20240214-28-63i1r3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575662/original/file-20240214-28-63i1r3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575662/original/file-20240214-28-63i1r3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575662/original/file-20240214-28-63i1r3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575662/original/file-20240214-28-63i1r3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575662/original/file-20240214-28-63i1r3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575662/original/file-20240214-28-63i1r3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Having children feels like an essential part of many people’s life plans.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/grandmother-looking-at-her-newborn-grandson-in-the-royalty-free-image/1444230309?phrase=newborn&adppopup=true">Abraham Gonzalez Fernandez/Moment via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One point of general consensus among ethicists, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9930.1993.tb00093.x">following the lead</a> of <a href="https://www.merton.ox.ac.uk/people/professor-henry-shue">philosopher Henry Shue</a>, is that there is a moral difference between emissions tied to crucial interests and those that are tied to convenience and luxury. Emissions connected to basic human needs are usually regarded as permissible. It isn’t wrong for me to emit carbon to drive to the grocery store, for example, if I have no other safe or reliable transportation available. Getting to the store is important to my survival and well-being. Driving purely for recreation, in contrast, is harder to justify.</p>
<p>Reproduction occupies the messy conceptual space between these two activities. For most people today, having their own biological children is not essential to health or survival. Yet it is also far more important to most people and their broader life plans than a frivolous joyride. Is there a way to balance the varied and competing moral considerations in play here?</p>
<p><a href="https://www.pdcnet.org/eip/content/eip_2019_0020_0001_0042_0065">In prior work</a>, I have argued the proper way to balance these competing moral considerations is for each couple to have no more than two biological children. I believe this allows a couple an appropriate amount of reproductive freedom while also recognizing the moral significance of the environmental problems linked to population growth. </p>
<p>Some authors reason about this issue differently, though. Philosopher <a href="https://www.bowdoin.edu/profiles/faculty/sconly/">Sarah Conly</a> argues that it is permissible for couples <a href="https://academic.oup.com/book/7760">to have only one biological child</a>. In large part, her position rests on her argument that all the fundamental interests tied to child-rearing can be satisfied with just one child. Bioethicist <a href="https://bioethics.jhu.edu/people/profile/travis-rieder/">Travis Reider</a> <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-33871-2">argues in favor of having a small family</a>, but without a specific numerical limit. It is also possible, as ethicist <a href="https://www.umu.se/en/staff/kalle-grill/">Kalle Grill</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.5840/enviroethics20238860">has argued</a>, that none of these positions gets the moral calculus exactly right.</p>
<p>Regardless, it is clear that prospective parents should reflect on the moral dimensions of procreation and its importance to their life plans.</p>
<p>For some, adoption may be the best way of experiencing parenthood without creating a new person. And there are many other ways for prospective parents to do their part in mitigating environmental problems. Carbon offsets or donations to environmental organizations, for example, are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/21550085.2023.2223805">hardly perfect substitutes</a> for limiting procreation – but they certainly may be more appealing to many prospective parents.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/176662/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Trevor Hedberg does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>You can donate to environmental charities and even purchase carbon offsets, but not having an additional child typically has a much greater impact.Trevor Hedberg, Assistant Professor of Practice, W.A. Franke Honors College / Philosophy Department, University of ArizonaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2202072024-02-06T21:56:31Z2024-02-06T21:56:31ZThe motherhood pay gap: Why women’s earnings decline after having children<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572551/original/file-20240131-19-fg2aeg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=760%2C416%2C7407%2C5003&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The birth of children results in large earnings losses that are not equally distributed within heterosexual couples.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Inequalities between men and women persist in many areas, with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1787/4ead40c7-en">women still earning less than men on average</a>. An even more striking difference is the “motherhood pay gap” that happens when women have children. Also known as the “family gap” or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20180010">child penalties</a>, women’s earnings plummet after the birth of a child, while men’s barely budge.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.12.1.137">Many studies</a> have investigated the causes of gender inequalities and concluded that women have been unable to catch up to the earnings level of men in part <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/684851">because of parenting responsibilities</a>. </p>
<p>Why does this happen? Children have a negative effect on women’s productivity in the labour market by substantially reducing their <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/human-capital">human capital</a>, which translates into a significant <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/260293">decrease in their earnings</a>. </p>
<p>After the birth of children, mothers tend to turn towards part-time jobs, roles with flexible working hours or positions that offer work conditions more favourable to family life — all of which tend to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/cje/23.5.543">pay lower wages</a>.</p>
<p>Employers, in return, may see part-time employees as less committed and productive, especially when relying on <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/heuristics">heuristics</a> — mental shortcuts for solving problems — to judge worker quality, as opposed to actual information about their performance. This can result in <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2911397">fewer bonuses and promotions</a> for these employees. </p>
<h2>The effects of parenthood</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20180010">Evidence from Denmark</a>, one of the most egalitarian countries in the world, points to a long-term child penalty of around 20 per cent in earnings. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.3138/cpp.2023-015">Our research</a> reveals a similar situation in Canada. We used data from Statistics Canada’s Longitudinal and International Study of Adults coupled with historical administrative records from 1982 to 2018. </p>
<p>We compared what happened to men’s and women’s earnings after the birth of their first child for Canadians who had their first child between 1987 and 2009. Using an event study methodology, we followed individuals’ employment income over a period of five years before the birth of the child to 10 years after.</p>
<p>We observed large and persistent negative effects of parenthood for mothers, but not fathers. Mothers’ earnings decrease by 49 per cent the year of birth, with a penalty of 34.3 per cent 10 years after. Fathers’ earnings appear largely unaffected.</p>
<h2>Unequal effects of children</h2>
<p>The birth of children results in large earnings losses that are not equally distributed within heterosexual couples. Fathers stay on the same earnings track, while women experience penalties that persist over the years. This is especially true for <a href="https://doi.org/10.3138/cpp.2023-015">mothers of multiple children or those with a lower education level</a>. </p>
<p>This impoverishment triggered by the birth of a child can have significant economic impacts <a href="https://espace.inrs.ca/id/eprint/13576">should the couple separate</a>. In Canada, nearly <a href="https://doi.org/10.25318/3910005101-eng">one-third of marriages</a> end in divorce. </p>
<p>Women are typically <a href="https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2016.35.50">financially disadvantaged</a> following a separation. This disadvantage may be attributable to pre-separation factors, such as the unequal division of labour during the marriage and lower earnings for women, but also to women’s prolonged absences from the labour force due to family responsibilities.</p>
<h2>Equal pay for equal work</h2>
<p>In this context, it’s crucial to ask ourselves if there are measures that could eliminate, or at least reduce, the economic impact associated with family responsibilities on mothers’ earnings and employment. </p>
<p>We investigated the role of family policies, since they were in part designed to encourage maternal employment and promote more equal sharing of parenting responsibilities between partners. </p>
<p>Specifically, we focused on the extension of parental leaves in Canada and the introduction of <a href="https://www.mfa.gouv.qc.ca/en/services-de-garde/programme-contribution-reduite/Pages/index.aspx">reduced contribution child-care services for families in Québec</a>. We found suggestive evidence that these policies can help reduce child penalties. </p>
<p>“Equal pay for equal work” policies, such as the federal government’s <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/services/jobs/workplace/human-rights/overview-pay-equity-act.html">Pay Equity Act</a>, also have the potential to make a substantial difference. These policies can raise the fairness and attractiveness of the labour market for women and reduce the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.20160995">potentially negative impact of experience-based pay</a> for mothers. </p>
<h2>More benefits down the line</h2>
<p>In addition to having a positive effect on the economic situation of women, encouraging employment for mothers could help eliminate the stigma around the division of labour within couples by exposing children to a more symmetrical model of remunerated and unpaid work. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017018760167">recent study</a> using data from 29 countries showed that employed mothers were more likely to transmit egalitarian values to their children both at work and at home. Girls with employed mothers ended up working more themselves: they worked more hours, were better paid and held supervisory positions more often than girls with stay-at-home mothers. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A toddler sits on the lap of a women, presumably her mother, in front of a desk. She is smiling and touching a laptop while her mother smiles down at her." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573140/original/file-20240202-17-6ybyzo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573140/original/file-20240202-17-6ybyzo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573140/original/file-20240202-17-6ybyzo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573140/original/file-20240202-17-6ybyzo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573140/original/file-20240202-17-6ybyzo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573140/original/file-20240202-17-6ybyzo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573140/original/file-20240202-17-6ybyzo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Employed mothers are more likely to transmit egalitarian values to their children both at work and at home.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The result was not observed in boys. However, boys who grew up with employed mothers were more involved in family and domestic responsibilities as adults than men whose mothers were not in the labour market. The girls also spent less time doing household chores. </p>
<p>Working mothers appear to have an intergenerational impact favouring gender equality, both within the family and in the labour market.</p>
