ABC Stories
Hand-picked features and articles from across the ABC of interest to parents and families.
Topics
- Nutrition & Fitness
- Connecting
- Health & Daily Care
- Behaviour
- Play & Learning
- Safety
- Development
- Sleep
Help at the end of the line
3 September 2010
Bringing a new baby home from hospital is terrifying if you are a first time parent. Who can you ask at 3 in the morning if you need advice? Someone on the other end of the telephone is waiting to give you the most welcome advice you will ever get.
Babytalk looks at the Maternal Child Helpline, staffed by Maternal Child Health Nurses who are equipped to give nervous new parents advice whatever the time of day or night.
Letting go
2 September 2010
Mother-of-two Amy Taylor-Kabbaz looks at the emotional rollercoaster of realising your children are OK without you in this week's The Mummy Monologues.
Can your relationship survive a baby?
27 August 2010
It's one of the ironies of parenthood, you come together as a couple to have a baby and yet that same baby can have you facing off at opposite corners of the room yelling at each other. You should be relieved to know this is fairly normal practice but this week Babytalk wants to know how you can work through some of the potential dramas, before the baby arrives. Babytalk has enlisted the help of a professional Juleanne O'Brien is a counselor with Relationships Australia and she has some handy hints to help you avoid some common relationship problems many new parents have.
There's a bear in there, and guilt too
20 August 2010
How much TV is OK? And is a blanket ban really the answer? Mummy-of-two Amy Taylor-Kabbaz tackles the eternal question about our children's TV viewing in this week's blog The Mummy Monologues
Can you really understand what your baby is saying?
20 August 2010
As a parent a crying baby can be heartbreaking and frustrating at the same time. 'Just what is the matter?' you will find yourself asking frequently in the first few months. If only you could understand what your baby is saying, well maybe you can?
A new approach to school science
19 August 2010
Statistics show school students' interest in science and mathematics is declining — so how do we reverse this trend? An innovative national program gets classrooms to adopt their very own working scientist.
Is fever a symptom of teething in babies?
18 August 2010
New parents often hear tales of miserable babies' terrible teething experiences. These experiences include anything from irritability, drooling, red cheeks and nappy rash; to diarrhoea, sleep disturbances, infections and even fever. But is fever really a common symptom of teething in babies?
Kids need a good night's sleep
12 August 2010
Sleep researcher and psychologist Dr Sarah Blunden, from the Centre for Sleep Research at the University of South Australia, told a recent psychology conference in Melbourne that sleep problems – which can be medical or behavioural – can affect a child's memory, attention, thinking ability and behaviour.
When breastfeeding doesn't work
12 August 2010
I always thought breastfeeding would come naturally and would be the way I would bond with my newborn baby. When I started learning about it in ante-natal classes, I thought: 'How hard can it be?' Boy, was I wrong...
The science, design and technology of disposable nappies
12 August 2010
What sort of science, design and technology is directed to development of disposable nappies? Have you ever wondered what goes into the manufacture of a nappy that will end up in the bin? Do disposable nappy manufacturers worry about their ecological impact? Did you know that Australian babies have the world’s biggest bottoms? The answers to these questions might surprise you as Babytalk gets down to the nitty gritty this week to explore the world of the disposable nappy.
Teenage sleep research
9 August 2010
Australian adolescent sleeping patterns have been revealed for the first time in a large study by researchers at the University of South Australia.
Their finding? Teenagers are not sleeping nearly enough.
Emerging research is showing that they actually need as much sleep as young children, around ten hours a night.
Researcher Sarah Blunden suggests moving the screens out of bedrooms, but this needs to be negotiated with teens.
No need to wait after miscarriage: study
6 August 2010
Women who conceive within six months after a miscarriage have a better chance of a pregnancy without complications compared to women who wait longer, according to a new study.
They are less likely to have another miscarriage, and are also less likely to experience a caesarean section, deliver prematurely or have low-birth weight babies, the study shows.
The Mummy Monologues - The Lion Within
6 August 2010
'This week in our on-line Mother's Group blog - The Mummy Monologues - what happens when you realise you have no one to blame for your toddler's bad behaviour but yourself? Mother-of-two Amy Taylor-Kabbaz found out...
