What did Inside Out teach us about empathy? What did Robin Williams’ therapist character in ‘Good Will Hunting’ have to teach us about vulnerability? What did Little Miss Sunshine have to teach us about listening and understanding?   If you think back to some of the most meaningful conversations you’ve had with family and friends, you might notice that a lot of them began around a movie or TV show you’d watched together.     We love this latest creation from our content team at ReachOut, where parents and their teens watch clips from films and TV shows and tell us what went right, and how they could've done better.      We'd love to hear from you if you watch this with your teen - did it give you any ideas about how you can communicate better? Did you agree with each other, or did you see things differently? We'd love to hear your thoughts!  ... View more

Today is IDAHOBIT day,  the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia. It’s a day where we celebrate LGBTQIA+ globally, as well as a day where we recognise the continuing work needed to prevent discrimination.    We know that LGBTQIA+ young people and their families can continue to face discrimination- but we also know that for young people, having family who are supportive and accepting  can be massively protective. Parents don’t have to have all of the answers- just knowing that you’re in their corner is something that can be incredibly powerful.    For parents and carers with young people who identify as LGBTQIA+ community, you may feel uncertain about how best to support them.  We have a range of great resources here if you’d like to learn more , and we’d also love to hear from you about how you’ve supported any young people in your life!    A parent’s story about gender identity  Supporting teens with their sexuality    Gender identity and school  If you feel like some extra support would be useful for you and your family, here’s some services to check out:    ReachOut One to One Support: a free coaching service for parents and carers   QLife: Phone and online counselling for LGBTI people, their family and friends   Minus18: Education and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ young people  ... View more

This Sunday is Mother’s Day, and today is also Word Maternal Mental Health day -  an excellent time to take a moment and remember to prioritise our own wellbeing.      This image by Mari Andrew  captures beautifully that Mother’s Day can sometimes be a really tricky and complex day for a lot of us.  Bereavement, tricky relationships with our own children or parents, parents who have lost children, or if your child is struggling - it can be a day that can bring up a lot of mixed emotions.    So, we wanted to wish all of the amazing mothers in our online community a happy mother’s day, whatever that looks like for you, and encourage you to be gentle with yourself if it is a tough day .  Be  sure to reach out to friends, family, or support services (including the community here!) if you need to.    If you’re running low on self care ideas, we have some great resources on our ReachOut parents page:    Take this quiz: What kind of self-care is right for you?  How to make self-care a family priority  Self-care and teenagers    We’d love to hear from you:    How are you planning to spend mother’s day?    What’s your favourite way to recharge when times have been tough?  ... View more

It's been a tough few years for a lot of families, and with cost of living expenses continuing to rise, financial pressures are definitely something that can add a lot of stress to family life.    We recently created a guide with MoneySmart  for our online community for young people, and thought that it would be relevant to a lot of parents and carers here too.    Talking about your financial situation isn’t always easy, but this is a safe space to open up about what you’re going through. Before we get into this guide we’d like to acknowledge that there might be some members of our community who are in a financial crisis and need more support.         If it’s a struggle to afford groceries, medication, transport or bills there is help available:    Disaster Assist provides support to people experiencing money stress due to a disaster such as covid , bushfires or floods.  Find where to get some help with food, transport, medication and bills by searching for emergency relief. Ask Izzy is a search engine that will show you emergency relief available in your area - click the Money help or Food button and follow the prompts.  My Community Directory also shows you local community centres that provide relief.  If you're feeling overwhelmed by debt, financial counsellors can be a great resource- you can call the National Debt Helpline — 1800 007 007, or find a financial counsellor in your area here   This guide is brought to you by our friends at MoneySmart, and we hope these tips give you some practical tools to cope with money stress.   My name is Heidi, I work at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)    Moneysmart is a free and independent site that provides up-to-date and relevant financial information, designed to be a starting point for people when making financial decisions.    Managing your money can be stressful at times, but not paying attention to your money can make matters worse. If you or someone you know is struggling with finances, here are some steps you can take:   Get to know your money Moneysmart’s Budget planner can help you see how much money you have coming in, how much you’re spending and where you could cut back.   Make yourself a money plan Taking control of your money can feel really empowering. Get into the habit of tending to your finances regularly, making sure you have enough to cover bills and unexpected costs. You might be able to set aside some money for savings every week or pay down a regular portion of your debts if you have them. Download our step-by-step guide Managing your money.   Get help if you need it  Speaking to a financial counsellor is free and confidential and can help you sort through your money challenges The earlier you seek help and get back on track, the better. The National Debt Helpline 1800 007 007 is open from 9.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday or you can find a financial counsellor on Moneysmart. Find out if you're eligible for assistance This page from MoneySmart has a great list of resources for you to check, to see if you and your family are eligible for any regular support, one off payments, or government funded programs that offer low-interest loans and savings plans.    Talk about money with someone you trust Just like mental health, there can be a lot of stigma and shame around challenges with money. Talking about the challenges you face with the trusted people in your life can be a great support. You can call Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14 for immediate support   Parents coaching: If your family's under a lot of stress and you feel like you could use some support, our One to One support service for parents and carers could also be helpful- you can find out more about that here We've also got some great resources on our parents page on helping parents to talk to their teenagers about financial pressure, and coping with financial stress:    Teaching your teens good money habits   Talking to a teenager about money issues   Dealing with financial stress   We'd love to hear from you- how does financial stress affect your family? Are there any strategies you've found helpful?  I ... View more

