Raising Children Network | Forums / Baby & child forums / School age (5-8 years)

6 year old being clingy.... PLEASE help

bekndarren — Tue, 08 May 2012 00:31:41 GMT

My 6 year old son has always been quite clingy. Me and his father separated when he was 1. He had visits with his dad up until 2010 when his grandmother on his dads side decided to kidnap him. After 3 months of court i won full custody and he now sees his dad during holidays and talks on the phone most days. With my new partner we have a 8 month old baby girl. My son loves his sister, he loves playing with her and making her laugh. In the last year we have moved house, had the baby, been in a psych ward which resulted in him staying with his sister at my mums for 5 weeks. The problem Ive been noticing is he is constantly complaining about school, never leaving my side even if im in the bathroom or toilet, thinking theres scary things outside, not playing by himself, being really sensitive about everything and just not really seeming like a happy kid. He sleeps with me most nights saying he just wants to cuddle with me. I tend to not put him back to bed as he really does seem upset. Dont know what to do anymore as its really upsetting to see him like this. Usually hes a really happy boy who loves everyone and everything???????

Best way for children to learn math

davidt — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:53:28 GMT

Hi all,

I was wondering what other parents are currently using to help improve their child's current or future math abilities?
Are there certain books/programs/games/schools you are using? What have you found to be effective?

Thanks in advance!
David

Safety in school

2B2is2B — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:08:39 GMT

Randy's joining local school this year. I've mentioned my concerns about security when I spoke with principle and she showed me around to the security monitoring room. Now I wonder what is the security system like in school of your children? Thanks for the replies. Love, K.

8 year old not playing with school friends

smartvince — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:47:11 GMT

My 8 yr old son doesn't play with his classmates during recess and lunch times. Instead
he prefers to wander/walk around the school by himself.
On the odd occasion, he will play with 1 or 2 friends.

I ask him why he doesn't play with his classmates, and he says some times he doesn't feel like playing with them.

He'll spend 3-4 days, playing by himself at school.

Is this normal?

ADHD 6 year old boy - Ritalin has stopped working after a week.

fivezerofivezero — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:25:29 GMT

We have been through almost everything to help our 6 year old Son.

A beautiful boy, he was always a little highly-strung, but one day earlier this year his Nana brought over some sweets (which she had done for years - as grandparents do) and he just went off his brain - very, very upset because we said he could have no more. This seemed to be a trigger point where we realised something was really wrong. He was never the same after that day.

His behavior in school in Kindergarten last year was concerning, but he got through the year. We thought it was a clash with the male teacher so we were hoping for better things this year. Not to be. This year he has an older woman for a teacher and she seems to lack any compassion for his condition. But we are not blaming her...our Son is the problem - she just doesn't help much - even though the management at the school has been wonderful in working with us to help.

Behavioral doctors, behavioral optometrists ($900 glasses) and then pediatrician and he is diagnosed with ADHD. We put him on Ritalin and he immediately settled. Almost to a point of being a little concerned with his laid-back-ness. We thought the problem was solved.

That was last week (his first week on Ritalin). This week is a completely different story. It started with the afternoons being a bit silly, then each day. Now he is back to his old ways again, being the class clown, hiding under his desk, walking around making stupid noises and generally being very disruptive in class. Very sad to see him digress to this.

So, he is on Ritalin but it has appeared to have stopped working after a week of success.

We have not had him tested at this stage for food allergies.

Any ideas, please?

help with my adhd child

cazz — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 21:18:59 GMT

Hi have a 7yr old son who has been diagnosed with adhd. I was wondering if there was any one out there who can help me out with a few suggestions on how i can get him to contentrate at school as he is very disrubtive in class( his teacher says he is trying to do his best) but he just cant concentrate long enough to do anything that needs to be done with school work. We are going to see someone who can help with medication side of it but would like to know anything else that others have found useful and have helped them. The way he behaviours at home isnt good either and i am trying my hardest to get this under control to no avail. He has started to throw things to get his way( which i dont give into he gets put into his room on time out) but the main problem is he has a 10 month old brother and i really dont want his brother to copy his actions and think it is ok to act this way as it is inapprioriate.

