How to keep your teen talking without pushing them away

Susan Woodworth from Walk and Talk Psychology  discusses the emotions that teenagers face as they are navigating different relationships and the pressure of those things competing for their attention.

“In my practice,” she began, “I actually give this homework to nearly all the parents of teenagers that I see.”

While toddlers have big emotions about the colour of their plate, teenagers are dealing with many internal emotions. Susan uses the term Conversation Loop to describe how to navigate talking with your teenager to keep them talking.

The Conversation Loop

“If your teenager came up to you and said, look, mum and dad, I’m having a really, really hard time and it would be really helpful if we could sit together and talk about this, that’s what you want them to hear.”

Unfortunately, it is seldom the case with teens.

Teenager Talk

“Teenager talk is a little different,” said Susan. “All behaviour is communication. The teenagers will say, ‘You don’t understand me. You don’t get it. You’re not even listening to me. It’s not the same as it was for you as it is for me.’”

Susan said that is their version of saying, ‘I am already irritated.’

Three Common Mistakes

One of the common mistakes parents can make is reacting to a behaviour before hearing the message underneath.

“If they’re giving you a hard time, they’re always having a hard time.”

The second is trying to have a serious conversation when parents are busy.

“Just before you are making dinner or getting ready to leave the house… Don’t have those conversations then. You are going to let your kid down when you have to leave.”

Finally, having these conversations while looking through your own lens of life experience.

“Instead, you need to focus on your child.”

Susan said it is more important to be with your child and pay attention to their problems, rather than trying to fix it through your own lived experience.

“Saying things like, ‘just don’t hang out with them… they’re not nice people,’ is an example where you are not actually listening to them.”

How to Have Conversations

1. Pay Attention

1. “Number one, pay attention to when they’re asking you to listen to them. Those words they said before, means, I need you to listen to me.

2. Set Aside Time

“You’ve got to set aside an hour of uninterrupted time to talk with them. It might not take that long, but it may do. So set aside an hour. And when you do it, have a relaxed atmosphere. So something non-confrontational, something like having bubble tea together or having hot chocolate or going for a walk together.”

3. Just Sit and Listen

Susan says that if your teenager doesn’t want to talk to you, just enjoy your time with them.

“Just sit and be quiet. No, don’t try and talk. Don’t say anything. Don’t offer advice. Don’t just say, ‘What’s going on? It looks like you’re having a hard time.’ Don’t offer any advice. Just listen.”

Susan recognises that it may be hard for parents to resist talking because so many want to offer wisdom and draw from their own experiences. She emphasises that listening is key.

“Just focus just on listening because there’s no point giving advice until you really understand what’s going on for them. So you don’t talk at all. When it’s your turn, when they’re finished, you try to repeat back what they’ve said in your own words.”

It helps them to see that you understand and hear them.

“Then you say, ‘Okay, what am I still not getting?’ If they say, ‘Close enough,’ it means ‘No’.”

“Ask them if they need any help, but usually once they’ve got the space to process this and talk about it. They’ve usually got it.”

Article supplied with thanks to Sonshine.

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The parent trap of wanting to be liked

Recently, one of my teenagers completely lost it at me over a new tech rule I’d put in place.

I’d spent ages trying to work out what healthy boundaries should actually look like and eventually landed on a rule that, in their opinion, was outrageously strict.

“You’re making me hate you!”

OUCH!

Now, logically, I knew that they didn’t actually hate me. It was big teenage emotions, most of which had very little to do with me. But still… ouch.

You see, I was theoretically ready to be the strict Mum. The one who got rebelled against. The bad cop. What I wasn’t prepared for was how much I would want to be liked. How much I wouldn’t want to say ‘no’.

What my teenager didn’t see was that I was kind of already doubting myself. I knew our rules looked different to some other houses, and I was painfully aware of how overprotective and ridiculous I probably looked in their eyes. Part of me wanted to back down and make it all go away.

In that moment, it felt like there were two options.

1. Back down, avoid the conflict, and be liked.

2. Put on my big girl pants and allow my teenager to be unhappy with me.

Sometimes I get it wrong as a parent. I’ve been too firm before and I’ve had to apologise. Parenting isn’t about digging your heels in for the sake of it. But this boundary? At the heart of it was care for them. I genuinely believed it was good for them, even if they couldn’t see that yet.

And sometimes loving your child means telling them “no” even when it costs you something.

That felt much simpler when the kids were little. Of course they weren’t allowed to lick elevator buttons- boundaries seemed to rest more on common sense. But parenting tweens and teens lives in much muddier waters. Half the time you’re making decisions while questioning yourself the entire way through.

But I keep coming back to this question

Am I willing to be disliked in order to love my child well?