<p>We all know raising children is time-consuming. Children, of course, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/675070">benefit from this parental time investment</a>. But bringing up children is also costly. Our research quantified one kind of cost: the lower earnings trajectory. Knowing how these costs are shared among the two parents is key to enable better decision making, for policymakers, but ultimately, for parents, future parents and their children.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220207/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marie Connolly received funding from the Fonds de recherche du Québec - Société et culture and CIRANO. The analysis in this article was conducted at the Quebec Inter-university Centre for Social Statistics, which is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Statistics Canada, the Fonds de recherche du Québec - Société et culture, the Fonds de recherche du Québec - Santé and Québec universities.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Catherine Haeck received funding from the Fonds de recherche du Québec - Société et culture and CIRANO. The analysis in this article was conducted at the Quebec Inter-university Centre for Social Statistics, which is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Statistics Canada, the Fonds de recherche du Québec - Société et culture, the Fonds de recherche du Québec - Santé and Québec universities.</span></em></p>New research shows that women’s earnings are negatively impacted by having children, while men’s aren’t. The effects can be long-lasting and contribute to the gender pay gap.Marie Connolly, Professor of Economics, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)Catherine Haeck, Full Professor, Economics Department, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2220452024-02-04T13:33:40Z2024-02-04T13:33:40Z3 lessons from MP Karina Gould’s parental leave that could help all Canadian families<p>Federal cabinet minister Karina Gould, leader of the government in the House of Commons, has made Canadian history three times: as the youngest female federal cabinet minister, the first <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/karina-gould-baby-oliver-1.4569111">to give birth while holding office</a> and the first to take parental leave. Her approach to parental leave could well translate into her most enduring legacy.</p>
<p>Like all MPs, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/karina-gould-maternity-leave-cabinet-1.4528668">Gould wasn’t eligible for parental leave when her first child was born in 2018</a>. Four weeks later, she resumed work in her constituency of Burlington, Ont. After another five weeks, she returned to the House of Commons with her infant in tow. </p>
<p>Gould has just given birth to her second child. This time, <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-the-second-time-around-karina-goulds-maternity-plans-are-much/">she’s doing things differently</a>. She’s taking six months off, thanks to 2019 legislation that provides MP parents of newborns up to 12 months with paid parental leave benefits.</p>
<p>On the surface, Gould’s parental leave plan resembles that of many Canadians. Yet there are key differences, and they offer three lessons on how parental leave could be redesigned for each and every Canadian parent. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1750541744775589917"}"></div></p>
<h2>Lesson 1: Boost eligibility</h2>
<p>Not all Canadians are eligible for parental leave. Almost one-third of all Canadian mothers (outside of Québec, <a href="https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/october-2020/redesign-parental-leave-system-to-enhance-gender-equality/">which has a more inclusive program</a>) <a href="https://www.utpjournals.press/doi/full/10.3138/cpp.2020-091">do not receive paid maternity or parental benefits</a>. This is due to many factors, including restrictive <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/ei/ei-list/reports/maternity-parental.html">eligibility criteria of 600 employment hours in the year before a child’s birth</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/payroll/payroll-deductions-contributions/special-payments/elected-appointed-officials.html">MPs do not pay into Employment Insurance (EI)</a> and so were, until 2019, ineligible for parental leave benefits. Yet the government found a policy path for them. </p>
<p>It’s time to rethink eligibility criteria so that more Canadians can benefit from parental leave benefits. </p>
<h2>Lesson 2: Better wage top-ups</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/MAS/mas-e.pdf">MPs receive 92 per cent of their salaries while on leave</a>. Similar salary top-ups exist in the public sector and some private companies. For most Canadians, however, parental leave is low-paid: only 33 to 55 per cent of wages, <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/benefit-amount.html">with a ceiling of $401 to $668 weekly and $63,200 annually</a>.</p>
<p>Out of 36 countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Canada has the <a href="https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/february-2023/ei-parental-benefits/">lowest wage replacement rates</a> for parental leave. </p>
<p>This has implications for how many Canadian fathers take their parental leave entitlements. In 2020-21, <a href="https://www.leavenetwork.org/fileadmin/user_upload/k_leavenetwork/annual_reviews/2023/Canada2023.pdf">23.5 per cent of eligible fathers</a> took parental leave. In Québec, which has a 70-75 per cent wage replacement rate, that number was 85.6 per cent. It’s time to make leaves affordable for all parents.</p>
<h2>Lesson 3: More flexibility</h2>
<p>Finally, there are lessons about flexibility and choice, and what they mean in a post-pandemic world, where remote work has changed how people balance family life and paid work.</p>
<p>For Gould, this means taking a short post-partum leave and then combining parental leave with some remote work. As she told Canadians, she plans to <a href="https://twitter.com/karinagould/status/1744377173425717510">“take on her MP work remotely, voting and participating in caucus and cabinet meetings, though on a reduced schedule.</a>” </p>
<p>Admittedly, an MP’s job, with its unique pressures, requires a flexible parental leave system. Yet many other jobs have distinct demands.</p>
<p>The problem with Canada’s current system is that leaves must be taken as consecutive weeks in the first 12 to 18 months after a child’s birth.</p>
<p>There are other ways to do parental leave. <a href="https://www.leavenetwork.org/fileadmin/user_upload/k_leavenetwork/annual_reviews/2023/Sweden2023.pdf">In Sweden</a>, for example, leaves can be taken in one or several blocks of time, in days rather than weeks, on a full or part-time basis, and across several years. </p>
<p>There are risks to flexible leave, however, that are <a href="https://www.gendereconomy.org/the-future-of-work/">well-documented in research</a> on flexible work and gender inequalities. Some employers might not respect the boundaries of parents on leave. These boundaries are critical because parents need time to care for their infants, who demand and deserve that dedicated care.</p>
<p>But there are precedents to build on, such as Ontario’s “<a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-ontarios-right-to-disconnect-policy-takes-effect-today-heres-what/">right to disconnect</a>” policy and EI’s <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/ei/ei-list/working-while-claim.html">Working While on Claim</a> option. </p>
<h2>Shining a spotlight</h2>
<p>Gould’s parental leave matters not only to her family. It should matter to all Canadians, because it shines a spotlight on the federal government’s long overdue promise to <a href="https://2019.liberal.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/292/2019/09/Backgrounder-More-time-and-money-to-help-families-raise-their-kids.pdf">rethink and redesign parental leave policy</a>. </p>
<p>There have been important changes, including a <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/campaigns/ei-improvements/parent-sharing.html">parental sharing benefit</a> for fathers and second parents and benefits for parents of <a href="https://www.hrinfodesk.com/preview.asp?article=50100&title=New%20adoption%20Employment%20Insurance%20(EI)%20benefit">adopted children</a>. <a href="https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/february-2022/parental-leave-needs-an-overhaul/">It’s time to do more</a> for more Canadians. </p>
<p>A rethinking of parental leave should begin with clarifying what parental leave is.</p>
<p>Currently, a paid leave to care for an infant combines parental benefits, which are lodged within EI as employment benefits, and the right to take job-protected leave, which is part of provincial/territorial/federal employment standards. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/improved-employment-policies-can-encourage-fathers-to-be-more-involved-at-home-218337">Improved employment policies can encourage fathers to be more involved at home</a>
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<p>But parental leave is more than an employment policy — it’s also a care policy. Despite what the EI website states, a leave to care for an infant is not about being “<a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-maternity-parental.html">away from work.</a>” Care work is, in fact, actual work. </p>
<p>Parental leave also needs to be integrated with other care policies, especially early learning and child-care policies. Again, there are models to emulate, such as <a href="https://www.government.se/articles/2023/07/every-child-in-sweden-has-the-right-to-a-safe-secure-and-bright-future/">Sweden</a> and other <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1163/j.ctv2gjwv97">Nordic</a> countries. There, children have a human right and entitlement to be cared for.</p>
<p>And there is an explicit policy aim that for every child, there will be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-04-2019-0063">no gap</a> between the end of well-paid parental leave and the beginning of early learning and child care.</p>
<h2>Recognizing the value of care</h2>
<p>The COVID-19 pandemic had major impacts on how <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-631-x/11-631-x2024001-eng.htm">some Canadians</a>, <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/hybrid-sittings-are-here-to-stay-as-house-passes-sweeping-rule-changes-1.6443326">including MPs</a>, can now do some of their paid work in the office or at home. The pandemic also illuminated the socioeconomic value of care and <a href="https://thecareeconomy.ca/">the care economy</a>. </p>
<p>Gould understands this. As the former minister of families, children and social development, she worked with <a href="https://childcarenow.ca/2022/03/28/media-release-child-care-advocates-celebrate-the-signing-of-thirteen-canada-wide-early-learning-and-child-care-agreements/">child-care advocates</a> and experts to shepherd the creation of Canada’s first national child-care program. </p>
<p>When she returns from her parental leave, she will be well-placed to advocate for more inclusive integrated care policies. In fact, it may be long overdue to create a federal minister of care.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222045/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrea Doucet receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p>Karina Gould’s parental leave is similar to that of many Canadians. Yet there are key differences, and they offer lessons on how parental leave could be redesigned to help more Canadian parents.Andrea Doucet, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Gender, Work, and Care, Brock UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2222992024-02-02T16:25:32Z2024-02-02T16:25:32ZCompleted Dry January? Reading fiction can help newly sober mothers decide what’s next<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572156/original/file-20240130-27-fh57zq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=88%2C35%2C5841%2C3920&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/european-girl-reading-book-drinking-tea-2124750215">WellStock/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>More people in the UK have gone dry this January <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68019470">than ever before</a>, so drinking, not drinking, and navigating a course between the two, is on many of our minds.</p>
<p>Many of those people <a href="https://alcoholstudies.rutgers.edu/women-increase-drinking-during-pandemic/#:%7E:text=Recent%20data%20show%20the%20pandemic,overall%20population%20increase%20of%2014%25.">are mothers</a>. The pandemic saw an unprecedented <a href="https://www.channel4.com/news/the-frontline-of-britains-lockdown-drink-problem-as-alcohol-deaths-soar">escalation in domestic drinking</a>. With the arrival of high-speed home delivery companies, alcohol became more readily and rapidly available than ever before. For many women juggling not just work and childcare but also homeschooling, alcohol may have seemed to offer a coping mechanism, a way to survive <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/15/smoking-weed-motherhood-son-child-habit">“the grind of motherhood”</a>.</p>
<p>If you’ve been participating in Dry January, you may be feeling relieved, proud or anxious now that the month has come to an end. If you are wondering what to do next, there are blogs, podcasts, memoirs and self-help books on hand to offer advice. But other books can also help. Fiction offers precious – sobering – insights into the impact of alcohol in the lives of women and children.</p>
<p>Two works in particular stand out. Doug Stuart’s Booker Prize winner, <a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/douglas-stuart/shuggie-bain/9781529019292">Shuggie Bain</a> (2020), and the short stories of American writer <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-story-is-the-thing-on-lucia-berlin">Lucia Berlin</a> provide visceral, insider portrayals of the devastating effect of life with and – occasionally, blissfully without – drink for mothers and their children. </p>
<h2>How fiction can help</h2>