Any suggestions or comments would be very much apprieciated.

cazz

Brain Gym program

Tracey123 — Sun, 06 May 2012 11:08:13 GMT

I have a son with Aspergers and have found the Brain Gym program which is run by Educational Kinesiologists trained in using this program to be fantastic in helping with behaviour and sensory issues.

As a result I studied this wonderful program to help other children and adults within the Autistic spectrum and have seen some fantastic results.

Tracey

Co-sleeping at age 8

MsInnerwest — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:27:46 GMT

Hello,

My 8 year old son still sleeps in my bed with me. I am a single mother and have a big bed so he can't understand why I would prefer that he slept in his own bed. He can't/won't sleep unless I lie down with him until he falls asleep, then he comes into my bed during the night anyway. In the past I have always thought he would simply grow out of it but shouldn't that have happened by now? At what age should the need for privacy and personal space take priority?

Michelle.

Hello I am new to this forum.

cb1266 — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:09:05 GMT

Hello, I am new to this forum.

Looking forward to reading and sharing Ideas that are put on the forum.

cheers cb1266

I have two sons. The younger son wants to go for a different AFL football team from his older Brother.

cb1266 — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:06:10 GMT

My younger son wants to support a different AFL team from his older brother. I was hoping not to have to buy a whole new set of football gear to keep the younger one happy. MY younger one has expressed enthusiasm to start Auskick but we will wait till next year as he has just started school this year. I was hoping he would follow the older brother and get the "handmedowns". May be this is where my younger son wants to be an individual. We are a multi AFL team family already as both of us as parents come from two different states!

What are your thoughts?

Finding play dates difficult to organise.

cb1266 — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:59:07 GMT

My son is in grade 2 of 1/2 at school. At the beginning of this year I found out that my son's best friend was moved to another class from the the class he started with in week 1 of term 1. I rang the mother of the child concerned to find out why he had been moved and the mother's response to me was that he should have been in the other class from the beginning but the move happened at the end of week 1. This mother is aware that my son is friendly with his son but did not tell me that the move was happening. I was disappointed that there was no communication to me about it. We just fell over the discovery. I have been to the teacher of my son to communicate my concerns and also to encourage my son to make a new friend in the class that he is in. I am not bragging but I am aware that my son is in a class with special needs children even though my son does not have special learning needs. My son is in the class to help balance out the difficulties caused by special needs and behaviour problem children. We have raised him with boundaries and we will say "no" sometimes. My son has been happy at school for prep and grade 1 but this year he is now unhappy and I think the moving of his friend to another class has partly contributed.
My son still wants to have a play date with his friend in the other class, but his mother is not very obliging when we try to organise something. I as a mother have found this mother to be rude as when ever I try to say hello and be friendly she uses her mobile phone to create a barrier. Her body language to me is quite negative. The playdates should be about the kids being able to have a play not a power struggle between two mums!

Looking for some feedback

growing pains

dad23 — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:25:48 GMT

has anyone else's children suffered from growing pains ?
my partners daughter is suffering from them at the moment , it is usually pain behind her knees or in her calves . it is quite painful and not much we can do for her . just wondering if anyone had experienced this and if they knew of any good ways to help the child . it usually occurs at night or late in the day . cheers for your help [Smile]

Alternative to cold medicine

Icesta — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:29:35 GMT

My son has a cold, but needs to go on a school trip. I really don't want to give him any medicine - I usually give him natural thing s like lemon and honey tea.

Does anyone have any advice on stuff to do?

Calling on all Working Parents!

research1911 — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:50:29 GMT

Dear all,

The researchers at the Parenting and Family Support Centre, at the University of Queensland are conducting a study on working parents. We are hoping to gain a deeper understanding of the daily experiences of working parents, and to help parents manage work and family life more effectively.

We are looking for working parents, living in Brisbane with children between ages 2-12 to participate in our focus group sessions.

Your insight and experiences will go a long way in helping us implement new programs and seminars to maximise the joys of being a working parent.

Feel free to pass this information to other working parents you might know.

Interested parents can contact me at: pamela.patrick@uqconnect.edu.au or visit our website: https://experiment.psy.uq.edu.au/tmpp/

Many Thanks!

only child support groups...?

mum12 — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 22:34:09 GMT

I was just wondering whether there are any support groups for parents with only children. Would be great to meet people in a similar situation and to open opportunites for playmates for their only children.