I’ve heard parents say they “lost” their child for a few years during the teen stage, only to reconnect later and hear, “You were right,” or “Thanks.” Even hearing that encourages me, because it reminds me that teenagers don’t always understand love when it arrives in the form of boundaries.

Sometimes love doesn’t look like a Hallmark card, but it looks like disappointment and conflict and holding firm while your kid rolls their eyes at you.

And sometimes that’s what loving them well requires.

“No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening, it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” Hebrews 12:11 (NLT)

Article supplied with thanks to Rhema 99.7.

About the Author: Chloe Ellenbacher is the co-host of The Fresh Start Morning Show on Rhema 99.7.

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The dangerous rise of AI beauty rankings

Cyber Security expert, Rebekah Nijsen, discusses “Omoggle”, the app where AI judges users by their appearance.

What is Omoggle?

“It is a web-based live video chat that pairs 2 random users from across the world via webcam. So that’s the first aspect of it. ‘Omoggle‘ comes from a slang term for ‘look maxing’, which is the online culture that determines that a physical dominance over a person on their physical appearance.”

AI Determines the Score

Through this platform, users battle each other over how others rate their physical appearance. They use AI for facial analysis and determine a score.

“It looks at things like eye lift, jawline, skin tones, aspects like that. This only takes a few seconds and then a score is introduced. Now the winner is known as the ‘Mogger’ and the loser is known as ‘Mogged’ and that comes from the term mogging which comes through the lookmaxing culture.”

Viral Battles of Looksmaxxing

These battles are now going viral via live streaming platforms, like “Twitch” and “Kick”, so wider audiences now watch these battles.

“The people who jump on and have a look at these battles have the ability to encourage users or mock losers, which creates a pack mentality.”

This has the power to cause psychological triggers in young people, based on what AI is rating them. People as young as 12 are falling prey to shallow comparison and mockery.

“It’s web-based, which means you have internet connection and you have a webcam, then anyone can access it. It is an 18+ site, but all you have to do is click ‘yes, I’m over 18’ and you’re straight in. There’s no further age verification checks.”

“‘Twitch’ and ‘Kick’ are age restricted platforms under cyber-security legislation. However, ‘Omoggle’ is not.”

Parents – Start a Conversation

Rebekah said that parents need to have open conversations and chats with their children about physical appearances.

“Ask, ‘What do you think about physical appearance allowing you to have status in the online world. What do you like about yourself?”

Helping children to understand character being more valuable than status can help them with their self-esteem.

“We can do that in our conversations, but also by modelling that behaviour ourselves,” said Rebekah.

“Are they seeing that our most important thing is, putting our face on for the day and putting, makeup? Those things aren’t bad things. Absolutely not. I wear makeup.”

She argued to that end, if parents are so obsessed with health, eating and appearance, it can get noticed and imitated. Conversations and behaviour modelled at home enables them to have a healthier lens on how they view the world.

Know What Your Kids Are Viewing

Rebekah said the most important advice for parents to take heed of is to know what our kids are watching.

“We do that by physically seeing what they’re doing and making sure the devices are outside the bedrooms so we can actually see how they’re interacting online, but also by having those continual conversations with them and saying, ‘What did you see online today? Or, hey, I’ve seen this new craze come through. What are your opinions about it?’”

She argued that many kids would be outraged about it, because our kids are very switched on.

“We’re starting to see a switch with our kids starting to be a bit more empathetic and realizing, hey, we can be part of the solution here by calling out this behaviour.”

Encourage Their Opinion

Rebekah said this needs to be encouraged and fostered in the home so that kids feel like they have a voice.

“If we can actually say, ‘What you say is important and we’re going to give you a platform in the house to have an opinion,’ whether we agree with it or not. Hopefully that then teaches them that their voice matters. And then they can then start being the positive influence.”

Rebekah said there will always be a new app invented, hopefully with more conditions, but if parents look at the fundamentals of culture and what we are allowing our kids to view, we can then teach them to be critical in what they see as well.

Article supplied with thanks to Sonshine.

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For someone in navigating infertility, grief and longing, being in church can feel almost unbearable at times.

“I might have suspected that I lost a pregnancy that week and somebody walks past with a newborn,” Susannah said.

“And you just think, I could probably get through this service without crying – if someone would give me a general anaesthetic.”

For five years, Susannah and her husband were unable to become pregnant.

“Five years of infertility is a very painful experience.”

An Auslan interpreter living in New South Wales’ Blue Mountains, Susannah still believes God was there with them.

Even if it didn’t feel like it.

“I think he was there but at the time, it felt pretty dark and dreary,” Susannah said.