<p>What exactly do these works of fiction offer that you might not find elsewhere? Set against intimate domestic backdrops, they provide unflinching accounts of drinking as a woman and mother and where extreme addiction can take you. </p>
<p>One example comes from Lucia Berlin’s short story, Unmanageable, from the collection A Manual for Cleaning Women (2015). On waking – hyperventilating – during the night, the unnamed protagonist sets out on an unnerving trip to a liquor store to get the drink which will enable her to function. </p>
<p>She succeeds, returns home, and sets about making her children their breakfast and washing their school clothes. She is trying to hold it together and paper over the cracks and she very nearly succeeds – but the socks for her sons aren’t dry in time. </p>
<p>Unmanageable offers a glimpse of the experiences of children of alcoholics, as well as their parents. The protagonist’s sons take her bag and car keys in an effort to protect her, but are unsuccessful and must go to school sockless. </p>
<p>In Shuggie Bain, one of the things that Stuart does so brilliantly is combine and move between the experiences of the beautiful, wasted – in all senses – Agnes and her youngest son, the eponymous Shuggie. Over several hundred pages of often excruciatingly painful prose, he shows both how and why Agnes drinks and the impact of addiction on the lives of her children. This includes the astonishing range of strategies they undertake to keep her safe. </p>
<p>In Berlin’s stories it becomes clear that the same mother who heads out to the liquor store in the dead of night had also experienced the effects of drinking on her own mother and other family members when she herself was a child. Threading the stories together, the generational legacies become painfully clear.</p>
<h2>An offer of hope</h2>
<p>Neither work pulls any punches. Shuggie’s strategies are all ultimately futile. But these characters aren’t all doomed. Stuart <a href="https://news.stv.tv/entertainment/shuggie-bain-author-douglas-stuart-says-writing-booker-prize-winning-novel-called-him-home#:%7E:text=Stuart%20insists%20that%20Shuggie%20Bain,addiction%20when%20he%20was%2016.">has acknowledged</a> that aspects and characters in the book reflect his own childhood. His ability to write Shuggie’s experiences at all – as well as his successful career working in fashion in the US – suggests there is a way through. Lives can be turned around, relationships saved. </p>
<p>In another short story, So Long, Berlin describes a mundane, relaxed breakfast with her adult son: “The same son I used to steal from, who told me I wasn’t his mother.” They read the papers, chat about sport and politics, then he kisses her goodbye. “All over the world mothers are having breakfast with their sons, seeing them off at the door,” she writes. “Can they know the gratitude I felt, standing there, waving? The reprieve.”</p>
<p>One of the key insights of these works for those wondering about their own next steps is the extraordinary and often contradictory pressure exerted by what other people think. </p>
<p>Perhaps the most heartbreaking scene in Shuggie Bain occurs at a golf club restaurant where Agnes’s new partner badgers and seduces her until she finally capitulates “because it’s what normal people do”. His inability to accept her as, at that point, a 12-months sober alcoholic, and her fear of what other people think, is something Agnes never comes back from.</p>
<p>As this scene plays out, we feel with and for her: stiffening when wine is ordered, overwhelmed with tiredness and fear just before finally giving in. These aren’t works which point the finger, but which offer insights and understanding, tenderness and compassion. </p>
<h2>No perfect fix</h2>
<p>As the books themselves make clear, fiction doesn’t always work or help. Shuggie’s attempts to entertain Agnes by reading to her from Roald Dahl’s Danny the Champion of the World don’t keep her sober. But for the Lucia Berlin character in Unmanageable, literature literally saves her life:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“She was shaking too hard to stand. She lay on the floor breathing deep yoga breaths. Don’t think, God don’t think about the state you’re in or you will die, of shame, a stroke. Her breath slowed down. She started to read the titles of books in the bookcase. Concentrate, read them out loud. Edward Abbey, Chinua Achebe, Sherwood Anderson, Jane Austen, Paul Auster, don’t skip, slow down. By the time she had read the whole wall of books she was better.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Ultimately then, as those who have participated in Dry January decide what comes next, looking to the world of fiction has the potential to do a lot more good than dwelling on what other people think. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em>Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/something-good-156">Sign up here</a>.</em></p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kiera Vaclavik does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Fiction offers precious and sobering insights into the impact of alcohol in the lives of women and children.Kiera Vaclavik, Professor of Children's Literature & Childhood Culture, Queen Mary University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2191192024-01-22T19:04:08Z2024-01-22T19:04:08ZGood lunchboxes are based on 4 things: here’s how parents can prepare healthy food and keep costs down<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568160/original/file-20240108-17-vx4wzp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=116%2C107%2C5775%2C3790&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-teen-girl-eating-snack-in-box-5905684/">Katerina Holmes/Pexles </a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Heading back to school is a time of great anticipation for many families, but it is not without challenges. One of the big challenges is preparing healthy, easy, affordable and appealing lunchboxes.</p>
<p>Lunchboxes are vital for supporting children’s energy levels throughout the school day, which in turn helps maintain their <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/%20%20nu13030911%20https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12051297">concentration</a>. </p>
<p>What does a healthy lunchbox contain? How can you keep it fresh, while also keeping costs down? </p>
<h2>Making a healthy lunchbox</h2>
<p>A healthy well-balanced lunchbox should have four things: </p>
<p><strong>1. food for energy:</strong> these foods have carbohydrates for energy to learn and play. This could be sandwiches, wraps, pasta or rice dishes </p>
<p><strong>2. food for growth:</strong> these foods have protein to support growing bodies and minds. This could be lean meats, eggs, beans or dairy</p>
<p><strong>3. food for health:</strong> these foods have vitamins and minerals to support healthy immune systems and include fruits and vegetables in a variety of colours</p>
<p><strong>4. something to drink:</strong> water, milk or milk alternatives are the best choices. Do not give your children sugary drinks, including juice, cordial or energy drinks as they can lead to dental issues. If your child has trouble drinking plain water, try different bottles or cups. Some kids are more likely to drink from a strawed or spouted bottle. You can also try adding in a few drops of colourful fresh vegetable juice such as beetroot to make the water pink. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A lunch box with a peeled mandarin, grapes, dried apricots and a sandwich." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568163/original/file-20240108-15-ftzfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568163/original/file-20240108-15-ftzfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568163/original/file-20240108-15-ftzfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568163/original/file-20240108-15-ftzfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568163/original/file-20240108-15-ftzfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568163/original/file-20240108-15-ftzfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568163/original/file-20240108-15-ftzfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Lunchboxes should contain a mix of foods for energy, growth and health.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-sandwich-lunch-box-with-fruits-5852281/">Antoni Shkraba/ Pixels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<h2>Choose snacks wisely</h2>
<p>Most kids will eat a treat food over the core foods listed above (just like most adults!). These foods are fun and yummy but not the best choice for sustained energy and focus at school everyday. </p>
<p>So try and avoid snacks like fruit bars and straps, which are low in fibre, fluids, vitamins and minerals, and high in sugar. Also avoid dairy desserts such as custard pouches, biscuits, chocolate bars and muesli bars that are often high in fat and sugar and don’t need to be included in the lunchbox. </p>
<p>While homemade snacks like pikelets, scrolls or homemade dip are ideal and more cost effective, pre-packaged options can be a lifesaver for time-pressed parents.</p>
<p>When choosing packaged snacks, look for items under 600 kilojules per serving, low in saturated fat (less than 2 grams per serving) and containing fibre (more than 1 gram per serving). </p>
<p>Also look for nutrient-dense ingredients like low-fat dairy, wholegrains, fruits, vegetables, or beans to provide a more balanced snack selection. Good options include popcorn, dried fruit boxes, wholegrain crackers and cheese, mini rice cakes, tinned fruit cups and yoghurts without added sugars. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sick-of-packing-school-lunches-already-heres-how-to-make-it-easier-179675">Sick of packing school lunches already? Here's how to make it easier</a>
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<h2>Keep lunch boxes easy</h2>
<p>Try to make school food easy to handle and eat. </p>
<p>For younger children, cut up large pieces of fruit and vegetables, quarter sandwiches and choose things with easy-to-open packaging.</p>
<p>Involve your children in preparing and packing the lunchbox or show them the final product so they know its contents. This means the child is not surprised by the contents. They are also <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195666314001573">more likely to eat</a> a meal they helped make.</p>
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<img alt="A young child chops tomato on a plate with chopped cucumbers." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568164/original/file-20240108-21-c0myyz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568164/original/file-20240108-21-c0myyz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568164/original/file-20240108-21-c0myyz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568164/original/file-20240108-21-c0myyz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568164/original/file-20240108-21-c0myyz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568164/original/file-20240108-21-c0myyz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568164/original/file-20240108-21-c0myyz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Encourage your your kids to help prepare and pack their lunchboxes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-little-boy-cutting-vegetables-on-red-plate-3984726/">Gustavo Fring/ Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/trying-to-spend-less-on-food-following-the-dietary-guidelines-might-save-you-160-a-fortnight-216749">Trying to spend less on food? Following the dietary guidelines might save you $160 a fortnight</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Keep things fresh</h2>
<p>Food can sit in lunchboxes for hours, so it’s important to keep it fresh. To help keep it as cool you can: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>use an insulated lunchbox and ice pack. Pack the ice pack next to items prone to spoilage</p></li>
<li><p>if you are preparing the lunchbox the day before, store it in the fridge overnight</p></li>
<li><p>ask your kids to keep lunchboxes in their school bags, away from direct sunlight and heat</p></li>
<li><p>also consider freezing water bottles overnight to provide a cool and refreshing drink for hot days</p></li>
<li><p>if you know it’s going to be a particularly hot day or your child is going to be out and about with their lunch box, choose foods that don’t have to be kept cool. For example, baked beans, tetra pack milk, wholegrain crackers and diced fruit cups. Also consider uncut and whole raw fruit and vegetables such as an apple or orange, baby carrots, baby cucumbers or cherry tomatoes. </p></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-schools-are-starting-to-provide-food-but-we-need-to-think-carefully-before-we-ditch-the-lunchbox-193536">Australian schools are starting to provide food, but we need to think carefully before we 'ditch the lunchbox'</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Keep costs down</h2>
<p>There are several ways you can try to keep costs down when buying school lunch supplies: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>follow the <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines/guidelines">Australian Dietary Guidelines</a>. A <a href="https://theconversation.com/trying-to-spend-less-on-food-following-the-dietary-guidelines-might-save-you-160-a-fortnight-216749">2023 study</a> suggests maintaining a healthy diet – along the lines of the guidelines – could save A$160 off a family of four’s fortnightly shopping bill</p></li>