We recently had a guest come and post on our online community for young people to mark Neurodiversity Celebration week. We thought this  piece had a lot to offer to parents and carers who may be neurodiverse, parenting young people who are neurodiverse, or both- so we wanted to share it here as well.    Neurodiversity or neurodivergent is an umbrella term that captures the experience of Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Tourettes, OCD and more. We welcome anyone who can add to that list to do so, and if you fit anywhere in it, we'd love to hear about how you celebrate your neurodiversity 🎉   We have a guest who'd like to share their thoughts about neurodiversity as a peer and psychologist to get the conversation going. Our guest will be sharing their story and some tips for those of you who live with ADHD. Check it out below 👇🏽   Ahoy! My name is Lauren (call me Loz), and I’m both a psychologist and a neurodiverse person living with ADHD, generalised anxiety and a tic disorder. I’m so stoked to be thinking and talking about how ADHD can impact upon mental health, and sharing some of what I’ve learned about managing this over the years. Before we get into it, I think it’s important to note that it’s not all doom and gloom. In some ways living with ADHD presents with unique challenges and difficulties, but it's also one of the things I love the most about my brain.   Neurodiversity is awesome! My ADHD allows me to hyper fixate on things that I love, it makes me sensitive to my loved ones around me, and it means that my brain is creatively wired to come up with a bunch of different movie ideas every day. ADHD is something to navigate but also something to celebrate. It’s part of what makes us unique. Whether you’re someone who has ADHD themselves (pre or post diagnosis) or knows someone who does, I hope that this little piece is helpful in shedding light on some possible tips and tricks of the trade.     1. The most helpful thing I’ve learnt about managing my mental health in the context of ADHD is to understand which parts of the day are hardest and easiest for me and to adjust my day and more importantly my expectations accordingly. For me, I take a while to get going in the morning and typically have a dip of energy around lunch time. I do my best work from 10am-2pm, so I try my darnedest to save harder tasks for these times. I find that not only does this make me more productive, but it limits my anxiety around making sure I get these tasks done and making sure things don’t build up.     2. The second is all around understanding yourself and trying to communicate this with loved ones so they can support you the best way possible. For some people, this might mean understanding how your menstrual cycle impacts on symptoms, or if there are certain triggers/situations that are draining or anxiety provoking for you. Because the ADHD brain is sensitive to any perceived threat in the environment, this can mean that stressful situations can truly take the wind out of us, as we’re constantly scanning our surroundings. This might look like journaling your mood, concentration/other symptoms, and correlating this with times of the day or month. Try to include people close to you in what you learn about yourself so that they can be more sensitive to your needs at different points in time. View yourself with compassion during times that are hard for you, and adjust the demands that are placed on you where you can.     3. There is no shame in asking for help and there are plenty of great therapists out there that specialise in this area. If you’re not sure where to start, I recommend having a look at the APS Find a Psychologist website as a starting point. Neurodiversity is great, and we owe it to ourselves to celebrate it and nurture our mental health all at once.     We'd love to hear from you: what's your experience with neurodiversity? Are there any strategies that you use to help you or your young person manage their mental health?    ... View more