“I’m just saying [to anyone else] it’s kind of OK to find it hard and to lament that before God.

“He values our honesty and doesn’t want us to lie to him about our experiences.”

God’s pattern

Susannah read articles and books which provided Christian reflection upon infertility, usually written after the author became pregnant.

This frustrated Susannah who was looking for “dispatches from the trenches [to] help me get out of bed today”.

Wanting to think clearly, and biblically, about infertility while she was going through it, Susannah began to write The Fruitful Soul: Infertility and the Christian Life to be published mid 2026.

Without knowing what the end of the story of pregnancy might be for her family, Susannah explored the question “What does God think about all of this suffering, self-blame, the fallenness of the world?”

One key pattern she discovered in Scripture actually offered grounding hope to someone experiencing infertility.

“Jesus suffered first, and then he was resurrected – and that is the shape of our lives as well,” Susannah said.

“Suffering first and then glory, that is the shape of the Christian life.”

As a clear reference point, Susannah pointed to the New Testament book of 2 Timothy: “If we’ve died with him, we will also live with him… If we suffer with him, we will also reign with him.” (2 Timothy 2:11 NIV)

For Susannah, the encouragement is not instant answers, but a trustworthy pattern: “That’s what we’re looking for in our lives.”

A call for churches: sensitive, present, and real

As much as Susannah found church gatherings to be unintentionally painful, she is grateful for the support she received.

“I don’t remember any time when anyone has ever made my suffering worse and they have made it an awful lot better just by being there,” Susannah said.

Still, she encouraged churches to think carefully about how they discuss or celebrate motherhood.

“Try and avoid any rituals that divide women up into mothers and not mothers, because motherhood’s not always visible,” Susannah said, reflecting on unseen grief such as miscarriage.

Her message to anyone walking through infertility is compassionate and practical.

“You’re not alone. One in six couples will go through some kind of infertility,” Susannah said.

“Don’t rest until you’ve found somebody to walk that journey with you. You need care; don’t do it alone.”

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

About the Author: Ben hosts Mornings on Hope 103.2 and the ‘Money: Faith & Finance’ podcast.

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Manage some of the mental load with tools that save time instead of wasting it.

Do you feel like your brain never really switches off? Even when you’re resting, there’s a background list running: Appointments, school notes, meals, birthdays, work deadlines, emotional check-ins and all the tiny things no-one else sees.

Most mums don’t need more productivity hacks; they need less thinking, fewer decisions and a bit more breathing room. You don’t need more apps, more systems or more things to “learn”. What you need is help, the kind that actually takes something off your plate.

That’s where AI tools can quietly step in. There are a lot of AI models that can make things feel a tiny bit easier. Not in a futuristic, robot way, but in a “thank goodness I don’t have to think about this tonight” way. Used well, it becomes less about technology and more like an assistant sitting beside you while you juggle kids, work, school messages and the constant background noise of life.

When used simply, AI becomes a quiet support, like a calm AI assistant that helps you organise thoughts, draft things faster and take some of the mental load off your shoulders.

A second brain for the mental load

One of the most draining parts of motherhood is carrying everything in your head. Planning is invisible work and it adds up fast. AI assistants work like a second brain you can check in with at any time.

Instead of opening multiple tabs, doing a frantic Google search or scrolling through search engines, you can ask an AI chatbot one clear question and get a usable answer in real time. You can ask it to help you make a weekly plan, organise routines or break overwhelming tasks into small action items.

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about getting unstuck faster and moving on with your day.

“What’s for dinner?” without the spiral

Meal planning is one of those daily decisions that quietly drains energy. AI tools are especially good at this kind of practical, everyday content creation.

Mums often use generative AI tools to:

• Create a simple weekly meal plan
• Suggest dinners using ingredients already in the fridge
• Adjust meals for kids, allergies or budget
• Generate a grocery list you can copy straight into notes

While AI doesn’t replace a nutritionist or pediatrician, it can be helpful for planning ideas for meals, especially when you don’t want to feed the kids another Vegemite sandwich.

Help with school admin and all the boring stuff

AI is also incredibly useful for the small admin tasks that pile up. Need to reply to a teacher, write a permission note or draft an email that sounds calm when you’re anything but? An AI assistant can help you put words together quickly.

This is especially helpful inside tools you already use, like Google Docs or your email. Instead of staring at a blank page, you can ask AI to draft something, then tweak it so it sounds like you.

AI tools can also help with creative tasks when your energy is stretched thin. Need ideas for birthday parties, school projects or family activities? Want help creating simple images or AI-generated images for invitations or presentations? Many tools now include image generation alongside writing support.