<li><p>choose seasonal fruits and vegetables for the freshest items at lowest cost</p></li>
<li><p>take advantage of special deals or bulk purchases, especially for your child’s favourite snacks or things with a long shelf-life like canned or frozen foods </p></li>
<li><p>bake items such as scrolls or muesli bars and freeze in bulk when time allows. The <a href="https://onehandedcooks.com.au">One Handed Cooks</a> have healthy recipes for all ages that are wallet and freezer friendly</p></li>
<li><p>use dinner leftovers as next-day lunches</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A pot full of noodles and vegetables." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568165/original/file-20240108-16-issd9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568165/original/file-20240108-16-issd9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568165/original/file-20240108-16-issd9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568165/original/file-20240108-16-issd9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568165/original/file-20240108-16-issd9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568165/original/file-20240108-16-issd9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568165/original/file-20240108-16-issd9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Try to plan dinners that can double as lunches.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/stir-fry-noodles-in-bowl-2347311/%20engin">Engin Akyurt/ Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<ul>
<li>keep an eye on your child’s lunchbox to see what they eat. They may eat less during lunchtime but need a snack later. Adjust the lunchbox contents based on their hunger level and have a post-school snack prepared to avoid unnecessary food waste.</li>
</ul>
<p>For more ideas on managing lunchboxes, check out the <a href="https://growandgotoolbox.com">Grow&Go Toolbox</a>. Nutrition Australia also has some <a href="https://www.healthylunchboxweek.org.au/lunchbox-ebook">great suggestions</a> for balancing your child’s lunchbox.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219119/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Clare Dix receives funding from the Australian Government Department of Health.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stella Boyd-Ford receives funding from the Australian Government Department of Health.</span></em></p>Lunchboxes should have food for concentration, growth and health as well as something to drink.Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of QueenslandStella Boyd-Ford, Research Fellow with the Grow&Go Toolbox, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2158922024-01-14T19:05:46Z2024-01-14T19:05:46ZHelp, I’ve just discovered my teen has watched porn! What should I do?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/562600/original/file-20231130-15-eyet8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=122%2C0%2C8057%2C5297&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/worried-teenage-girl-sitting-desk-bedroom-2261420967">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Unlike in previous generations, you’re unlikely to discover your adolescent’s first exposure to adult sexual content from finding a scrunched-up Playboy magazine under their mattress. </p>
<p>With easy access to the internet and the use of tablets and mobile phones, it’s more likely to be from free, mainstream online porn. And it can be a very shocking introduction to sex.</p>
<p>But it’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12678">common</a> and has become normalised among young people. The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12678">median age</a> for boys to first view pornography is 13, while for girls it’s 16. </p>
<p>OK, so your child or adolescent has watched a porn video. First, stay calm. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tiktok-has-a-startling-amount-of-sexual-content-and-its-way-too-easy-for-children-to-access-216114">TikTok has a startling amount of sexual content – and it's way too easy for children to access</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Start a discussion about what porn is – and isn’t</h2>
<p>How much detail you go into and what’s appropriate for them to know will depend on their age and level of maturity. </p>
<p>Many parents let their adolescents know porn is not real – it’s a fantasy. But it’s not enough to just say, “that’s not real”. They also need to know what reality is. </p>
<p>Explain that porn is not what sex is like – and what’s wrong with depictions of sex in porn: everyone who’s involved should be enjoying it, not just the man. </p>
<p>In porn, you don’t see all the normal things that happen around sex, like discussions on how to ask about consent, or even the bloopers of sex, such as when people change positions, negotiate, and move around. </p>
<p>Porn is not designed to show sex the way it would be experienced as pleasurable, or show what positive relationships are meant to look like. People don’t tend to ask, “do you want to do that?” And if they do, you won’t see what happens if someone says “no”. The performers aren’t doing it in a way that feels good, but instead focus on what is deemed to “look good”. </p>
<p>Porn doesn’t present sex in a real way, and it can change young people’s ideas and expectations about <a href="https://www.thegist.org.au/topics/how-porn-is-different-from-sex-in-the-real-world/">what sex is</a>. </p>
<h2>How are adolescents accessing porn?</h2>
<p>Adolescents are used to discovering things on their own using the internet and are naturally curious about sex. Their exposure to porn can come from something as simple as googling a term they’ve never heard of before, or their friends <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12678">sending them a link</a>. </p>
<p>They’re most likely to come across mainstream porn. With lots of flesh, quick movements and closeups, it can be very graphic and can come across as violent to someone seeing it for the first time. </p>
<p>This becomes how adolescents, who don’t have personal experiences of sex, or have the information they need, learn about sex. Just as they go to YouTube to learn how to cook a meal or fix the tap, they are used to watching and following. </p>
<p>And for something private and stigmatised like sex, there are limited good alternatives for them to learn how it really works.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Girl looks at her phone while sitting at her desk" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/562596/original/file-20231130-21-lxi54r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/562596/original/file-20231130-21-lxi54r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562596/original/file-20231130-21-lxi54r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562596/original/file-20231130-21-lxi54r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562596/original/file-20231130-21-lxi54r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562596/original/file-20231130-21-lxi54r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562596/original/file-20231130-21-lxi54r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There are limited alternatives to learn how sex really works.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/worried-teenage-girl-sitting-desk-bedroom-2261420967">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>When should we have ‘the talk’?</h2>
<p>An open conversation about safety, sex, consent and relationships and gender roles is important throughout their whole life. Introduce the topic of sex gradually, depending on your child’s age. It doesn’t have to be a big sit down, to have a big talk.</p>
<p>It’s best to bring it up in relevant situations, particularly on seeking ongoing consent, because that applies to all aspects of life. Everyone has the right to make decisions about their own body, and it’s up to them if they <a href="https://www.thegist.org.au/topics/enthusiastic-consent-and-communication">want to be</a> touched, hugged, kissed or have sex. It’s also important to reinforce that women and girls have feelings and needs, and they’re not just there to look pretty. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-you-teach-a-primary-school-child-about-consent-you-can-start-with-these-books-190063">How do you teach a primary school child about consent? You can start with these books</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>If they’re asking questions, then they’re old enough to talk about it. Ideally, you won’t wait for them to ask. You should be having conversations about consent, positive relationships, and sex from an early age. But it’s important to talk about it earlier rather than later, even if you don’t think they’ve watched porn. </p>
<p>Instead of saying “have you heard about porn?”, let them know from a young age they can trust you if they see something online that they don’t like or confuses them. Assure them you can’t believe everything you see online and you’re a safe person to go to with any questions.</p>
<p>Let them know it’s not their fault if they see something they don’t like, make sure they are OK and ask how it made them feel. Remind them to simply close the browser or turn off the screen if they see something that <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/kids/i-want-help-with/i-saw-something-online-i-didn%E2%80%99t-like">upsets them</a> or makes them feel yuck. </p>
<h2>Can I prevent my child accessing porn?</h2>
<p>Your children will <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1326020023010269?via%3Dihub">probably see porn</a> at some point, but the older they are when they first see it, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1326020023010269?via%3Dihub">the better</a>.</p>
<p>Data shows watching porn is <a href="https://doi.org/10.2196/16702">associated with</a> poor mental health, riskier sexual behaviours, and attitudes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2017.1417350">supporting violence against women</a>.</p>
<p>Unlike with adolescents where conversations are paramount, restrictions can prevent and protect young children from seeing porn. These include <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/parental-controls?gclid=CjwKCAjws9ipBhB1EiwAccEi1HAKM-aKbxzwQ2oY8BM7Jpi4yjP4QPSK1vOk7GIy9d7xLyfEtM9CuBoCI1EQAvD_BwE">parental controls</a> on devices, apps or browsers, or establishing rules about when, where and with whom they can access their phones, computers or tablets. Yes, older teenagers can probably get past them, but younger kids can’t.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-we-need-to-talk-about-porn-when-we-talk-about-andrew-tate-201059">Why we need to talk about porn when we talk about Andrew Tate</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Be open and honest with your kids about using internet restrictions – don’t spy on them. Let them know why you’re doing it, explaining there are bad things online you need to protect them from – it’s about building trust.</p>
<p>If you find your child showing unusual behaviour or acting out towards other children, or your teen shows signs of addiction (where their viewing activities interfere with their day-to-day lives), <a href="https://www.thegist.org.au/support-services/">seek</a> professional <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/">help</a>. </p>
<p><em><a href="https://www.thegist.org.au/">The GIST</a> is a great resource for parents and older teens about how to approach difficult topics like this. If you’re a child or adolescent and need support, you can call the <a href="https://kidshelpline.com.au/">Kids Help Line</a> on 1800 55 1800.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215892/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Megan Lim receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, VicHealth, Westpac Foundation, and the Office of the eSafety Commissioner. </span></em></p>Chances are, your teenager has already seen online porn. How should you respond if you find out they are watching it? What conversations should you be having with young children to prepare them?Megan Lim, Head of Young People's Health Research, Burnet InstituteLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2202792024-01-14T19:04:44Z2024-01-14T19:04:44ZWhen should you start? How much should you give? How to make sure pocket money teaches your kids financial skills<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568798/original/file-20240111-21-axxbv4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=6%2C31%2C4252%2C2807&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/selective-focus-photo-of-australian-dollar-coins-7186388/">Karen Laårk Boshoff/ Pexels </a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Giving kids pocket money can be a really challenging decision for families. It raises questions about when to start it, how much to give and whether it should be tied to chores. </p>
<p>As a finance researcher and parent, it’s also important to view pocket money as an educational opportunity. You can use it to teach children how to make informed financial decisions, set meaningful goals and develop responsible spending habits. </p>
<p>Here’s how you can approach it. </p>
<h2>When should you start?</h2>
