In this webinar, Dr Sarah Foley will share a brief overview of the current research evidence into joint childcare arrangements and children’s perspectives on what works and what might be challenging.
In this webinar, Dr Weston is joined by relationship therapist, Sue Wintgens, to discuss the importance of connection and communication in couple’s relationships.
The death of a sibling impacts upon every aspect of a young person’s life. Understanding how to effectively support surviving siblings is essential for all parents, carers and educators and evidence-based approaches are key. In this webinar, expert sociologist, Dr Laura Towers, will share what we know about the impact of sibling loss and ways to support those affected.
Having a mum, dad or carer in the armed forces is likely to impact on children’s lives much more significantly than most parental career choices. We’ve compiled some recent research findings about what life is like for Service families, including both positives and potential challenges which might emerge.
Families come in all shapes and sizes and we want to encourage children to celebrate all the fantastic families that they see and feel a sense of pride in their own circle of loved ones, whatever form it takes. Use this activity to encourage primary-aged children to think about all the fabulous families in the world and nudge them to add their own family unit to the page.
Our researcher of the month, PhD student Emre Deniz, talks to Dr Weston about sibling bullying. They discuss how common this phenomenon is, how often it goes unnoticed and what it involves. Learn more about predictive and protective factors, as well as optimal ways that parents can respond to bullying in the home. Emre specialises in sibling relationships for neurodiverse children and he outlines how parents can proactively encourage positive sibling bonds for children with autism.
In this podcast, Dr Weston talks with Fiona Spargo-Mabbs, founder of the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation, a drug and alcohol education charity that aims to support young people to make safe choices about drugs and alcohol and reduce harm. Fiona and her husband Tim set up the charity in response to the death of their son Daniel, having taken ecstasy. Fiona gives factual information about drugs that are commonly used among teens, focuses on social media as a new and developing drugs marketplace and provides numerous actionable tips which focus on good communication with young people about this challenging issue. We also find out about Fiona’s books and website, which are packed full of useful, evidence-based resources.
In this podcast, Dr Weston talks with developmental psychologist, Dr Rory Devine. They focus on what we know about how young children develop control over their own thoughts and actions (their ‘executive functions’), and how they acquire the ability to tune in to the thoughts, feelings, and desires of others (their ‘theory of mind’), and the positive consequences these skills can have on children’s social lives, academic success and mental health. This fascinating interview will arm any parent or educator with simple ways to promote the development of these valuable life skills. Teachers can also learn more about a fantastic free tool to assess children’s school readiness.
Eating new foods is very challenging for some children and this can make mealtimes stressful both for them and for their parents. We’ve asked our friends at City Dietitians for their expert advice on gentle ways to encourage children to try new tastes. This reward chart, can be used in conjunction with our other resources on food and nutrition, either at home or at school. Remember, for some children, trying a new food can be a long journey. The first time that they are presented with a new flavour, they might only smell it, but even this is an achievement which should be acknowledged. Encourage them to give themselves a tick or a sticker each time they complete a step towards eating a new food.
Dr Weston is joined by Dr Sophia Mooncey and Adele Devine, authors of the excellent book, ‘A Parent’s Guide to Autism Diagnosis: What to Expect and How to Support Your Child’. They provide invaluable insights into what it means to be diagnosed with autism and how to help children see the positives. A must-watch for any parent of a child with autism, it’s packed with tips on managing anxiety and helping autistic children to thrive.