Here are some AI prompts you may want to use:

• Write a short, polite email to my child’s teacher explaining that my Year 3 son, [Name], will be absent on [insert date] due to illness. Keep it warm, clear and under 120 words.
• Summarise this school newsletter in five bullet points focusing only on dates, money due and action items for parents.
• Explain this homework instruction in simple language for a tired parent and a nine-year-old: [paste the instruction].

At the end of the day, when you’re tired and needing a little break, AI can help smooth the workflow.

Support for working mums and side hustles

For mums juggling paid work, freelancing or managing a small business, AI can save hours each month. It can help outline ideas, polish writing and organise thoughts without needing long stretches of focus.

Some mums use AI to plan social media content, write social posts, summaries, product descriptions or landing pages, or brainstorm ideas for projects. Others use it to summarise documents, prepare talking points or structure work so it fits around family life. You stay in control; the tool just gets you started.

Most of this is available on a free version or free trial. Paid plans usually unlock advanced features, priority support or early access to new features, but they’re optional. The basic features are often more than enough.

Here are some AI prompts you may want to use:

• For planning social media content: “Create a simple weekly content plan for my small business Instagram account. I sell [product/service] and I post three times a week. Include post ideas and short caption starters.”
• For product descriptions: “Write a clear, friendly product description for [product], aimed at busy mums. Keep it under 150 words and focus on benefits, not just features.”
• For social media posts: “Write three Instagram captions to promote my [product/service] that sound warm, relatable and not salesy. Include a simple call-to-action at the end.”

Emotional support (without judgement)

This part surprises a lot of mums. Sometimes you just want to think things through, process and ruminate about things without saying them out loud. AI can offer a space to think through emotions, rehearse conversations or process decisions without pressure.

It’s important to remember AI works like social media: It learns what you like, favour or engage with repeatedly, then shows you more of the same. AI is designed to please you, so should not replace a professional, especially when it comes to mental health support. However, it can help in the moment, especially late at night when everyone else is asleep and your brain won’t switch off.

AI is a type of echo chamber, which isn’t something you want for real-world critical thinking skills. It is best used as a tool, but not as a replacement for real people, real connection and real mental processing.

Free versus paid: What you actually need

There are so many free AI tools, most mums start with a free plan and many stay there. Free plans usually come with a limited number of uses per month, but for everyday tasks, that’s often plenty. If you do lots of writing or need extended research capabilities, you can use the premium versions of apps like Grammarly or Perplexity.

Paid plans may include premium features, custom pricing or extra capacity for businesses and students, but they’re not required to get real value. The goal isn’t to use AI constantly, it’s to use it when it helps. You still want your original creativity and flow, which doesn’t rely on AI, using it rather as a help than a micro-managing boss.

Using AI in a way that feels right

AI should support your life, not take it over. You don’t need early access, every update or every new feature. You don’t need to understand how artificial intelligence works behind the scenes.

The best approach is simple:

• Use AI to reduce mental load
• Keep decision-making in your hands
• Ignore features you don’t need
• Stop using a tool if it adds stress

AI works best when it’s quiet, optional and flexible.

Many modern AI tools are designed to feel intuitive, allowing mums to interact using natural language rather than learning complicated systems. You can start with simple text prompts, ask follow-up questions to refine answers and quickly pull out the key points you actually need.

The AI tools mums are using

Here is a list of the more common tools mums love:

• Gemini or Claude: Conversational AI that answers questions, drafts text, brainstorms ideas and helps you plan or organise things using simple prompts.
• Canva: Design tool with built-in AI features that can generate images, suggest layouts, write short text and quickly resize or repurpose designs for different platforms.
• Grammarly: Writing assistant with AI that checks spelling and grammar, suggests clearer wording, adjusts tone (more formal or casual), and can generate or expand short pieces of text.
• Perplexity: AI search assistant that looks up information online, then gives short, sourced summaries so you can get key points without deep-diving into every article.

These tools offer free and paid options and can be helpful time-savers for admin, research, drafting emails, study and creating images for social media.

The bottom line

You probably aren’t going to use all the AI features like voice cloning, image generation or deep integration across your entire Google workspace and that’s perfectly fine. Maybe what you really want is a simple cheat sheet for cleaning the house, a weekly list of appointments or a few ideas for fun things to do during the school holidays.

There’s a wide range of options, but you can pick and choose what actually helps you and your family, giving you a little more breathing room. Most of us will never need the pro plan and some of us aren’t fans of AI mode on Google (me included), but you’ll find yourself happily using text prompts and follow-up questions to get exactly what you need.

With the right approach, even just a few of these tools can make your day feel a lot smoother, letting you focus on what really matters.