<p>There is no one “right age” but you could reasonably consider pocket money when children start school and begin learning to add and subtract. </p>
<p>This means your child will be old enough to start grasping concepts like saving and spending. </p>
<p>As your child grows, you can move on from basic arithmetic and tailor your discussions to what your child is learning in maths.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young girl puts a coin in a money box shaped like a Kombi van." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568802/original/file-20240111-19-slenfh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568802/original/file-20240111-19-slenfh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568802/original/file-20240111-19-slenfh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568802/original/file-20240111-19-slenfh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568802/original/file-20240111-19-slenfh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568802/original/file-20240111-19-slenfh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568802/original/file-20240111-19-slenfh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Pocket money can teach your child how to spend and how to save.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/girl-wearing-black-sweatshirt-playing-toy-car-flVuw7nbzmM">Annie Spratt/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How much should it be?</h2>
<p>How much you give will depend on your family situation and finances. </p>
<p>A useful starting point is working out what the pocket money will be used for. Is it simply to give your child a bit of autonomy over spending (for example, buying an ice block from the canteen)?. Is it to try to save for something special? Or is it to be used for all entertainment, clothes and on-trend desires like fancy water bottles? </p>
<p>A long-held rule of thumb is giving $1 per week relating to your child’s age (so $5 for a five-year-old). But of course amounts tying pocket money to a child’s raw age may not work with today’s economic conditions. Three years ago, $10 bought a lot more than it does today. </p>
<p>Of course you will also need to consider pocket money within the context of your wider household budget. Down the track, there’s nothing wrong with talking to your child about adjusting their pocket money if your household budget needs changing.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-i-tell-my-kids-we-are-currently-short-on-money-without-freaking-them-out-208008">How do I tell my kids we are currently short on money – without freaking them out?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Cash or direct debit?</h2>
<p>When your child is little, giving them pocket money in cash is a good way to help them start to understand money. It’s something they can see and hold in their hands. </p>
<p>As they get older and the amounts get larger, direct debits will become more convenient and can teach them about handling their money online. </p>
<p>Since getting your hands on cash is difficult these days, when they’re young you can also give your kids pocket money electronically but give them monopoly money or a similar representative of what they have earned. You can then progress to a spreadsheet as they get older. </p>
<h2>What about tying it to chores?</h2>
<p>Many parents like to provide pocket money in exchange for chores as they feel it might instil a work ethic in their kids and the idea you don’t get money for nothing. </p>
<p>If you are tying pocket money to chores, be very clear about what will be done for what money and when chores need to be reviewed. Follow-through is important for this structure to be effective, so if they don’t do the work, they don’t get paid. You can also give them bonuses for jobs that are particularly well done.</p>
<p>Personally, I find this process to be more work for parents than it’s worth. I prefer the children to simply help around the house because it’s a core family value rather than tying it to finances.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young boy washes dishes in a sink." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568800/original/file-20240111-15-axxbv4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568800/original/file-20240111-15-axxbv4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568800/original/file-20240111-15-axxbv4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568800/original/file-20240111-15-axxbv4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568800/original/file-20240111-15-axxbv4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568800/original/file-20240111-15-axxbv4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568800/original/file-20240111-15-axxbv4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">If pocket money is tied to chores, make sure they actually do the chores.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/industrious-boy-cleaning-the-dishes-6481586/">Kampus Production</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The bigger picture</h2>
<p>However you structure pocket money in your family, it’s important to consider it an opportunity to learn about finances. </p>
<p>You might start with simple discussions around “do I have enough money to buy this packet of textas and that toy car?” or “how many weeks until I can afford that book?”. Then as your child develops, you can introduce concepts such as cash flow, interest rates and banking products. </p>
<p>For example, cash flow lessons can start with talking about the importance of spending less than you earn. </p>
<h2>Teaching kids about goals</h2>
<p>Pocket money is also a fantastic way to help kids learn how to save. Help them set a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2017.2819">realistic goal</a> to save up for something that matters to them. A pair of sneakers they want or a particular video game is likely to be more achievable than a new bike. This will help motivate and challenge your child, without overwhelming them. </p>
<p>As your child gets older, you can introduce more sophisticated notions of saving and funds. </p>
<p>For example, when my child started high school we talked about setting up an emergency fund. As she was going to catch buses, we worked out the fund should be $50 (based on missing the bus and needing a taxi home). This became her new “baseline” before spending on non-essential items such as food from the school canteen. </p>
<p>Barefoot Investor author Scott Pape <a href="https://www.barefootinvestor.com/kids">recommends</a> starting with physical buckets with “splurge” for every day little things, “save” for big goals, “give” for acts of kindness and “grow” for investing. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Three single sneakers in a shop window." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568799/original/file-20240111-21-eoy580.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568799/original/file-20240111-21-eoy580.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568799/original/file-20240111-21-eoy580.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568799/original/file-20240111-21-eoy580.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568799/original/file-20240111-21-eoy580.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568799/original/file-20240111-21-eoy580.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568799/original/file-20240111-21-eoy580.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Encourage your child to save for something significant but realistic.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/three-unpaired-multicolored-leather-sneakers-on-display-2300334/">Adrian Dorobantu/ Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Shopping skills</h2>
<p>Once your child has their own money to spend, a trip to the shops takes on a whole new significance. </p>
<p>Smart shopping is not just about comparing prices or where to find the best bargains. It is also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12565">learning</a> what is worth spending your money on and when. </p>
<p>You can talk to your child about what they value and their emotional responses around buying decisions. For example, “how long was it before the excitement of your new T-shirt wore off?” Or “Did you feel differently when you spent your money on going to that movie (an experience) versus that box of Lego (a tangible product)?”</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-dont-need-banks-teaching-kids-about-money-schools-have-it-covered-151093">We don't need banks teaching kids about money. Schools have it covered</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>There are lots of things to consider (and no perfect formula) when it comes to pocket money. But if it means you can integrate financial skills into everyday life, it’s a fantastic investment in your kids’ education.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220279/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robyn McCormack does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>However you structure pocket money in your family, it is important to consider it an opportunity to learn about finances.Robyn McCormack, Marketing and Finance Academic, Bond UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2173812024-01-11T19:10:53Z2024-01-11T19:10:53ZWhat is ‘parent training’ for families of children with ADHD?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566509/original/file-20231219-21-5nuf85.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=9%2C9%2C6125%2C3439&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-man-telling-his-wife-front-1677115807">DC Studio/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Problems with focus and impulse control can be common developmental stages through which children and adolescents naturally progress. But they can also be symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/facts.html">(ADHD)</a>, a chronic condition. </p>
<p>ADHD is a pattern of inattention or hyperactivity and impulsivity (or both) that interferes with functioning or development, and persists <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-kids-grow-out-of-adhd-as-they-get-older-218692">into adulthood</a>. ADHD affects around <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13052-023-01456-1">7.6% of children</a> aged three to 12 years and 5.6% of teens.</p>
<p>ADHD can significantly influence family dynamics and can affect a child’s ability to learn and interact socially. Raising children with behavioural, developmental or learning difficulties can also make parenting more challenging, with parents navigating feelings of frustration, grief and guilt.</p>
<p>While medication is <a href="https://adhdguideline.aadpa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ADHD-Clinical-Practice-Guide-041022.pdf">most effective</a> at minimising core ADHD symptoms, non-drug interventions can also <a href="https://adhdguideline.aadpa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ADHD-Clinical-Practice-Guide-041022.pdf">reduce</a> the daily impacts of ADHD symptoms. Parenting/family training is one such <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15374416.2017.1390757?needAccess=true">intervention</a>. So what does it involve and is it effective?</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/adhd-medications-have-doubled-in-the-last-decade-but-other-treatments-can-help-too-191574">ADHD medications have doubled in the last decade – but other treatments can help too</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Positive praise and natural consequences</h2>
<p>Parenting training is widely used and can take different forms. Sometimes a psychologist works with one or both parents to give them skills specific to their family and situation. It’s sometimes a structured in-person program for groups of parents. It can also be delivered online, at parents’ own pace or in virtual classrooms.</p>
<p>Most parent/family training will teach parents forms of:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>positive praise</strong>. Notice when your child is behaving in a desirable way and give them positive feedback. For example,“Wow, you’re playing so nicely. I really like the way you’re keeping all the blocks on the table.” Praise nurtures self esteem and their sense of self. Praise teens for starting homework without being reminded or coming home at the agreed time </p></li>
<li><p><strong>effective limit-setting</strong>. Establish ground rules in a quiet moment of family time, where everyone has a say and understands the boundaries, consequences, and expectations </p></li>
<li><p><strong><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30738545/">natural consequences</a></strong>, such as missing out on watching a TV show because packing up took too long. This allows the child to experience failure or loss, but empowers them with what they can focus on or improve the next time round</p></li>
<li><p><strong>planned ignoring of annoying but not serious behaviours</strong> such as making faces or messy rooms. Make a decision to ignore it and breathe. Model desirable behaviours, such as looking after your possessions and fitting in with family life </p></li>
<li><p><strong>positive parent-child interactions</strong>. “Connection before correction” helps a parent shape their child’s behaviour and can <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0890-8567(18)31980-4">reduce disruptions</a>.
