Did anyone else watch Bullied on the ABC last night? Apart from being surprised by how well Ian Thorpe presented, I was very disturbed by how powerless the Dad seemed in the situation. It looked like the school wasn't helping and he had no support. I wish he'd known about ReachOut Parents. ... View more

@Ngaio-RO no way we've been chatting for an hour 😉 @rubymay A huge thank you for sharing your story. ... View more

@Maggiemay thanks for sharing your daughter's experience. Moving schools is such a big step and the benefits sound like they've been amazing. ... View more

@rubymay Have you seen the anti-bullying initiative You can sit with me? And if yes, what you think of it? ... View more

@rubymay any tips for parents about how to initiate a conversation with their child about whether they are being bullied? You mentioned your parents were often preoccupied and I can totally relate to that. Being present for our children isn't always easy. Was there a way or a time that your parents discussed it with you that made it easier to talk about? ... View more

@rubymay I'm really struggling to comprehend bullying so early at school. And I'm so impressed that you can articulate it so clearly. Did the teachers see what was happening? And were they able to do anything? What would you tell those teachers now about what they could do differently to have better supported you? ... View more

@rubymay when you were in primary school was it other girls who bullied you? And did you have any idea why they bullied you? ... View more

@Ngaio-RO thanks for the reminder about @mention. @rubymay thank you, looking forward to hearing your experiences ... View more

Keen to hear this chat ... View more

Thanks for sharing Mitzi. Both funny and insightful. When I've talked with other mums of teenage boys, we've all agreed that if you hang in there, they do emerge out the other side as wonderful young men. ... View more

So agree. I still remember vividly how surprised I was by how much my teenage daughter and her friends ate! ... View more

Thanks AmyJay. You've made me realise that he's getting between 8-10 hours and not missing out on sleep. As a teenage boy I think that is what he needs. Good suggestion about starting to change toward what his day (and sleep) will be like when TAFE starts. ... View more

His Dad is a night owl. I'm not sure if it's genetic but he has certainly seen lots of night owl behaviour. I'm liking the idea of 'incentive'. I'll be asking him what would work for him. ... View more

It seems so obvious but I don't think I've ever asked him what he thinks of his sleeping. I've just gone straight to judgement and solution. Thanks MeJane. I can feel a conversation coming on. ... View more

I love winter clothes, winter food, and winter footy. ... View more

I also love that there is now a place for parents of teenagers. When they get to high school you are so much less involved in their day to day e.g. you don't walk them to school. And you sometimes don't know all their friends or their friend's parents. You can feel quite alone when parenting teenagers. Yay for ReachOut Parents! ... View more

Lots of great suggestions from everyone. You can posibly use her friends' experiences to start the conversation early. Not to judge but to explore subjects like respectful relationships, and safe sex. ... View more

I loved Just Kids. So evocative of the era and New York. I've just finished A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. An amazing young adult fiction novel that had me in tears. Tip: buy a copy. The e-book didn't have the fantastic illustrations. ... View more

Such a great idea. I really like the focusing on small everyday things like your friendly barista and how it makes you feel. ... View more

I know we are well past Mother's Day.. I wanted to share this very interesting article on changing the way you think about Mother's Day. I know I have had some Mother's Days when I felt the way the author describes - unappreciated and very resentful. The article challenges the idea of 'expecting gratitude'. I think it would also work for any of the days where we have high expectations and high emotions e.g. Christmas and birthdays. By the way I had a lovely Mother's Day  ... View more