AI doesn’t make you a better mum. It doesn’t replace intuition, care or connection. It doesn’t replace a doctor or a teacher. What it can do is help you think more clearly, plan faster and carry less in your head. Used gently, the best AI tools feel less like technology and more like support; there when you need it, invisible when you don’t.

In the middle of everything you’re already doing, it can help to have everything in one place, giving your mind a break when you hit the pillow at night.

Article supplied with thanks to Mum’s At The Table

About the Author: Adriana is Mums At The Table’s part-time digital content creator and writes from Kingscliff, Queensland.

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Every parent gets it wrong sometimes. What matters is what happens next

“What is wrong with you? I can’t believe you did that! You’re deliberately trying to make my life harder. I’m so mad, I don’t want to talk to you right now.”

Yup. I said that. To my three-year-old son after he deliberately dropped his yoghurt bottle on the ground to make it splatter across the carpet at the Airbnb we’d just checked into.

Now, let’s put his action aside, because this isn’t an article about what he did. Instead, let’s focus on my response and what was going on for me. I share this not because I am proud of the moment, but because I think it speaks to something universal: We all have these moments.

I’m a professional with a deep passion for this space. I know that shaming a child doesn’t teach the lesson we’re hoping for. In fact, done repeatedly, it can chip away at their self-worth. And yet here I was, shaming my son. Why?

It had been a long day. I was 34 weeks pregnant with my third child, on day three of a month-long stint solo parenting two young kids. Oh, and we weren’t staying at home because our house was being renovated. That day, we’d just checked into our second of five accommodation stays.

But my day hadn’t gone to plan. Instead of packing up early so we could leave on time for the 18-month-old to have his nap on the drive, I’d ended up in an ambulance with him instead (thankfully we were visiting family, so there was someone to watch my three-year-old at the time).

Thankfully, he responded rapidly to the treatment at hospital and we were able to leave after several hours, but the smooth plans for the day were blown. We got on the road late and he had a long, late nap, pushing bedtime well into the night.

This yoghurt incident? It happened after I’d just finished cleaning up following a late dinner. I was exhausted, physically and mentally, and super keen for bed, except my 18-month-old wasn’t going down until 11 pm. I was overwhelmed and at that moment, the yoghurt was simply the trigger that pushed me over the edge.

Rupture is Inevitable

While your story will look different, we all have these moments. We are human with limits, triggers and tipping points. We all have moments we’re not proud of. We may yell. We misread the moment. We react instead of responding.

It doesn’t mean we’re failing, it simply means we’re human. There is no such thing as the perfect parent and that is more than okay.

Rupture, or what I like to call, the moment of temporary disconnection, is inevitable in all meaningful relationships, especially between parent and child. We will make mistakes. But thankfully, the rupture isn’t what defines the relationship. Rather, it is the repair that matters most.

There is extensive research, by medical professionals such as Dr John Bowlby, Dr Donald Winnicott, Dr Mary Ainsworth and Dr Daniel Siegel, that shows that a secure attachment with a parent doesn’t come from getting it right all the time. It comes from attunement, and the intentional reconnection after a rupture has occurred.

Bowlby and Ainsworth’s work laid the foundation for understanding how secure relationships form. Winnicott famously described the goal as being a “good enough” parent, not a perfect one. And we can take comfort in Dr Edward Tronick’s research, which showed that getting it right around 30 per cent of the time is enough to build secure attachment, so long as we’re intentional about reconnecting after we get it wrong.

Why Repair Matters

Repair, or as I prefer to call it, intentional reconnection, teaches your child’s nervous system that important relationships can hold imperfection and still be safe.

It builds trust. It builds resilience. It models humility and emotional accountability. It says, “I care more about our relationship than about being right.”

Repair doesn’t have to be fancy or perfect. It might sound like:

• “I’m sorry Mummy yelled. That wasn’t fair to you.”
• “I was feeling really overwhelmed, but that’s not your fault. I know that hurt you and I’m sorry.”

Repair isn’t the time to teach a lesson. The yoghurt wasn’t the problem; it was the trigger. What needed repair was my reaction, not his behaviour. That was what had disrupted our connection.

Repair is about taking ownership for our response as the parent and the part it played in the rupture. It’s not about making excuses or justifying our responses, and it’s definitely not about shifting the blame to the child. This is about us showing accountability.

Now, that doesn’t mean we don’t guide, teach or set boundaries. That part still matters, deeply. But timing matters too. If a child walks away from the moment feeling only corrected or only soothed, and not both, then something is missing.

Put yourself in your child’s shoes. Imagine you’ve had a painful disagreement with your partner and in the heat of the moment, they’ve said something that deeply hurt you. If they apologise, but in the same sentence, make a comment about how your behaviour had triggered them to respond that way, how does it make you feel?