Emotionally connect by, for example, establishing eye contact, using a gentle tone and getting down on their level. This attunement allows the child to be able to regulate their behaviour and better manage their emotions. </p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Dad talks to child in garden" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566515/original/file-20231219-29-tw0fa5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566515/original/file-20231219-29-tw0fa5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566515/original/file-20231219-29-tw0fa5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566515/original/file-20231219-29-tw0fa5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566515/original/file-20231219-29-tw0fa5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566515/original/file-20231219-29-tw0fa5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566515/original/file-20231219-29-tw0fa5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Your responses can reduce their disruptive behaviour.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/man-in-blue-crew-neck-t-shirt-beside-woman-in-blue-crew-neck-t-shirt-eyfaunEy9dM">Max Harlynking/Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Parents aren’t to blame for their child’s symptoms; the aim of training is to teach parents skills to meet the above-average parenting needs of children with ADHD. </p>
<p>Take inattention, for example. If a task is boring to a child with ADHD, their brain will struggle to pay attention – even if they want to. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tpB-B8BXk0">ADHD</a> clinical neuropsychologist Russell Barkley explains ADHD like this: the back part of the brain is where you learn, the front part is what you do, and ADHD splits them apart. You can know things but you won’t do them – it’s a performance disorder.</p>
<p>Having a few household rules, schedules, opportunities to problem-solve, effectively using instructions and, most importantly, expressions of <a href="https://5lovelanguages.com/">love</a> can give children positive environments that will help their mental health over time. </p>
<h2>How effective is parent training?</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://adhdguideline.aadpa.com.au/">Australian evidence-based ADHD treatment guidelines</a> reviewed the evidence and found medication treatment was more effective than non-pharmacological treatment in reducing core ADHD symptoms. But combined therapies were better than either treatment alone. </p>
<p>The United Kingdom’s National Institute of Clinical Excellence <a href="https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng87/chapter/Recommendations#managing-adhd">recommends</a> ADHD management plans include treatments to address the child’s psychological, behavioural and educational or occupational needs.</p>
<p>There is <a href="https://adhdguideline.aadpa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ADHD-Clinical-Practice-Guide-041022.pdf">evidence to support</a> parenting training for children aged five to 17, and greater evidence for its use in children under five and families of children who also have <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/oppositional-defiant-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20375831">oppositional defiant disorder</a> or <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/conduct-disorder">conduct disorder</a>, who require more intensive support. </p>
<p>But more research is needed about the duration and form of the parent training. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240065505">World Health Organization</a> also recommends parenting interventions because they strengthen the parent-child relationship, assist with alternatives to <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/harsh-discipline-increases-risk-of-children-developing-lasting-mental-health-problems">violent discipline</a> and reduce emotional problem behaviours in children. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/1-in-4-adults-think-smacking-is-necessary-to-properly-raise-kids-but-attitudes-are-changing-218837">1 in 4 adults think smacking is necessary to 'properly raise' kids. But attitudes are changing</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How do you access parent training?</h2>
<p>Most psychologists offer family training and will charge you the same fee as a normal session. </p>
<p>You can also upskill with the free <a href="https://www.triplep-parenting.net.au/qld-en/free-parenting-courses/triple-p-online-under-12/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAvdCrBhBREiwAX6-6UlIdcIunlsTq4iB0-J6xZN1Bl3wA1Dj9bmN6GuXUG_InDq5HeYHPSxoCjuIQAvD_BwE#au-parents-register-now">Triple P Parenting Program</a> online. </p>
<p>Happy Families also has an online <a href="https://www.happyfamilies.com.au/shop/product/pin-parenting-adhd-the-course">parenting ADHD course</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Mother sits on laptop in doorway" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566513/original/file-20231219-15-d4eqa7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566513/original/file-20231219-15-d4eqa7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566513/original/file-20231219-15-d4eqa7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566513/original/file-20231219-15-d4eqa7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566513/original/file-20231219-15-d4eqa7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566513/original/file-20231219-15-d4eqa7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566513/original/file-20231219-15-d4eqa7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">You can do parent training online.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/a-woman-sitting-on-the-floor-using-a-laptop-ddcLX7Iis44">Surface/Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Bond University researchers are also conducting a free, <a href="https://research.bond.edu.au/en/persons/cher-mcgillivray/?_ga=2.48431014.1617715341.1703022536-540923691.1665619219">online group parenting program</a>, which includes positive parenting skills. This will be part of a randomised control trial to develop an evidenced-based parenting intervention.</p>
<p>The aim with all of these programs is to better understand the child’s life and have <a href="https://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/publications/GilbertCFT.pdf">compassionate</a> responses to their ADHD and behavioural symptoms. So rather than just focusing on their behaviour – which is an outward expression of an inward emotion – it encourages parents to embrace their uniqueness and help them in their struggles. </p>
<h2>How else can you support your child with ADHD?</h2>
<p>Set <a href="https://drsharonsaline.com/2021/05/18/parenting-older-teens-with-adhd-land-the-helicopter-and-focus-on-scaffolding/">boundaries</a> and be clear about your expectations, but also be compassionate to your child and pick your battles.</p>
<p>Break instructions into simple tasks and allow them to choose and focus on one thing they’re struggling with at a time. Brainstorm what they need to improve, or an area that frustrates them. This will often be organisation, time management and planning. Ask how you can help and stay calm. Celebrate the small wins along the way. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/my-kid-is-biting-hitting-and-kicking-im-at-my-wits-end-what-can-i-do-194639">My kid is biting, hitting and kicking. I’m at my wit’s end, what can I do?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Be curious and seek to understand and connect with your child. Even though your relationship may feel strained or disconnected at times, remember disagreement need not destabilise the relationship. Children express their full emotions, without restraint, among people they feel most safe with. </p>
<p>Finally, ensure you look after yourself, connect with other parents who can support you. Try not to place your anxiety, stress and fears onto your child. Talk to a friend or psychologist so your child feels safe and able to share anything with you and knows you will cope.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217381/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cher McGillivray does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Raising children with behavioural, developmental or learning difficulties can also make parenting more challenging. So how can parent training help?Cher McGillivray, Assistant Professor Psychology Department, Bond UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2201382024-01-09T19:17:41Z2024-01-09T19:17:41Z3 ways to help your child transition off screens and avoid the dreaded ‘tech tantrums’<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567033/original/file-20231221-26-8f27sw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=52%2C15%2C4941%2C3312&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/asian-kids-playing-with-tablet-5692262/">Alex Green/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Many Australian parents <a href="https://www.rchpoll.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NCHP20-Poll-report-A4_FA.pdf">worry</a> about how much time their children spend watching screens. </p>
<p>While <a href="https://theconversation.com/screen-time-for-kids-is-an-outdated-concept-so-lets-ditch-it-and-focus-on-quality-instead-186462">some time on devices is fine</a> for entertainment and education, we also know <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-022-12944-0">it is important</a> children do things away from TVs and devices. </p>
<p>This means for many families, there is a daily battle around getting kids off their screens and avoiding “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8078852/">tech tantrums</a>”. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://youngchildrendigitalsociety.com.au/">new research</a> looks at how parents and carers can help children with what researchers call “technology transitions”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/screen-time-for-kids-is-an-outdated-concept-so-lets-ditch-it-and-focus-on-quality-instead-186462">'Screen time' for kids is an outdated concept, so let's ditch it and focus on quality instead</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why are transitions so tough?</h2>
<p>Technology transitions are a lot like other transitions children experience throughout their day. </p>
<p>These include stopping play to get dressed, moving from having breakfast to getting in the car, or finishing time on the swing to leave the park. These can be tricky because they involve <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/behaviour/understanding-behaviour/self-regulation">self-regulation skills</a> that children learn and develop as they grow. </p>
<p>Transitioning from screen to non-screen activities is something many children would do more than once a day. </p>
<p>Often technology transitions can appear harder for children and their carers than other transitions because devices can be highly engaging, with developers and media designers actively working <a href="https://theconversation.com/3-ways-app-developers-keep-kids-glued-to-the-screen-and-what-to-do-about-it-191672">to keep children connected</a> (think of how streaming services automatically start playing the next show and display all the similar options for viewing). </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young girl covers her face with her hands." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567034/original/file-20231221-24-egr4pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567034/original/file-20231221-24-egr4pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567034/original/file-20231221-24-egr4pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567034/original/file-20231221-24-egr4pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567034/original/file-20231221-24-egr4pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567034/original/file-20231221-24-egr4pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567034/original/file-20231221-24-egr4pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Children can be very upset when they have to stop watching TV or using a device.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/girl-covering-her-face-with-both-hands-VZILDYoqn_U">Caleb Woods/ Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Our study</h2>
<p>We are working on a <a href="https://dataportal.arc.gov.au/NCGP/Web/Grant/Grant/LP190100387">larger project</a> to develop an online tool with advice for parents about using digital technologies with their children. </p>
<p>In this part of the study, we have been exploring how to support children with technology transitions. Together with Playgroup WA, we worked with a group of 14 parents to explore different ways to move children off technology. </p>
<p>Over 12 weeks, we provided parents with ideas and advice to support transitions and then asked them what worked best. These resources included content from the federal government’s parenting website <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au">Raising Children Network</a> and ABC Kids.</p>
<p>Families reported their top three strategies for supporting technology transitions. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/more-bluey-less-paw-patrol-why-australian-parents-want-locally-made-tv-for-their-kids-215603">More Bluey, less PAW Patrol: why Australian parents want locally made TV for their kids</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>1. Prepare your kids</h2>
<p>We would be upset if we were watching a movie and someone suddenly stopped it midway through without warning. </p>
<p>Just like adults, children can feel very annoyed and frustrated when their device is suddenly taken away, especially when they are enjoying a game or watching content they like. </p>