Health IQ: Coeliac disease
5 August 2010
People with coeliac disease have a sensitivity to gluten, which means a whole range of foods are off the table. But what do you know about this condition?
The science of baby whispering
5 August 2010
There is an often repeated joke about babies and instruction manuals, but getting your baby to sleep well is one of the most important lessons you can learn as a parent. Surprisingly many babies need to learn how to go to sleep and many parents do not realise it is something they need to work on.
Jo Ryan who is often described as a Baby Whisperer says her ability to work with babies is more instinct than science, but is a skill that anyone could learn with a little patience and of course that all important confidence. You can listen to Jo explaining the art of settling a baby at this week’s ABC Babytalk podcast.
Need to get pregnant? There’s an app for that!
30 July 2010
Most of us spend a lot of our lives trying not to get pregnant. However when your thoughts eventually turn to the subject of having a baby, things don’t always happen according to plan. According to some general statistics about human fertility and conception if you’re 25 you have a one in five chance of getting pregnant if you are having sex in the right time of your ovulation cycle. If you’re 40 that statistic drops to just 5% per cycle. Which means it’s possible but you certainly don’t want to be messing around with the incorrect dates, which is where your smart phone might be able to help.
The Mummy Monologues - The Lion Within
23 July 2010
Mother-of-two Amy Taylor-Kabbaz takes a look at the amazing - and sometimes disgusting - things we are willing to do for our children in 'The Mummy Monologues'.
ABC Babytalk: Colic: is it scientific?
23 July 2010
Have you heard of the term colic? It's a term used to describe babies who are fussing, irritable and cry for no apparent reason. It can be terribly distressing for parents, baffling for anyone trying to care for a crying baby and to add to the difficulty doctors and scientists are reluctant to give it a formal definition.
There are a lot of ideas about what causes colic, ranging from medical conditions in the baby to parental anxiety (try not being anxious with a baby that seems to cry for no reason). Recent research confirms what some people have been saying for many years - there is no such thing as colic.
Well-readhead: Everyone's talking about parenting
16 July 2010
There's been some buzz around a recent article in New York magazine titled, All Joy and No Fun: Why Parents Hate Parenting. The cover of the publication shows a mother holding her baby with the cover line, I Love My Children. I Hate My Life.
Thriving children with Michael Grose
13 July 2010
As a parent or carer how do you measure just how well your child is doing?
When they're small you sometimes hear the term 'thriving'. It means in that context, that the baby is putting on weight and meeting regular developmental milestones.
But what about as children get older -- what does it mean then? And how can you put your mind at ease that they really are OK?
Parenting educator and writer Michael Grose says the keys to thriving are 'confidence, character and resilience'.
The Mummy Monologues - Playdate hell!
8 July 2010
This week in The Mummy Monologues with mother-of-two Amy Taylor-Kabbaz: Playdate hell! The realities of toddlers playing together, and the question of whether it's OK to discipline another parent's child.
Can Your Kids Cook?
7 July 2010
Need something to entertain the kids and grandkids this holiday? 1233 Newcastle is having a 'KIDS CAKE OFF’
Register your name and what cake you are going to cook and if you are picked, you get to bring in your cakes for the judges next week!
New program targets pre-schoolers suffering anxiety
29 June 2010
Child health experts estimate that around one in ten children suffer from anxiety, ranging from extreme shyness to an irrational fear of global problems.
Researchers at Macquarie University in Sydney are treating children as young as two and say anxiety is nowhere near as well understood an illnesses as depression.
The Mummy Monologues - A feather of joy
28 June 2010
This week in our on-line mother's group - when you're sleep-deprived and rundown, sometimes you need a little reminder of the good parts of parenting, as mother-of-two Amy Taylor-Kabbaz explains.
Technology could be a pain in teen necks
15 June 2010
Teenagers who spend several hours a day in front of a screen are boosting their chances of developing aches and pains, say Scandinavian researchers.
Play School Research Project
15 June 2010
ACU are conducting a survey investigating the ways in which Play School contributes to the lives of young children in Australia.
The survey is investigating the ways in which young children respond to the Play School program. We are interested in finding out more about those who watch the program, when and where they watch, and how the program impacts on children’s play, learning and family life. Your answers will provide valuable information which will be presented to the production team at ABC Play School.