Contrast that with a sincere, unqualified apology, followed by a calm, non-judgemental conversation about how you can both do better.

Remember, connection first. That’s what makes the lesson stick.

Repair Isn’t Always Instant

Sometimes, for whatever reason, in the moment, you simply won’t have the capacity to repair. That’s okay too. The door to reconnection doesn’t close. It’s not too late to return later with calm, presence and openheartedness to intentionally reconnect.

No matter how intentional we are in our parenting (or let’s be honest, in all relationships), we won’t get it right all the time and that’s okay.

Choosing to be intentional about re-connection is not a one-time event, but rather a way of life. When we choose this path, we model the same to our children. This teaches them emotional literacy, humility and empathy.

Apologising to our children and owning our imperfections, doesn’t make us weak. It makes us safe.

Repair isn’t just for our kids. It’s a healing moment for us too. A chance to move from guilt to grace

Final takeaways

I guarantee you will have moments in life where your response will lead to a moment of disconnection with your child. That’s inevitable. We all will. That doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent; it means that you are human. What matters more is what you do next.

Remember, the “rupture” is not the thing that matters most, but rather the repair, that moment of intentional reconnection. You won’t always get that part right either and that’s also okay. Life and parenting is a never-ending journey of growth and learning. The hope is that we can continue to learn and grow alongside our kids.

So, what might a moment of intentional reconnection look like in your home this week?

Article supplied with thanks to Mum’s At The Table

About the Author: Doctor Tash Ching aims to equip parents to navigate the parenting journey with clarity, compassion and confidence. She helps families build secure, emotionally attuned relationships that support lifelong wellbeing. She is also the co-host for the Mums At The Table podcast, Mum to Mum with Doctor Tash.

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While church and youth group helps, the biggest influence on a child’s faith comes from home.

Parents play a vital role in shaping their children’s values and beliefs. While churches and youth groups help, the biggest influence on a child’s faith comes from home. As Pastor Joel Chelliah put it, “The number one influence of a child under 12 is actually the parents.” So, how can parents lead their family in faith?

The First Church: Your Home

Many parents assume taking their kids to church is enough. But a child’s primary experience of faith starts at home. “The first church that we are to lead is our own families,” Pastor Joel explained.

Children mimic what they see. If parents live out their faith daily, kids notice. “You see that pretty quick in your kids when you’re maybe passing on things you don’t want them to pick up,” he joked. Kids are like little mirrors, reflecting what they see in their parents.

Practical Ways to Lead in Faith

Being the spiritual leader in your home doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are two simple ways to incorporate faith into daily life.

1. Make Prayer a Daily Habit

Prayer doesn’t have to be long or formal. It can be as simple as a 30-second prayer in the car before school. Pastor Joel shared, “It’s amazing because I find out what’s going on in the hearts of my kids.” When kids pray, they reveal their worries and hopes, giving parents a chance to support them.

Other moments to pray together include:

• At the dinner table
• Before bedtime
• When facing challenges

This consistency teaches kids that prayer isn’t just for emergencies—it’s a daily part of life. “It’s not a last resort; it’s a first step,” he added.

2. Read the Bible Together

Reading the Bible as a family helps children grow spiritually. Pastor Joel shared their rule during school holidays: “No Bible, no play.” Their children would spend at least ten minutes reading Scripture before playing.

For kids who struggle with reading, audio Bibles are a great alternative. “I can hear them listening to the app,” they said. Even small moments—five minutes here, seven minutes there—help build a strong foundation of faith.

Small Steps Make a Big Impact

Raising children in faith doesn’t require hours of daily devotion. Simple habits, like short prayers and Bible reading, make a lasting difference, and help parents lead their family in faith. Over time, kids learn that faith is a natural part of life, not just something for Sundays. “You just watch your kids grow up in a way that carries the faith we’re supposed to carry,” Pastor Joel noted.

By leading in faith at home, parents equip their children with the spiritual tools they need for life.

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Starting school can be overwhelming. Thankfully, there’s help available.

Local mum, educator and founder of The Reading Village Kellyanne Cazeau has 16 years of classroom experience. 

Her advice to parents and carers with children starting school in the next year or so is simple – start now.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint

“I first want to preface this by saying, please don’t think about doing this the week before school starts. This is year long… think of it long term.”

She explained that preparation actually begins much earlier than many would think.

The reason for this extended timeline becomes clear when considering what school demands of children: “School is a massive change for children just because of the length of the day and also what it’s requiring of them emotionally, mentally, socially.

“It’s so demanding. And many Prep children have meltdowns every day.”

Independence is Key

Rather than focusing solely on academic skills, Kellyanne emphasised the importance of fostering independence: “One of the best ways you can prepare your child for the first year of school is to help them to become more independent.

