Hey @Hope_4  It is great to hear that you will be booking in a coaching session this week! I know you mentioned that you were researching around ADHD, and I thought I would share a post we have here around ADHD as well as a collection of resources we have here. I thought you might find these helpful to have a read through. We also have a youth community here which your daughter may be interested in joining. We have some spaces specifically for our neurodivergent community. We also have some resources around ADHD for young people here. Take care and all the best with the coaching service. ... View more

Hello @GoingCrazyMum and welcome to the forums! I'm sorry to hear about what's happening with your teen. Hopefully seeing that this is a common struggle helps to reassure you that you're not alone.  It sounds like you are taking a really helpful step by trying to have online safety talks with your teen. I was wondering if you have found any success in this? @Janine-RO has linked some helpful articles above about this, there's also an article by esafety on this topic you may find helpful too. You also mentioned that your child might be able to get on a bus or train instead of going to school to see people, I'm wondering if this is what is happening in your situation? Do you know who your child is talking to, or does the school know that your child is missing school for these reasons? It may be helpful if your child is able to get support from within the school, like from a counsellor, to get a better understanding of why they may be taking these steps. If this is something that you're experiencing, I'd like to link you in with ReachOut's 1:1 parent coaching program who may be able to help you come up with some strategies to work with your teen about punishments and safety- it sounds like you already have some ideas of what doesn't work as well which is somewhere to start. They have new sessions come out every week. Parentline is another helpful service where you can speak to a counsellor about your concerns and how this may be affecting you too. ... View more

Hi @katcantcope1_  That's really great to hear you've made an appointment to get some support. It can be a bit of a daunting thing to do initially, but well done for making this step. Have you made an appointment to get support from your GP or a therapist, or another support service?   Guilt can be a really difficult emotion to cope with, have you been able to chat to any family or friends about how you're feeling? Sometimes it can help to share the load with others and not feel as if you have to sit with everything you're feeling on your own.    Not having a good sleep can really affect us too. I'm wondering if there's anything you've tried in the past that has helped you get a better sleep at all? If you find your sleep doesn't improve, it'd also be a good thing to chat to your GP about so they can support you further. ... View more

Yes really car seat is important for kids and also you should cover up seat by using infant car seat cover. There are many reasons of using infant car seat cover like when the crumb falling all over in the seat. Using an infant car seat cover helps in this case. ... View more

Hello @Sdlw1991 , I am sorry to hear about what you have been going through. It sounds like things have been tough for both you and your daughter lately. Sorry to hear that you are worried about your daughter and how she might deal with her recent breakup. It seems like you care a lot about your daughter and are supportive of her and what she needs. Does your daughter have any other supports around her at the moment that can help? You mentioned that your daughter spoke about wanting to harm herself recently, so I just want to ask if you have any current concerns about your daughter’s safety? ... View more

Hi @angelazena, thank you so much for sharing. We are so sorry to hear that your daughter has been struggling so much for an extended period of time. Your situation sounds really difficult and complex - I can only imagine how stressed and tired you are feeling. You have a lot on your plate trying to manage your daughter's mental health while raising two other children on your own. Being a single mum is unbelievably challenging. Do you have any support for yourself? It is frustrating when you are putting in a lot of effort but it feels like things are staying the same. I am wondering, what do you usually do when your daughter self harms? Have the therapists spoken about your daughter's progress? ... View more

@Father_of_two that sounds like a really helpful plan.  Hope the move goes smoothly and please feel free to touch base here any time you need to talk. ... View more

I go thru quite a bit of the same things, only my daughter and her biological father fight worse than siblings. She is the youngest of 6 and our only child together. She was raised as an only child as well. My oldest turned 18 when Rosie was born, and her closest sibling in age had just turned 10. She is also the only one diagnosed with high functional autism, individual disabilities, learning delayed. But unless you spend the day with her, you would never know. She is 15 and her father and her have had some real doozies, and neither one will back down and I always get stuck being the referee. I have presently started letting them both know that if they have an issue with each other they have the right to argue, but I deserve the right to not hear it, so they need to find a common ground to take it out on each other where I am not in ears length. Neither one wants to go out of their way to do so, so the arguments have become quick to dissolve. A happy wife makes for a happy life... They seem to agree to disagree, and they actually have become great talkers, not screamers. They have even recently come to an agreement to schedule their arguments as well. They will get together and go eat lunch or go for a drive together to talk out their differences. It's amazing how well things work out when we decide to not try so hard at trying to please everyone, and just let life take it's own course ... View more

Hi Nonnykas, I am in Australia and we too have lost of support agencies so I thank you for taking the time to read and respond. What a beautiful Grandparent you are to provide not only care for you grandchild but love and support. It's a long road but as I can gather from you, your not one to give up easily either. I wish you all the best x ... View more