Today is Safer Internet Day- it's a global campaign dedicated to creating a safer online world for everyone, aimed at making the internet a safer, more positive place.      In Australia, the eSafety Commissioner is the official coordinator of Safer Internet Day- they have some great resources for parents who are concerned about their young people's safety online.   These include free webinars for parents and carers ,    and a heap of other resources for parents on different aspects of online safety.   The eSafety Commissioner reporting function is also a great resource to use if you or your young person have experienced online abuse or illegal content- in some cases, they will be able to have harmful content removed.      Many parents of young people tell us that it can be really challenging to support their young people around online behaviour- social media and the internet is a central part of a lot of young people's lives and can have a lot of positive aspects, but it's definitely not without its downsides.    ReachOut parents also has a range of resources to help parents and carers who are worried about their young people's safety and wellbeing online:    How to deal with online bullying and your teenager   A parent's guide to Instagram    How to talk to your teenager about sexting    Stay up to date with social media    Social media and teenagers    We'd love to hear from you- how do you feel about your young person's internet use? What kind of boundaries do you ... View more

After a very uncertain two years, it's natural that planning for the future may feel really tough for young people. On our online community for teens, we've been hearing from young people about how a lot of them are struggling a bit with motivation, or feeling really worried about their future plans.      We've put together some resources here that may be helpful for any parents and carers who are looking for ways to support their teens who are worried about the future, or unsure about what comes next.    How to get your teen excited about the future    Helping your teen deal with anxiety about climate change    Work, finances, the future and teenagers    Heling your teen cope with change    Helping your teen adjust to living with COVID-19   Headspace work and study are free programs that support 15-25 year olds to plan a career, find employment, or work towards further education - services include one to one support with careers specialists,  to linking in with industry-specific mentors. It's available online or over the phone, and having that kind of practical support can be really helpful to young people who may be about to finish school or further study, and aren't sure what is the best path for them to take.    We'd love to hear from you -how is your teen feeling about the year ahead?  I know in my family, my tween is still having slightly mixed feelings about what this year may bring - on one hand, they're really excited to be back at school and in a more 'normal' routine. On the other hand, they still find it hard to get really excited about the year ahead, because they experienced so many cancelled plans and disappointment in the last 2 years.  I'm hoping that I can help to support her to build coping skills- as well as doing the same for myself - and that smoother waters lie ahead.      ... View more

Have you ever wondered what is going on in your teen's head, but known that they may not be ready to open up to you just yet? Or have  something you're really curious to hear a young person's perspective on- but know that it's not the right time to have that conversation with your own child?    As a parent myself, I've definitely found myself in this situation - especially now that my oldest child is coming up to the teen years, and isn't necessarily wanting to open up to me about everything!          We are incredibly lucky at ReachOut to have a team of dedicated, passionate and generous young people who volunteer on our ReachOut Online Community, which is for young people aged 14-25. They provide peer support to the young people who visit the community, share their own lived experience and mental health journeys, and help young people feel supported and connected.      They've generously offered to answer any questions that parents and carers may  have - so if you've ever wanted to hear from a young person, please feel free to add your question in our form below!   No question is too big or too small - anything from friendships, social media, and relationships,  to school stress,  mental health, and worries about the future. We would love to hear from you!    All questions will be responded to by our Online Community Volunteers- please make sure that you don't include any identifying information, and it's fine to submit questions anonymously.       We will aim to have our first response published by the end of November, and will post responses regularly.          Loading… ... View more