Single Dad, 5 years old girl, her mum left us, daughter getting angry

ianstone — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 23:25:29 GMT

Hi fellow parents, thanks for reading this. I'm a single dad of 5 and 1 year old girls. I know I'm a great dad and they are very well cared for. My darling 5 year old is getting more angry and rude. Her mum left town last year. 5 year old knows she is not coming back. Is her behavior typical of a young child in year 1 at school or is it related to her pain at her mum going away. She is also a very "hyper" child and may be ADD as its in family. Today she had another melt down because it was too late for her to visit a school friend. Screaming, crying etc.

Behaviour at birthday parties

Jenz3910 — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 18:09:02 GMT

My daughter is 6, and she has been to quite a few birthday parties since she was old enough to go.
She has never (and yes, I mean NEVER) joined in the games that they play.
They play things like Statues, Pass-The-Parcel, etc.... she NEVER joins in.
She's not upset, she just goes off and plays by herself.

Is this typical behaviour of a 6 year old? Should I be worried?
She has had some behaviour issues such as meltdowns and screaming tirades when she's tired or stressed.

She is getting glasses next week, as she has very poor vision and almost no focusing-ability.
She has been getting in trouble at school for not finishing her work, but we now believe this was due to her very poor eye sight (she had her eyes tested 12 months ago, but they have massively deteriorated in this short time).

I don't believe that she should be playing by herself at parties, she doesn't seem to want to play with the other kids at all. But she does want to attend the party.

5yo jumping into parents bed

James11 — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:53:24 GMT

I'm a separated dad with a 5yo daughter. She stays overnight a few times a week and has her own bedroom. Occasionally she wakes and is restless and wants to come into my bed which I let her do and she always falls straight to sleep. Her mother however has a major issue with this saying it is wrong and has told our daughter it's wrong. I feel it is very wrong to make our daughter feel that it's wrong and not sure how to handle this? Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Single Dad, 5 yr old Duaghter, school, fee's, CSA & Parenting Plan

ARH2006 — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:16:18 GMT

HI All,

I have a very beautiful 5yr old daughter who started a private school this year and loves it.

Can anyone help or offier advice - My ex decided to go the route of child support, after me offering full 50/50 financial care for my daughter, due to my salary I agree she is not so better off, My ex earns a very good wage and has a very flexible job with a company car and high base salary, my role is bonus orientated and never guarenteed

Questions - I asked the school if my daughters fee are piad as I was told and I am paying CSA support, school would nhot give me this information adn told to ask my Ex...Should they be able to tell this information being her dad ?

Parenting plan, I was 6 nights then due to CSA it went to 5 nights, which I beleive is cause I would pay her more $, then since school 4 nigfhts for the best support of my daughter, I have allowed her to settle all reports are my daughtewr loves school she bounces out of bed with me to go to school and cries at weekends as misses school. What is the average care for a loving committed dad that loves and wants there daughter ?

I love my ex and my daughter and hate the confrontation but I have seen over the last 8 months I am not getting any flecxibility. I have been told to be patient and its what right for my duaghter but I can never get exact plans in place or understanding of her health or anything its all reactional, what is the next step ?

Sorry if full on or to much informtaion, first time here

IDEAS - How to help child deal with arrogant cousin

MMAmanda — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 20:56:50 GMT

My 7 Year old is struggling to deal with her 10 year old cousin.
She is different to her cousins as she is not interested in sports.
In the past he (cousin) has struggled to deal with his emotions and with a lot of support has learnt to handle his emotional outbursts - but now has a negative / arrogant attitude towards others.
He tends to be opinionated and rude to her (daughter) and generally negative about anything she does.
When I am there I will say something about what and how he is talking to her.
At times his mother picks him up on it but she is more concerned with any 'outbursts' he might have than this new attitude.
I would really love some ideas on what she (daughter) could do to deal with him herself.
My thought was to suggest walking away from him but then she is isolated from her other cousins who are playing with him.
Any ideas?