<p>So you need to prepare children and let them know when their time with a screen will end. </p>
<p>Some successful strategies parents and carers in this research used were “you can watch two episodes of this show” or “when this game is finished we will stop”. These help children to know how much time they will have with a device and that they will be able to finish an activity they are enjoying. </p>
<p>Telling them what activity would follow was also helpful. For example “when you have finished that game it will be time to eat” or “after you have watched that show we will go to the park”. What they are moving to may not always be fun, helping children understand what to expect helps make for a smoother transition. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tv-can-be-educational-but-social-media-likely-harms-mental-health-what-70-years-of-research-tells-us-about-children-and-screens-216638">TV can be educational but social media likely harms mental health: what 70 years of research tells us about children and screens</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>2. Do something ‘for real-life’ inspired by the screen</h2>
<p>You can use children’s interests in what they are watching to help them move from technologies into non-digital activities. </p>
<p>For example if your child has been watching Bluey you could invite them to complete a Bluey puzzle, or role-play some Bluey games such as keepy uppy or obstacle course. Families in this study reported moving from watching Fireman Sam to visiting a fire station or building a fire station with their child using blocks and other play materials in the home. </p>
<p>Parents also successfully used music and songs children liked to help with technology transitions. This could be playing music from a show, or turning on music kids liked to act as a fun activity to engage them in something else.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An adult and child play with wooden blocks." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567035/original/file-20231221-16-obf0w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567035/original/file-20231221-16-obf0w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567035/original/file-20231221-16-obf0w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567035/original/file-20231221-16-obf0w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567035/original/file-20231221-16-obf0w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567035/original/file-20231221-16-obf0w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567035/original/file-20231221-16-obf0w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">You can try building something kids have been watching on the TV.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/boy-building-with-toy-blocks-7269707/">Karolina Grabowska/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3. Give kids choice</h2>
<p>Offering children choice in these situations can also be very powerful. </p>
<p>Many aspects of children’s lives are managed for them, when to go to school or pre-school, what they have to wear and using a seat belt in the car. Many of these things are not negotiable and often for good reasons. </p>
<p>This is why it is helpful to give children some choice in their lives when you can.</p>
<p>Parents reported success when providing kids with simple choices when preparing to move off technology. For example “would you like to watch two or four episodes of this show?” or “would you like to start the timer for your game or do you want me to let you know when your time is up?” </p>
<p>These strategies help children feel like they have some choice about how long they will use technologies.</p>
<p>As parents and carers navigate screens and technology with their kids, they should know they are not alone if they find transitions difficult. And there are strategies that can help.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>The <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/preschoolers/behaviour/behaviour-management-tips-tools/activity-changes-behaviour-management">Raising Children Network</a> has more ideas for supporting transitions.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220138/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Juliana Zabatiero receives funding from the Australian Research Council. This article was developed in collaboration with Australian Catholic University, University of Canberra, Curtin University, Playgroup WA, ABC Kids and the federal government's Raising Children Network with funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Highfield consults for ABC Kids, with a focus on supporting healthy technology use in play and learning. With colleagues, she receives or has received funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Leon Straker receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Susan Edwards receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p>For many families, there is a daily battle around getting kids off their screens and back into real life.Juliana Zabatiero, Research Fellow, Curtin UniversityKate Highfield, Associate Professor, Early Childhood Education Academic Lead, University of CanberraLeon Straker, Professor of Physiotherapy, Curtin UniversitySusan Edwards, Professor of Education, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2194872024-01-07T19:05:44Z2024-01-07T19:05:44ZWorried about school refusal? How to use the holidays to help your child<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565927/original/file-20231214-19-i5tifz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C0%2C4988%2C3275&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/a-girl-lying-on-a-bed-kFk3ji9x07k">Richard Stachman/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>These long summer holidays may seem like an extra blessing to families who are dealing with a child who does not like school or who refuses to go. </p>
<p>But even as January stretches out in front of us, parents will no doubt be thinking about the challenge of getting their child back to school again once terms starts. </p>
<p>I do research on young people’s engagement with school and have previously worked as a guidance officer, supporting families dealing with school refusal. </p>
<p>How can families use the holidays to lay the groundwork for a more positive school year ahead? </p>
<h2>What is school refusal?</h2>
<p><a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/school-learning/school-refusal/school-refusal">School refusal</a> is not “wagging”. A recent <a href="https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/committees/reportsen/RB000090/toc_pdf/Thenationaltrendofschoolrefusalandrelatedmatters.pdf">Senate inquiry</a> noted there is no commonly agreed definition but described it as:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>the inability of a young person to attend school due to a severe negative emotional reaction to school.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is often rooted in complex issues that can be include anxiety, depression, neurodiversity and school bullying. Anecdotally, it has been on the rise since COVID. </p>
<h2>Start by talking</h2>
<p>If you have a child who has been refusing to go or talking about refusing to go, try to be supportive at home by encouraging them to express their concerns and thoughts about school. </p>
<p>Actively listen to the reasons why your child is reluctant to attend school. You can do this by calmly asking</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If we could make one thing different at school this coming year, what would it be? </p>
</blockquote>
<p>This will help you understand why your child is reluctant and how you can best support them.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/school-attendance-rates-are-dropping-we-need-to-ask-students-why-200537">School attendance rates are dropping. We need to ask students why</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Keep a routine going</h2>
<p>Schools are built on routine. So, try to maintain some sense of routine during the holidays to make for a smoother transition for your child at the end of January.</p>
<p>You could try and schedule time for outdoor play, screen time, fun games as well as household chores. Maintaining set times for meals and sleep are also essential.</p>
<p>Maintaining positive connections with friends from school can also help. Having a positive social connection with a schoolmate over the break can help to ease worries about heading back to school. </p>
<p>Being able to talk with peers on the first day back about what you did together on the holidays can also be a powerful way to start to build a sense of belonging at school.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Young people play basketball against a backdrop of trees and low-rise buildings." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565933/original/file-20231215-17-8eho9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565933/original/file-20231215-17-8eho9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565933/original/file-20231215-17-8eho9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565933/original/file-20231215-17-8eho9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565933/original/file-20231215-17-8eho9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565933/original/file-20231215-17-8eho9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565933/original/file-20231215-17-8eho9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Try and keep up contact with school friends during the holidays.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/kids-playing-basketball-8337276/">RDNE Stock Project/ Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Keep in touch with your school</h2>
<p>While teachers are on (well-earned) holidays, schools will be contactable before the start of term 1. </p>
<p>If your child has a history of school refusal, maintaining a positive line of communication with the school is important. </p>
<p>See if you can find out their new teacher and talk to school support staff like school counsellors before school returns so you can work together to explore support options. </p>
<p>Don’t be afraid to make that initial contact in the week leading up to the new school year.</p>
<p>Most school staff will appreciate the gesture. They will be keen to work proactively with you and your child rather than trying to react to the challenges that come with school refusal once term has begun. </p>
<h2>What else can you do?</h2>
<p>If school refusal is an ongoing issue for your child, spending the time now to seek professional help can also be a great idea. </p>
<p>Use this time to do some of your own research and connect with qualified health professionals, therapists or specialists who can provide the necessary support. </p>
<p>A good starting point would be a visit to your GP who may refer you to a child psychologist or paediatrician (although be aware, there may be long waiting lists for some specialists).</p>
<p>Try and build a network of support for your child that intersects the home, school and therapeutic environments. By working together with your child, a successful transition back to school is much more likely.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1622361554288054273"}"></div></p>
<h2>Why it’s worth trying to make school work</h2>
<p>I’m sure any parent with a child who is school refusing has at some time wondered if it’s worth the struggle of getting kids to school. </p>
<p>As someone who has worked in mainstream schools and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13603116.2020.1735543">distance education</a>, along with being a parent during COVID, I can see why school avoidance is a <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Education_and_Employment/SchoolRefusal/Report">growing phenomenon</a>. </p>
<p>Many of us found our kids learning more and learning faster at home. Without the classroom distractions and added stress of being crammed into an institutional setting, some found learning easier and more enjoyable. </p>
<p>While academic learning may have been easier at home, we need to think about the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/edth.12411">purpose of education</a>. It is not just about academic learning and qualification. </p>
<p>Socialisation is a key purpose also. Schools are designed to teach our children how to interact positively with other outside of the home as part of their social development.</p>
<p>So it is worth hanging in there, if you can (while of course acknowledging mainstream school does not end up working for all students and there is a <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-a-new-online-only-private-school-what-are-the-options-if-the-mainstream-system-doesnt-suit-your-child-189138">growing number of alternatives</a>). </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1727121117809193437"}"></div></p>
<h2>Trying to get on the front foot</h2>
<p>These long summer holidays are a good opportunity to get on the front foot in terms of your child’s feeling about school. Try and use this time to seek allies in school staff, mental health professionals and encourage continued friendships for your child. </p>
<p>Remember your friends too. Reach out for help from your support network as you walk with your child into the new school year.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219487/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Corey Bloomfield does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>From keeping up routines, to making contact with new teachers, there are many things families can do to lay the groundwork for a more positive school year ahead.Corey Bloomfield, Senior Lecturer in Education, CQUniversity AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2189882024-01-04T16:35:25Z2024-01-04T16:35:25ZActive or overscheduled kids? How parents can consider benefits and risks of extracurricular activities<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/active-or-overscheduled-kids-how-parents-can-consider-benefits-and-risks-of-extracurricular-activities" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>From hockey and dance to chess club, families can be pulled in many extracurricular directions. </p>