Today marks the first day of year 12 exams for students in NSW, and other states already have end of year exams underway.    It's been an especially challenging year for Year 12 2021, with the disruptions of COVID impacting their last 2 years of schooling.  They've had to navigate learning from home, the loss of normal routines, and navigate the constant uncertainty of the last 2 years. We know that Year 12 students can feel a huge amount of pressure around achieving a certain result, especially if they're wanting to go on to further study.    ReachOut have developed  a range of resources to help parents support their young people at exam time:      Helping your teen with study stress during coronavirus       Stories about what happens after high school      7 tips for managing exam stress       It can be really helpful for young people (and their parents and carers) to think more broadly about life after Year 12 results come out - and hear from other young people about the different paths they've taken after high school. A lot of young people may feel that their final result will determine the future path of their lives and careers- but in reality, there's often so many different pathways available, and "success" can mean many different things.    We recently had a discussion on our Online Community for Young people around redefining pathways to success, with two of ReachOut's Youth Ambassadors - as a parent myself, I found it really useful to hear young peoples' perspectives on what success looks like to them, and how they've navigated early adulthood.         If you think this might be helpful for young people in your life, you can read the full chat here.   Some key take aways from the discussion were the importance of self compassion, being open minded about the different paths you can take, and not comparing yourself to other people, or measuring yourself by other people's definition of success.      Some of our favourite quotes from the chat are below:   Jords_km:  "work at your own pace. There is such pressure to study full time and work full time and for some, that’s totally achievable and that’s great. But for others there are too many other aspects of life they are trying to juggle and so some-times working part-time and studying part-time, or even just focusing on one of the other can be the way to go. Something I’ve learnt is not to compare yourself to others. Focus on what you can handle, and what is safest and most comfortable for you. I personally felt dropping back the hours I worked and studied was the best for me as it reduced my anxiety, and feelings of being overwhelmed.   Remember it’s a marathon not a sprint."      "But success and satisfaction are both in the eye of the beholder. You can be 100% satisfied with your life but not what others perceive as “successful” and you can also be thriving and unhappy. I think happiness is key. Life is long and full of hardship and I want to live my best life, even if others think I haven’t lived it to the status quo. For me travelling makes me the happiest. When I can do that again, that for me will be success and satisfaction!"     You both sound really successful! As someone who was really successful in school my mental health has made me go 'offtrack' in hitting a lot of life milestones 'in time'. Have you guys ever felt like this, or what do you think of the idea of life milestones in today's society?   Nigel-YA   For me I grew up feeling like life was prescribed for me - go to school, go to university, graduate, find a job, buy a house, find a partner etc.    What I realised since finishing high school is that there is no age or time you need to get anything done by. I am lucky to be in a job that gives me purpose, but I am still figuring things out for dating and relationships.    Everyone goes through life at their own speed and where you are in life right now is exactly where you are meant to be. Milestones are what you want them to be. You can achieve them at whatever time is right for you.    Jords_km:    we all run our own race. I try to remind myself of this regularly. You are still achieving goals even if it looks different to others. Whilst I’m not yet in my career of choice, nor married, or whatever else people consider “successful” I have done a lot of mental health advocacy and overcome incredible mental health obstacles. I have travelled, am studying and I am where I need to be. Working on your mental health counts for a lot.     Redefining success:      Nigel-YA:    We are surrounded by constant posts of people doing, achieving, or talking about their “success”. It’s hard not compare yourself but I tend not buy into that so much. I have learnt that everyone goes through life at their own pace. There is no rush.   I aim to live my life the best way I can.  I surround myself with family and friends that support and motivate me. In turn, I support my friends and family to succeed in whatever way they want to.    Success is what you make it out to be!     We would love to hear from you:    How are you and your young people coping with the end of year stress?    How has your young person navigated working out their plans for the future? Do they feel a lot of pressure around exams and school results?    ... View more

  In Conversation with ReachOut: Managing teens’ study stress and caring for their wellbeing as a parent   We are really excited to present a new event this week: a live chat on LinkedIn, this Wednesday 20th October. We'd love to see you there- please feel free to share this event with anyone in your network who may be interested!   COVID-19 has impacted all of our lives and, in many cases, our wellbeing too. With disruption to daily routines, a shift to online learning for many and important milestones being missed, it has been a particularly challenging time for teenagers and their families. And, with many students preparing to return to face-to-face learning, many students across the country still have extra challenges to contend with this year. This is especially true for many Year 12 students who are already in exam mode or gearing up for their final exams.    How can parents help manage teens’ study stress and care for their wellbeing (and their own) in the lead up to exams?    Next Wednesday 20 October, ABC’s National Medical Reporter, Sophie Scott will be chatting with ReachOut’s Head of Service Delivery, Jackie Hallan and ReachOut’s Online Community Coordinator, Janine Nelson.This will be an intimate and insightful conversation about study stress, with a focus on Year 12 exams, the return to face-to-face learning and tips for parents.  We will discuss:  the impact of COVID-19 on teens’ education the impact of study stress on the mental health and wellbeing of teens transitioning back to face-to-face learning setting your teen up for study success practical strategies that can make a difference for teens and their parents. When: Wednesday, 20 October 12:30pm-1:15pm Where: LinkedIn Cost: Free   Click here to register your interest:      About the guest speakers:     Sophie Scott is a parent and award-winning Australian medical reporter working for ABC TV, radio and online. Her books include Live a Longer Life and Roadtesting Happiness. Sophie is also an Associate Professor (Adjunct) at the University of Notre Dame Medical School, lecturing in health and science communication. You can read more about Sophie at www.sophiescott.com.au and follow her on LinkedIn and on Instagram at @sophiescott2 Jackie Hallan is a parent and the Head of Service Delivery at ReachOut Australia. Jackie leads a team of 15 that combine the evidence and research insights with subject matter expertise and empathy to bring the service to life. Jackie has 15 years’ experience in program management, health promotion and social marketing across cancer prevention and youth mental health. Janine Nelson is a parent and the Online Community Coordinator at ReachOut Australia. Janine works across ReachOut’s online peer support communities for young people aged 14-25, and parents and carers of young people. She has qualifications in psychology and health sciences, and has worked in mental health, disability, and community services for 15 years. Like many Australian parents, she also spent the last four months juggling working from home and supporting her teen daughter’s home learning.   We've also got a great collection of resources to help parents support their young people, whether they're about to sit their final exams, are struggling with home learning, or if they're experiencing mixed feelings about returning to school if you're in a state that's coming out of lockdown:      Surviving Online Learning: A Guide For Families               We hope you're all travelling well - and would love to see you on Wednesday!    ... View more