8 year olds at home alone...

mmmmmum — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:25:40 GMT

Just after some opinions...
I'm concerned about a neighbour's daughter who is 8 and seems to be left alone a lot. She often turns up for a play at our house without any parents and won't want to leave. This happened on xmas eve at around 7pm, and she didn't want to go home.
Today she knocked on my door with a bleeding foot and a limp, saying her mum had left her at home for an hour or so while she visited her friend. The friend's little boy (also 8) was there on the door step but he seemed shy and ran away back down the road. I had both my kids and a friend's kid over for a play date so i let him go while i cleaned and dressed her foot.
She had a mobile that her mum had left with her but no credit to call anyone. I got the phone number of her friend from the phone and dialled it but there was no answer.
We walked back to her place, I was thinking her and the little boy could hang out at our place until their parents returned but he really didn't want to.
It worries me! am i over-reacting?
I went back to their place this evening to check that all was okay and to offer my help with babysitting if they get stuck...
What do you think?

7 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TALKS ABOUT MARRIAGE PLANS

kmpbp43 — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 20:25:21 GMT

is it too young?

appropriate clothing for girls aged 7 years +

my daughter is not a tween — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:53:39 GMT

Hi all I am a mother to two gorgeous girls aged 5 and 7 who has become extremely frustrated at trying to find nice, appropriate clothing for my eldest daughter now that she has entered the dreaded 7 years+ range. Why is it that the major retailers feel that it is appropriate to dress our 7 and 8 year olds in the same clothing as 14 year olds? If you are like me and are sick of short shorts, t-shirts with dreadful slogans and a lack of colours and pretty dresses for our girls then please join my cause by liking my page "My daughter is not a tween" on facebook. I know this is not a new issue but my hope is that if we can get enough people to show their support then maybe just maybe the major retailers will offer a better range of choices for our girls. I am not a perfect mum and I am definitely not a fashion guru, I am just trying to let my girls be girls a little longer and make it easier to find clothing that they are able to play in, is colourful (please no more black) and modest and most importantly makes them look like kids not extras in a music video. Thanks.

6 year old daughter

stevenh008 — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:51:55 GMT

My Daughter is 6 years old and likes to talk allot. She asks many questions and talks quite loud she asks things that are not that important.Eg: My husband went to the shop and my daughter says,
Mum where has dad gone. (shop I say)
What is here doing at the shop (buying some food and groceries for home I say)
Why? ( We need them I say)
What kind of things ( bits and pieces I say)

Here is just one example I have for you.
Also could someone tell me why my daughter has to give me around 4-5 kisses and hugs when I leave the house. She ends up crying if I have to tell her thats enough. She then tells my husband Mummy has gone, I miss her cant she stay home. Sometimes I am late to go to work due to the hold back.

If anyone has any information I would greatly appreciate it.

Schooling Information

Prathibac — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:33:59 GMT

Hi all,

For everyone who are new to victoria or are looking to migrate to australia here is the information about schools, kinders or childcares also some visa and immigration stuf if you are looking for.

http://www.liveinvictoria.vic.gov.au/living-in-victoria/education-and-childcare

Feel free to browse for any information and you would find it.

A little bit of Behaviour

Ybehave — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:18:00 GMT

Behaviours are the things we do. We generally agree that everything we say and do is communication. Body language experts will go on about sweaty palms and other 'tells' - go on go and watch Casino Royal again- just for the body language.

The way we speak reflects mostly our emotions and feelings- anxiety, frustration sadness anger Happiness etc.

Managing behaviour and managing challenging behaviour is fundamentally counter intuitive.

No one tells us this and that is why we often say calm and nice polite things when we are feeling as frustrated as anything. (Think about when that bloody dog gets out of the yard and you have to call and get him back- the dog doesn't understand what you are saying (sorry for some pet lovers who really think they do) but knows your emotional tone. Your angry that the mutts out and you sound angry- it wont come to you, sound cute and caring and it will warily come back).

If it wasn't counter intuitive, the Super Nannie would still be just a Nannie in London collecting the mail and the kids etc.

So in managing behaviour- get your emotions in check.

Basic understanding is- you get more of what you pay attention to.

So think about and define/ clarify your expectations.

What are your play expectations at home?

That's not hard- we can imagine the word coming out our mouths-"I expect you boys too..."

But here is the real work. Managing and keeping an expectation is about acknowledging and correcting.

This is where the 'You get more of what you pay attention to" comes in.

You need to acknowledge kids when they do what you want them to do.

You also need to correct kids when they get it wrong.