“They’re not going to have you with them all the time as a shadow.”

She suggested practical ways to build independence: “Ways we can help them become more independent is to give them opportunities to be away from you, their main caregiver.

“If they’re not going to kindergarten already, maybe it’s play dates with a friend. There’s lots of different opportunities.

“But also give them independence with opening their lunchbox and doing up their bag.”

For parents worried about certain skills, Kellyanne offered reassurance: “Shoelaces isn’t a big thing because you can have Velcro.

“But making sure they can toilet themselves properly. Just giving them as many skills as you as you can for them to be able to be independent and to communicate what they need to their caregiver.”

Preparing for social challenges

Drawing from her experience as a mum, Kellyanne shared specific social preparation needs: “In my case, I have an only child, so socially I needed to prepare him in being able to take turns sharing.

“This is going to be taught in school anyway, so they don’t have to have it all perfect, but just preparing them as well that it’s different from home.”

She explained a crucial reality children need to understand: “The teacher has 20 plus kids in front of them, not just you.

“So you may not be heard straight away and you’re going to have to wait to be heard.”

Better Ways to Connect after School

Many parents struggle with getting information about their child’s day.

Kellyanne offered practical advice based on her own experience: “My son does not want to talk as soon as he jumps into the car.

“Timing is key. Asking them as soon as they’ve hopped in the car is probably not the best time.”

She suggested being more strategic with questions: “Also being more specific with your question… if you know their timetable, that they had Art today, that they had PE today…

“Are you trying to find out how they’re doing emotionally, or are you just trying to build connection with them?”

Kellyanne reminded parents that connection doesn’t have to come through questioning: “We don’t have to build connection by asking about their school day.

“It could just be by going for a run with them or kicking a ball with them.”

For parents who do want to ask about school, she recommended specific questions like: “who did you play with today?”, “did you have fun playing that?”, “what did you guys do?”, “how was sport today?”, and “what did you learn?”

“They’re more direct questions than how was your day?”

Managing Separation Anxiety

For children who struggle with being away from their parents, Kellyanne shared practical strategies from her own experience: “Some things that I do for my child is to leave something with him that reminds him of me… little love notes in their lunchbox… he can read now, so that’s great.

“It could be a photo of the two of you. It could be just a little trinket… I’ve got a little stone love heart that I give him.”

The purpose of these items is clear: “Just things that, when he’s thinking of me or he needs something to connect with me, he’s got that in his pocket.”

Parents need support too

Kellyanne was honest about her own struggles and how they affect children and she encouraged parents to seek their own support: “Do whatever you need to do to feel supported with letting go. Cause it’s hard. It’s really hard.”

The challenge of losing control was something Kellyanne related to personally: “It’s so hard letting go and wanting to be in control. I’m a control freak.

“When you send your child to school, you do not have control over their day at all.”

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

Feature image: Canva

About the Author: Joni Boyd is a writer, based in the Hawkesbury Region of NSW. She is passionate about the power of stories shared, to transform lives.

As the December 10 social media changes draw closer, many Australian families are asking the same questions: Who will be affected? How strict will the rules be? And what does it all mean for our kids?

Nicole Jameson is a digital safety expert from Dark Horse Agency, she unpacks the facts. Here’s what you need to know, and how to prepare.

Under-16 Accounts Will Be Deactivated

The first major step of the new restrictions lands on 10th December, when social media platforms begin deleting or deactivating accounts belonging to users who have identified themselves as under 16.

According to Nicole, that’s:

• 150,000 young users on Facebook, and
• Around 350,000 under-16s on Instagram.

That’s a massive shift – and only the beginning.

But Kids Have Already Found Workarounds

While the goal is to protect children, teenagers have had 12 months’ notice, and many have used it creatively.

Because kids often don’t mind losing old photos or videos, many simply:

• Created new accounts with fake ages, or
• Adjusted their birth dates to look older.

Platforms will conduct a “second wave” scan later to detect accounts that changed dates historically, but for now, many young users may slip through unnoticed.

Age Verification Rules Are Still Murky

One of the biggest concerns is the vagueness of the legislation.

Originally, the government planned to manage age verification. Now, tech companies must take “reasonable steps”, a phrase that leaves plenty of grey area.

Nicole explains that verification will require more than a simple checkbox. New sign-ups will need some form of identification, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be government-issued.

However, very few IDs list a date of birth and are not official documents.

What Identification Will Kids Need?