Hello lovely parents and carers,    I think we can safely say that 2021 continues to throw us curve balls that we weren't necessarily prepared for, especially if you're in a part of Australia that's currently living through extended lockdowns.    I know that for my family, the last few weeks have felt especially tough. We've now been in lockdown for around 11 weeks- so we're all somewhat adjusting to the rhythm of working from home, doing home learning for our tween, and trying to find moments of joy and fun in what can be a pretty monotonous time.    There's been times when we are all doing fairly well- we've discovered some wonderful bushwalks in our bubble, have been doing lots of cooking, and spending time in the garden.    But there's other time when we are all struggling.      For our young person, there's a real sense of grief over missing the milestones and rites of passage that won't be able to be marked in the usual way this year- it's our tween's last year of primary school, so things like school camp, school representative sport, and end of year celebrations are now either cancelled or looking very uncertain.    It's also important to acknowledge that everyone's experience is different, for a variety of reasons. I've heard people using this metaphor, and it really resonated with me- we are all in the same storm, with factors completely outside our control changing the way we live our lives. But we are all in different boats.        So, with that in mind, we wanted to create a safe space for parents and carers to chat and connect, and share what's happening for you at the moment.    For parents with young people who are in Year 12, it's an especially  challenging time- we're hearing from young people that a lot of them are feeling scared and uncertain about the future, and frustrated that all of their hard work for their final year of school is being done with ever-changing goal posts. But we're also hearing stories of amazing strength and resilience from young people - we recently held this discussion about uncertainty and the future on our Youth Forums with some amazing young people, which I found incredibly inspiring to read. If there's a young person in your life who may like to read it, they can see the whole discussion here:     AMAA: Redefining pathways to success     We also have some great resources on our ReachOut Parents page:    What to do if your teen is stressed about the future   Video: How Jane supported Georgia through year 12 during COVID       We'd also love to hear from you: how are your young people travelling? Is there anything you're finding helpful at the moment?  How are you feeling about the rest of 2021?    Finally, we also wanted to acknowledge something that we don't always talk about: parental burnout.     I know that for me, 2021 has felt like a marathon. Most days I'm feeling OK, but I also often have moments some weeks where I'm exhausted,  irritable, overwhelmed, and thoroughly sick of being at home with my family 24/7!   Burnout is something that we talk about fairly regularly in the field of mental health- however it's only more recently that we've seen more discussion of how burnout can affect parents in particular- especially given the multiple types of stressors we are all dealing with in COVID times.    Sophie Scott  kindly gave permission for us to share these images, and I have found her writing and speaking on parental burnout really insightful     We also have some great resources on ReachOut Parents all about how to maintain your own wellbeing during coronavirus   I know that I have found building in routines for self care incredibly important for my own wellbeing, and by extension, the wellbeing of my family - it's all about finding what fills your own cup               (Image credit: https://www.ccrconsulting.org/community/self-care-during-covid-19)       We would love to hear how you are travelling: is there anything that's helping you to fill your own cup?    We would love this to be a space where parents feel safe to talk about whatever they're experiencing at the moment, from the silver linings, to the moments where it's all a slog. Please feel free to share anything you would like in this space- sometimes even sharing what's happening with a group of (virtual) strangers can help to ease the burden a lot, especially when so many of us are parenting without our usual villages     ... View more