OK, so hold you arms out so you are making an aeroplane. Arms out wide and horizontal. Imagine that the expectation is your head. Then you have an acknowledgement arm and a correction arm extended out.

Your arms are not of equal length or size.

The acknowledgement arm is easily 8 times larger. YES at least 8 times larger. Like some EPO fuelled tennis player with one massive acknowledgement arm.

Why is it 8 times larger- because it needs to be used 8 times more often.

So every time we correct we need to come back with around 8 acknowledgements to get us back to equilibrium.

Over correction and you create resentment.

Don't freak out...

What's an acknowledgement?

smile, hug, thumbs up, touch, comments- well done for.... That's great how you have... ( don't forget to state what they are getting praise for if you're handing it out.)
Then there are rewards like:
making popcorn with dad
call a friend
call nan
make a cake
TV time
extra play...

But remember

You get more of what you pay attention to.

So have a head (expectation)
go 8:1 and build up the acknowledgement arm.

So think about a trip to Woolies.

The trip in the car should be a conversation about what you kids are going to do (expectation). When we get to Woolies you will walk with me and help me by pushing the trolly etc...

At the end you can choose to have either a... or a... (insert reward). But limit reward options so you have control.

Now the shops should be about lots of

thanks for grabbing the trolly...
that's great Kate...
that's good...

not all about- don't touch, stay with me, just leave it alone, stop asking me for... No you can't have.

See I told you it was counter intuitive.

Autistic Children learning a musical instrument or joining a band

CLH — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:45:43 GMT

Hello, I have a 7 year old son, who tried out for the school band (all of 30 seconds). Being Autistic it was not the best process and he didn't understand that he didn't get offered an instrument. All of his friends were excited and asking him "what did you get ..." He was so enthusiastic and excited thinking he was going to be playing in the school band. I went off crying knowing that they didn't include Autistic Children in this activity and that he would never get to be included in such a school activity. When he realises, he will be distraught. My question is, does anyone know of a band in the sydney area that is for Special Needs children? Or a drum, trumpet tutor for Autistic children?

School's attitude to a possible attention problem.

sunshine76 — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 22:15:01 GMT

Hi,

I have a five year old appears to have an attention problem. He has trouble sitting still in many situations, fidgets and has trouble listening to instructions or requests from parents and his teacher. However he sleeps very well at night and is able to focus on tasks that interest him.

After discussions with his teacher we organised for another teacher at the school who is apparently a behaviour expert to observe my son in class. When I spoke to the teacher about what this other teacher said, she told me that he definitely thinks that there's an attention problem and asked if he was on any medication. She told me that he'll be writing a report also.

I was a bit taken aback by this comment as they seem to have gone straight to medication as the solution rather than looking at other measures such as behaviour modification. We have an appointment with a paediatrician in the next couple of weeks to assess my son also. When I approached my GP for a referral, she said that she thought my son was just an "active little boy". I am also looking into getting my son assessed by a child psychologist.

Also I have concerns that if my son is diagnosed with some form of attention disorder, that the school will not handle this properly. His teacher told me she gets "frustrated" with my son's behaviour and after 2 weeks of being on holidays, my son got in trouble the first day back because, as she told me, she has to "get strict" with the kids now because they're going into year one next year. I thought this was a bit over-the-top. There seems to be little, if any focus, on the positive aspects of my son's personality, including his very caring nature, his intelligence, and his ability to make others laugh with his story telling.

My question is, has anybody else been in a similar situation with their child, and if so, what was the outcome? I am concerned that my son is being labelled before being properly diagnosed and that the negative attitude of his teacher is not helping.

Thanks in advance,

Shontelle

School counsellor says ADHD - what now?

monkeyandbean — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 23:55:59 GMT

My 6 year kindergarten old son was assessed a few weeks ago by the school counsellor as have borderline ADHD, he mentioned that he believes that he is a bit impulsive and inattentive (but not hyperactive on the Conners' Rating Scale they used) however he is smart (according to a picture vocab test, he is too young for anything else). The school said next year they can do more assessments (which I understand are IQ and other ADHD assessments), but didn't recommend a paediatrician.

What do we do now?

I have start working throught the Stop Think Do program at home - really we have just started and while it seems very good, I would love to talk with other people about it. Has anyone experienced this program? Does anyone know of training sessions for parents?