Hi @Daynada05,   Sorry to hear that you are having such a rough time with your girls. This must be so painful to see your ex's manipulation working on your girls. I can imagine how hard it must be to want to speak to your girls and them not giving you a chance to explain. This can be a tricky situation to explain to them if they are not open to listening to you. If they are open to listen to you then it might be worthwhile to explain to them very logically what had happened. Then follow on by letting them know from your heart space how much all your children mean to you, thus not wanting any of them to get hurt. It can be difficult to have these talks when they are getting confusing messages from one parent. I am also wondering if you believe that your girls are safe being with their father. You mentioned that the oldest lives with her father do the other girls as well? If the girls are unsafe are you comfortable enough to contact Child Protection? The girls and your ex may not be happy with this as supports may be put in place, however if you believe they are unsafe it might help them in the long run. Does he still get drunk while they are around and is it often? Are there any other behaviours of his that may be affecting your children on the emotional or mental level? Do you think you and your girls could work with a family therapist who can help you resolve this conflict among you? This might be helpful as it will be mediated by a neutral party. Is it possible for you and your daughters to go out and have a girl’s day out, start off by having a bit of fun and then gently discuss the topic? Is there another family member that the girls like being around that could help support an outing with you and them? It might help the interactions with all of you and might make the conversation go smoothly. Do you think any of these suggestions would work for you? ... View more

Hi @Uffers55,   Sorry to hear that you are struggling with your son wanting to go attend school. This can be a tricky age, teens do become physically bigger at this age and can be more abstinent. Have you thought about approaching his school and asking what support they can put in place? They may be able to link you in with an outreach program or a mentor program of some kind.   Do you think it would be worth your while to seek support through a case worker/social worker? Would you consider referring yourself to Family Services Case Worker/Social Worker who can help you with your parenting capacity around supporting your son and potentially other areas as well? For example, you could look at your local not for profile agency and refer yourself to them such as Anglicare, there are many more as well.    You may also want to consider youth support agencies as well to see if they have any tips or suggestions on how to have your son reengage in school again. Speaking to his school would be the first point of call and take it from there.   Wishing you and your family well. ... View more

Thank you, Mary, I have registered so I'm looking forward to it... ... View more

HI @Dadof3,   If the lines of communication are open sometimes some autonomy can create the space for children to figure things out on their own, making calculated decisions, while you are part of their process. Also, having weekly meeting could be a learning experience for your daughter how to deal with stakeholders/partners etc. If you and your wife are willing to do this together there are ways that you could use this opportunity to help your daughter understand the real world and the hard work, it will take to succeed in career as well as taking care of other necessary things as well.    I hope this suggestion helps you and your wife form the best outcome for your family.       ... View more

Hey @Hopesprings123  That is lovely to hear you're going to share the link for the youth forum with your daughter, it is a lovely supportive community and I'm sure she will feel welcome there if she decides to join  Also your reply looks like it went through all correctly on our end - let us know if you have any questions about this  ... View more

Hi @stranger401,   Sorry to hear about what is happening with your son. This must be so difficult for you watch and I can only imagine what you are going through. It sounds like you have tried a lot to find support for your son and it can be very challenging to get a service in place for him if he refuses to go. In this case looking for an outreach program may be a good option for him.   There is a program that offers outreach services and it's called Pathways to Counselling and Family Services which is offered through Baptist Care. Here is the link https://baptistcare.org.au/counselling-and-family-services. Maybe you could have a discussion with them about their service.    Beyond Blue is also offering phone or online sessions through their New Access program, if you think he will be enticed to do that. Here is the link:  https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/newaccess.   Have you also spoken to your GP and asked if they are aware of any organization that will offer outreach services? They may know of a community health centre that might be able to provide this in your area.   Hopefully, you are able to get the appropriate supports for you son, so that he can live a vibrant and fulfilling life.    ... View more

Hi @Fritzbom ,   Thanks so much for sharing your experiences here, it can feel so helpless and isolating when our young people are having a hard time and I'm glad you were able to come here . I'm a parent myself now of 2 kids (one who's starting high school next year) - the way you've described what your daughter's going through also reminds me a lot of how my parents were probably feeling when I went through some rough times as a teenager. The weight gain, withdrawal, all of those things resonate with me a lot. In my case, it was a sign that I wasn't really coping, but I also wasn't ready to admit that I probably wasn't actually OK, and did need some help.    It sounds like you're a caring and switched on mum, and that is hugely protective for your daughter. I'm terribly sorry to hear that she lost a friend to suicide as well, that is really tragic, and those ripple effects can really extend through so many people. It's great that she looked for some support after that happened, do you know if she found that helpful?    I'm just going to share some resources that may be helpful as well , if you're ever wanting to talk to her about what happened and about suicide more generally. It's an incredibly hard converstation to have, and some parents worry that it might put those thoughts at front of mind for their own kids, but research shows that it's actually a really protective thing. It's also pretty common to hear from parents that they're worried that their young person is depressed and / or isolated, but doesn't want help, this article has some great tips on things to try in that case.    It can be really hard to see our kids struggling @Fritzbom - do you have people in your life that you can go to for support/ to vent/ get help if you need it? We do also offer a one to one parents support service, I can give you those details if you think that would be helpful. It's free, and is delivered online or via the phone   ... View more