<p>It’s easy for parents to be overwhelmed by the choices of activities for their child — or also, how accessible these are, for reasons <a href="https://peopleforeducation.ca/report/inequities-persist-extracurriculars-clubs-activities-and-fundraising-in-ontarios-publicly-funded-schools/#chapter10">like financial barriers</a> or transportation challenges.</p>
<p>In the midst of this, parents receive advice to ensure their <a href="https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/exercise.html">kids move their bodies</a> and <a href="https://childmind.org/article/can-brain-training-really-kids/">challenge their brains</a>, <a href="https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/six_ways_to_help_kids_grow_their_creativity">be creative</a>, but also to carve out space for <a href="https://extension.sdstate.edu/why-spending-quality-time-your-children-important">family and downtime</a>. </p>
<p>A survey conducted by Ipsos for Global News found that on average, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/4400116/extracurricular-activities-cost-canada-swimming-hockey/">parents paid $1,160 for their children’s extracurricular activities in the 2017-18 school year</a>.</p>
<p>Fortunately, there are resources or neighbourhood hubs that help identify available activities for kids — <a href="https://www.ourkids.net/programs">for instance, this resource allows</a> you to search by Canadian location, activity type and price (including some free activities). </p>
<p>To help families navigate extracurricular activities, we offer parents suggestions to help make informed decisions about finding a balance that aims to align with their family values and meet the individual needs of their children.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A pre-teen child playing a stringed instrument." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567584/original/file-20240102-29-8dbg9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567584/original/file-20240102-29-8dbg9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567584/original/file-20240102-29-8dbg9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567584/original/file-20240102-29-8dbg9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567584/original/file-20240102-29-8dbg9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567584/original/file-20240102-29-8dbg9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567584/original/file-20240102-29-8dbg9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Extracurricular opportunities also allow children to explore new skills and to discover new strengths.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Allison Shelley/EDUimages)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Benefits of kids having a busy schedule</h2>
<p>The good side of extracurriculars is that research shows kids involved in activities are more likely to have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-019-01110-2">better friendships and fewer mental health problems</a>. </p>
<p>Participating in multiple activities can also provide structure and a routine for children, which helps them <a href="https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/about-us/article/importance-schedules-routines">feel in control of their environment</a> and predict what is coming next. </p>
<p>Having a lot of scheduled activities can also help your child learn valued time-management skills, like how to complete their homework because they have soccer practice later that evening.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/here-are-the-best-parents-to-have-around-according-to-youth-sport-coaches-118382">Here are the best parents to have around, according to youth sport coaches</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Friendships, belonging</h2>
<p>Extracurricular activities are also a great opportunity for children to develop and nurture their own interests while forming meaningful friendships. Participating in extracurricular activities can help kids find a sense of belonging. Some activities may be specifically relevant to your <a href="https://globalnews.ca/video/9944397/overscheduled-recognizing-signs-of-burnout-in-children-and-youth">child’s culture, community</a> or your own family concerns.</p>
<p>Extracurricular opportunities also allow children to explore new skills and to discover new strengths. Potentially, they learn routes to feeling accomplished that don’t depend on academic performance. When they participate and succeed at an activity they enjoy, <a href="https://www.crimsoneducation.org/ca/blog/benefits-of-extracurricular-activities/#benefits">this can help boost their self-confidence</a>.</p>
<p>Finally, participating in extracurricular activities can keep kids <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2017/05/10/the-myth-of-the-overscheduled-child/">away from screens</a>. A lot of research has shown the dangers of <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2790338">too much screen time</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/screen-time-predicts-delays-in-child-development-says-new-research-110016">Screen time predicts delays in child development, says new research</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young child holding a soccer ball." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567618/original/file-20240102-19-10qxl7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567618/original/file-20240102-19-10qxl7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567618/original/file-20240102-19-10qxl7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567618/original/file-20240102-19-10qxl7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567618/original/file-20240102-19-10qxl7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567618/original/file-20240102-19-10qxl7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567618/original/file-20240102-19-10qxl7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Succeeding at an activity they enjoy can help boost a child’s self-confidence.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Importance of free play, downtime</h2>
<p>The bad side of overscheduling kids is that it can have <a href="https://www.care.com/c/pros-cons-scheduling-kids/">adverse effects</a> for some children and families. When kids are overscheduled, they often don’t have time for other critically important parts of life. </p>
<p>Overscheduling kids may get in the way of unstructured playtime, which research has shown is extremely valuable for children’s development. Unstructured free play has been shown to <a href="https://lynnwonders.medium.com/the-power-of-play-unstructured-play-for-child-development-and-beyond-6f46164cc1b7">bolster children’s creativity, increase their problem solving skills and allow children to demonstrate their own individuality</a></p>
<p>Additionally it is <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780312263393/theoverscheduledchild">important for children to have downtime</a> as it gives children a chance to pause, reflect and relax. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two children seen playing in snow." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567613/original/file-20240102-25-nmbu11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567613/original/file-20240102-25-nmbu11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567613/original/file-20240102-25-nmbu11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567613/original/file-20240102-25-nmbu11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567613/original/file-20240102-25-nmbu11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567613/original/file-20240102-25-nmbu11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567613/original/file-20240102-25-nmbu11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Free play and downtime are important for children.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Yan Krukau)</span></span>
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<p>Overscheduling kids may also quickly <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40364197">overwhelm children</a> as they are balancing multiple activities on top of their schoolwork — and may leave <a href="https://globalnews.ca/video/9944397/overscheduled-recognizing-signs-of-burnout-in-children-and-youth">kids prone to stress</a>, physical complaints and self-reported anxiety and depression.</p>
<h2>Importance of family time</h2>
<p>When kids are overbooked there may be less quality family time. Something as simple as eating a family meal together may become increasingly difficult for families with scheduling conflicts. Connecting as a family is important. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2010.04.017">Research</a> has shown that when a family eats meals together, the children do better academically, and are less likely to suffer from mental health problems.</p>
<p>How can parents and caregivers find a balance between structured and unstructured time? </p>
<h2>Tips for parents and caregivers</h2>
<p><strong>Listen to your child:</strong> Encourage their interests and preferences. Monitor your child’s level of engagement. For example, are they excited to share what they learned or motivated to practise on their own? Are they withdrawn, moody or resistant to communicating about their activities? Consider whether your child enjoys the activity they are doing or how it suits their abilities.</p>
<p>Take some time to discuss which activities are most important and why. Variables might include: Which activities align with your family’s values? Which activities align most with your child’s interests or help nurture belonging or competence? Which activities suit your schedule? Use these discussions to establish priorities.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/as-kids-activities-reopen-parents-share-insights-about-keeping-families-active-during-covid-19-shutdowns-177518">As kids' activities reopen, parents share insights about keeping families active during COVID-19 shutdowns</a>
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<p><strong>Quality over quantity:</strong> Focus on the quality of experiences. Think about whether your child is getting something out of the experience like learning a valuable skill, building important relationships or habits or even simply enjoying themselves. Think about whether the activity is valuable enough that it’s worth the time it might take away from other important things like family time.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A family seen seated at a table eating a meal." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567591/original/file-20240102-15-4ogs9k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567591/original/file-20240102-15-4ogs9k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567591/original/file-20240102-15-4ogs9k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567591/original/file-20240102-15-4ogs9k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567591/original/file-20240102-15-4ogs9k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567591/original/file-20240102-15-4ogs9k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567591/original/file-20240102-15-4ogs9k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Dedicating time for family interactions is important.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Cottonbro Studio)</span></span>
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<p><strong>Family time:</strong> Dedicate time for family interactions. You can do something as simple as prioritizing eating meals together — it doesn’t have to be only dinner, maybe family breakfast or family lunch depending on that day’s schedule.</p>
<p><strong>Stay flexible:</strong> Adjust schedules as interests evolve. It’s OK for kids to change their interests! If they find the activity they used to love is just not that interesting to them anymore it’s OK to shake things up. Overcommitting your child to an activity that they are no longer interested in increases the <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/when-to-let-kid-quit-sports_l_61f18840e4b04f9a12b7cd84">likelihood of burnout</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Stress & time management:</strong> Teach important life skills. Help your kids understand how to manage their schedules. This could include having a planner or agenda so they can lay out all their activities on top of any school commitments. Teach them how to balance their commitments so they have enough time to dedicate to schoolwork and extracurricular activities. </p>
<p>You can create a <a href="https://www.verywellfamily.com/setting-up-a-family-calender-that-keep-you-organized-5214498">family schedule</a> that’s visible to everyone to help keep track of family plans.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218988/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sheri Madigan receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation, an anonymous donor, and the Canada Research Chairs program.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marissa Nivison does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Researchers with expertise in parent-child relationships and child development offer 5 tips about how parents or caregivers can find a balance between children’s structured and unstructured time.Marissa Nivison, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Psychology, University of CalgarySheri Madigan, Professor, Canada Research Chair in Determinants of Child Development, Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of CalgaryLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.