I want to arrrange an appointment with a developmental paediatrician or psychologist, or someone who can investigate this thoroughtly, but I just dont know who. I dont know what to look for, what kinds of approaches do different professionals have? Who did you see and what would you recommend we do?

6 YR OLD BOY WITH BEHAVIOUR ISSUES WHO VERY DIFFERENT TO THE FAMILY

Michelle82 — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:22:37 GMT

I have a 6 year old son who has been a challange since he was about 8 months old. He is very very stubborn, finds it hard to follow rules, doesnt listen properly, doesnt seem to appreciate things or what people do for him, is very controlling and finds it hard to concentrate.

I havent had him tested for ADHD or Aspergers as I dont think hes severve enough to fall into that catagory. Maybe it might be worth my while getting him checked out though?

He goes through phrases.....some days he is fantastic but other days awful. I feel my husband and I are a fantastic parenting team, always uniting with our decisions on decipline and we always stand our ground.

What makes the situation very hard to deal with is both my husband and were very well behaved children(I used to throw tantrums but stopped after I went to school), always showing respect for our parents and we also have a 3 year old who is very well behaved and very much like us.

We try very hard not to compare him to his brother because we know that will not help his confidence. Im starting to think hes just a very stubborn kid that has a very strong will, that needs to be dealt with differently. I am a stubborn person but I was never anything like him and especially at such a young age.

We have tried charts, rewards, pretty much everything that the experts suggest or we can think of but these things only work for a little while then he falls back into old habits. He seems to be doing fine at school and seems to better behaved there then when hes at home.

We have recently moved to another town 4 hours away and my husband has been away with work for the last 10 weeks which my son was brilliant with. Adapted to the new school very well and was very well behaved while my husband was away. Now that my husband has returned he seems to have fallen back into bad habits again.

Does anyone have any advice or have a child with similar traits????

5 y/o playing computer games??

boyoboy — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 21:49:27 GMT

My son nags me constantly to play on the computer games when we are at home......how

much do you think is enough?? Does anyone let there kids play as long as they like??

He has no problems interacting with other kids outside of home....a very social boy!!

Building resilience

vicparent2011 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 02:14:06 GMT

Greetings everyone!!
Today i was playing something like "flies and grounders" with my 8 yr old boy. Hmm, this warrants me to tell a bit about him. He's a very intelligent and talented kid who is ahead of his classroom work and does a huge amount of reading him self. He has a very high IQ level and involved in school extension programs as well.
So, what i was trying with him was to predict how i would throw the ball to him and get catch/adjusted to it. I noticed him getting a bit "upset" when he couldn't catch it always but we continued until one hit his groin, then all tears and some pacifying brought him back to play.
Then we started on counters to see how many each of us are missing/dropping and he lost in numbers.He was crying and complaining that i wanted to beat him in the game and he was really upset about him losing the contest.
Well, we parents always like our kids to win but how do we teach them to be resilient to handle a situation like this. I'm worried over his emotional up bring and need some advice and some recommended books if you folks know.
cheers
vic

Overweight and Obesity: A significant public health concern in the US

deweydoes — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:24:51 GMT

Obesity is a major health concern in many cities but particularly New York City. It is a problem that crosses generations, affecting children, parents, and grandparents. The Dewey Does character is here to help and educate kids about the effects of poor health as well as how to maintain better fitness, health and nutrition. Kids tend to follow a message when delivered by a character that reminds them of themselves.

Overweight and obesity in children are significant public health problems in the United States. The number of adolescents who are overweight has tripled since 1980 and the prevalence among younger children has more than doubled.

As part of the fight against childhood obesity, the Dewey Does Foundation is using the Dewey Does character and friends to get kids to eat right and be active. Much like Popeye got kids to eat spinach, Dewey Does can use inspiration to get kids up, being active and eating healthy foods. Kids tend to follow messages from fictional characters they grow up with.

Dealing with kids the character must not only be entertaining but engaging in order to get parents involved. Kids will identify with a cartoon character initially, but if it doesn’t hold their attention the message will definitely get lost.

Please help us to fight, communicate and create a national dialogue. Your inputs have regional, national and global reach. Visit us at www.deweydoes.org or please follow us on our Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dewey-Does-110/315291233106 and twitter http://twitter.com/DEWEYDOES to stay involved in this cause.