Hi @WorriedMom2021,   Sorry to hear about your struggles with your son as it seems like a very tricky situation. Is there a local GP that can do home visits to your son. Is it possible that your son might need a Mental Health Assessment? Is there a hotline that you can call such as Nurses On Call that can give you some local advice as to who you can potentially reach out to? Your son's school may also be a great resource here as they may know of outreach programs that can support your son or at lease offer some tips or advice in how to support him. There may also be a hotline of counsellors/psychologist you may be able to call to get advice on tips and local supports. Does your doctor's office have a mental health liaison that you can have a chat with?   Hopefully some of these suggestions open the door to seeking more appropriate supports for your family.  We can only imagine how tough things are for you all right now. ... View more

The problem is not with your daughter. I feel for your family. Having a very bright child is a blessing, and her brilliance is very sorely needed if humans are to solve the significant survival problems facing us. I also have a very bright child who has had a mixed experience with teachers competent to understand and extend him. Your magic daughter’s behaviour is entirely consistent with contact with a system that has insufficient flexibility to cope with individuals who are exceptional. While the Education authorities are required to ensure all children grow and are extended each year, the practical resource limitations mean that teachers have limited capacity to extend individuals. Most of them haven’t done the free online training for working with gifted and talented students, even when teaching Ignite stream students. Having full marks while attending intermittently and saying it’s “all good” and that attendance is the most important thing shows you two things. Schools highly value attendance, so it’s possibly a metric used to score them (it’s also a legal obligation on parents). Secondly, that attaining their expectation of “high marks” satisfies the school that they are doing their job. If you were employed as a forensic accountant and your boss required you to paint rocks for 7 out of 8 hours a day... how long would you last before refusing to be so misused. The need for challenge and stimulating activity to feel alive (wagging school is a risk taking behaviour that’s stimulating), her difficulty doing boring things and fast and high level thinking ability suggests a condition at the core of her issues but the guidelines prevent discussing it. My son only does half the assigned math questions because once he’s done 3 examples to prove he knows what he’s doing, he says “Why do I have to do these 6 that are the same ?” The Uni level work sounds like a possible idea, if practical. Uni work requires consistent attendance for continuity as more difficult material relies on having learned earlier stuff. Unless she’s just auditing a course for interest. CSIRO also has online material for science nerds that she might enjoy. Homeschool might help, where she can move through material at her pace in 2 days a week and then focus on her own development activities. There are also entrepreneurial organisations which provide extension for students just like your daughter, but guidelines prevent me identifying them. Your daughter is a sharp tool, easily blunted by contact with rigid thinking. She’s fortunate to have such persistent and dedicated parents. ... View more

Oh that sounds awesome! Thanks so much Janine! I’ll definitely look into that. Thanks for your kind words.. I’m trying my best even though at times it can be very ‘trying!’😬😕 ... View more

Hi @Rachel12345,   Hopefully the experience with the hospital improves. It can be difficult if hospital do not provide resources.    It's great that you have a supportive family, it can make a world of difference in times like these.    Rehab can be difficult place to settle into and it is normal for people to have "buyers remorse" when first entering.  It is very strong of you to say no to him and not pick him up.  Wishing you all the best moving forward. ... View more

Hi @Bassam99 , I'm so sorry to hear that your daughter is also having such a tough time at school - it sounds heartbreaking as a parent to see your child suffering like that.  Mary has shared some great ideas and resources above- I'm also wondering if your daughter would be open to chatting with a counsellor or a psychologist about what she's going through?    Headspace are a great place to start - they offer free services to young people aged 12-25, both in person, over the phone and online. You can find out more about them here.  Kids Helpline are another great service, or a local GP can also be a good place to find out about local supports in your area and get a mental health care plan.    Keep us posted with how you're getting on - we are always here to listen.  ... View more

Hi @Pleasehelp101 ,   I understand it must be tough to have your son not want to go to school.  It may be difficult for your son to understand the repercussions of not going to school.  I'm wondering if you have spoken to your son about his reasoning for not wanting to go to school?  Is it possible that there is barrier for him to enjoy school?  Have you tried to talk the the teachers at the school to see if anything was happening towards the end of last eg: bullying or issues with another student/(s)?  It's possible that your son is experiencing some anxiety regarding returning to school, particularly as he would have spent a lot of time home last year.  If he continues to refuse to go to school, you could try to reach out to the school and see if they can put any supports in place.     Attached is an article for you to read if it pleases you https://parents.au.reachout.com/common-concerns/everyday-issues/things-to-try-school-and-education/how-to-help-a-teen-who-doesnt-want-to-go-to-school  .   You can also call parentline and look through their website for more information and advice.   ... View more