This remains unclear, but possible IDs may include:

• Student IDs (many include date of birth, especially if linked to bus passes)
• Passports, for those who have them
• Learner’s permits, but only in some states and usually only from age 16

But Here’s The Big Concern:

Providing ID hands tech giants more personal data, including location, school details, and biometric data linked to photos. Nicole warns that such information allows extremely targeted advertising to teens once they re-join platforms at 16.

Are Adults Affected Too?

Yes – new adult accounts created after December 10 will also require age verification.

Nicole strongly encourages anyone with a small business or public profile to download their data now, just in case accounts are accidentally swept up in the deactivation process.

Existing accounts should remain untouched.

Different Platforms, Different Requirements

Because platforms are privately owned, each one is setting its own rules.

Most will require official identification – but some are taking it further. Nicole highlights one concerning case:

Snapchat may request:

• Identity documents
• Biometric facial data
• Bank account details

That last requirement raises major questions about safety, privacy, and necessity, especially for everyday users simply trying to access a social platform.

What About International Comparisons?

Australia isn’t the first country to introduce these measures.

The UK launched similar rules under the Online Safety Act, which also restricts underage access to adult websites. While under-age traffic dropped significantly, the use of free VPNs skyrocketed 1,000–1,800%, suggesting teens quickly found loopholes.

Nicole worries Australia may see the same, pushing young people “underground” into riskier online spaces.

So What Can Parents Do Now?

Despite the uncertainties, Nicole says there is good news.

1. Talk with your children.

Make space at the dinner table for regular, honest conversation about:

• What platforms they use
• Who they follow
• What they might encounter
• How to respond to unsafe situations

2. Stay informed.

Follow reputable sources like:

• eSafety Commissioner updates
• Tech-safety educators
• Experts who break down emerging trends and risks

3. Learn the platforms yourself.

Nicole often hears parents say, “I don’t care about TikTok” or “I think social media is stupid.” But kids don’t agree. Understanding their digital world helps you guide them confidently.

It’s Not All Bad News

Social media, used safely, still offers:

• Community
• Creativity
• Connection
• Opportunities for learning and support

As Nicole reminds us, there are always two sides to the coin.

With major changes coming on December 10, families will face new challenges, but also new opportunities to build trust, connection, and digital awareness.

Nicole will return to Table Talk in 2026 to share updates on how the rollout is tracking. Until then, proactive conversations and informed choices remain the best tools for keeping our kids safe online.

Article supplied with thanks to Sonshine.

Feature image: Canva

Ever look around and feel like chores never end? Child learning specialist Natalie Nicholls, from PLECs Learning, says the fix might only take one minute. 

She explains, “Do it straight away or it never gets done.” That simple mindset shift can completely change how families manage daily chaos.

How It Started

Natalie came up with the idea after noticing everyday clutter building up at home. “Towels on the floor, dishes in the sink, coffee machines left dirty,” she said. “I thought there has to be a better way.”

Instead of blaming bad habits, she wanted to understand the “why” behind them. “When we look at why something happens, instead of labelling it as bad behaviour, we can make real change.”

The Brain Science Behind It

Our brains can only handle so much information at once. “When we have too much to do, our working memory overloads,” Natalie explains. “That’s when little jobs like paying a bill or wiping the counter get parked.”

But these “parked” tasks don’t disappear. They keep looping in your brain, eating up mental space and energy. “When you finally do them,” Natalie says, “you close that loop and get a hit of dopamine, the brain’s reward chemical.” That quick win makes you feel good and reduces stress.

Why It Works

The One Minute Rule helps families stay calm and organised because it reduces cognitive clutter.

“Even though we think we’re not using energy, those unfinished tasks still drain us,” Natalie says.

By acting immediately on small tasks if it takes less than a minute you free up your mental bandwidth.

She adds, “It’s not about perfection. It’s about awareness and small, consistent action.”

Putting It Into Practice at Home

Natalie encourages families to make it a fun challenge, not a punishment. “We said, let’s all try something new we’ll hang up towels, put dishes in the dishwasher, wipe the coffee machine straight away!”

Her advice:

• Start small. Focus on one area like laundry or dishes.
• Get everyone involved. Make it a family effort.
• Celebrate small wins. Say “great job” when someone follows through.

“When we all do it together,” she says, “it becomes a team habit instead of nagging.”

Natalie noticed a huge difference in her home. “It’s less to think about, less to nag about and the house feels calmer,” she says. Doing things right away removes background noise from your brain. “You’re retraining yourself to see something, do it, and move on.”

The Takeaway

The one minute rule for families is more than a cleaning tip it’s a mindset. As Natalie puts it, “There’s always a solution to every problem. It might not be the one you want, but there’s always a way.”

So next time you see that small task do it straight away. It might only take a minute, but it could change your whole day.

Article supplied with thanks to Sonshine.

Feature image: Canva