You can say both .org and .com (to be launched soon) meanwhile please visit us on our facebook and follow us.....then give the facebook link.

6 YEAR OLD AND HIS PENIS

my2kids — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 07:50:40 GMT

I have a 6 year old boy in kindergarten. He had a friend over about a month to 2 months ago. They were playing his room when I opened the door to check on them and they were in the nude. I was horrified and blew my stack knowing all to well that it is the wrong way to deal with it. My boy has never done this before with any of his other friends. I sat him down on his own and explained to him that he is not to do that kind of thing with his friends. His penis is private other than showing mummy and daddy and the doctor. Since this episode the friend has not been over but my son has started to do it with his other friends at home. Not to the point of undressing but just pulling down his pants. I am really worried and not quiet sure how to discipline the behaviour. Have told him each time that it is not acceptable and that is something he should do on his own. I have asked him why he does it and he tells me he doesn't know why. I know it is a normal part of growing up but I don't want it to become a common thing for him to do at home or at friends houses.

He doesn't touch another boys penis but he shows them his. I am feeling uneasy about it. He has another little boy in his class whom is constantly talking about his penis and nuts. This has never been an issue for my son until the day this other boy came over.

What do I do? I need some advice.

Candlebark School Vic

mycheekyangel — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 19:49:36 GMT

In a strange aberation there may be positions available for preps in 2011, as most years the spots are taken up with siblings of current students. I felt I had to share the information as it's such a lovely school with great philosophies and low student to teacher ratios.

To quote Australian story:
When Australian Story first met teenage fiction author John Marsden in 2002 he was suffering writers block and had given up full-time teaching.

Frustrated with the traditional school system and the obsession for control in the classroom, he began channelling his energy into student writing camps at his vast Victorian property.

Out of the writing camps came a much bigger ambition. As a challenge to the long-held beliefs of what makes good learning, Marsden decided to start his own school.

Candlebark opened in January 2006 and is the antithesis to the concrete schoolyards of Marsden’s childhood. The driving philosophy is that children should be adventurous academically, socially and physically.

6 year old has a girlfriend

my2kids — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:46:42 GMT

I am just concerned about my 6 year old son who has recently started talking about a girl in his class whom he really likes. The girls mother told me that my son doesn't play with the boys anymore just wants to be with her daughter and friends at lunchtime. Should I be worried that he is wanting to be with her and not his MALE friends, is this just a cute little phase or will it cause bullying from his male peers for not playing with them. He is a caring and sensitive little boy.

Advice please.

To Smack or Not to Smack?

canofworms — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:38:26 GMT

Can of Worms, the Channel Ten TV series is looking for people with strong opinions and personal stories on the topic of ‘smacking’ to be part of our studio audience for the recording of next week’s show on SUNDAY 4th SEPT in SYDNEY.

Are you a parent who thinks the occasional smack doesn't do a child any harm? Perhaps you have found other ways to discipline your kids? What effect did smacking have on you when you were young?

Please contact aruse@cowzapruder.com.au asap with your phone number and a brief outline of your experience.

Can of Worms is a studio-based discussion show where, each week, three guests tackle life’s interesting questions and moral dilemmas.

Stealing money from parents wallet - What to do?

Son8 — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 11:14:14 GMT

My 6 3/4 year old has started to take money out of our wallet/purse and hide it in her bedroom. We have also recently started giving her coins for extra jobs she occasionally does at home if she wants to save up for something special - I suspect the two are linked! Does anyone have any advice or techniques about approaching the topic of stealing? Many thanks in advance, Son

Avoiding Headlice!?

Brooke84 — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 08:58:26 GMT

I have just finished dealing with my daughter's first bout of head lice! She brought them home from school and I got some treatments from the chemist (which seems to have killed them off!) I noticed when I was in the chemist that there were some prevention head lice sprays that you can spray to avoid getting them. I didn't pick one up but I am tempted to go back and get one. Has anyone used any of these? Do they work? are they worth the $$?

ADHD - to medicate or not?

redleaves — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 08:48:18 GMT

I'm interested in people's views on medicating a 5 year old for ADHD.

What other 'natural' treatments and therapies have worked for your child with ADHD?

Thanks