Latest In lifestyle
E-health records for dead people
Sue Dunlevy National Health Reporter DEAD people are being given e-health records in the latest bungle involving the beleaguered $1 billion government program.
Queen of style’s Coast apartment
Hannah Sbeghen ELIZABETH McMahon’s highrise pad overlooking the ocean could very well be the envy of all women.
Coast mansion fit for a movie star
Aleisha Pidgeon IF WALLS could talk there would be a story or two coming from this Isle of Capri mansion.
ADF chiefs have priorities mixed up
Defence chiefs’ letter to the editor was just management waffle.
Teen cyberbullying scourge revealed
Lauren Wilson Social Affairs Writer DOCTORING images to humiliate classmates — some aged just 12 — is the latest vile trend of cyber bullies. These are some of the ways you can put a stop to it.
What Aussie men need to know
Em Rusciano AFTER a shocking week filled with a new level of ‘online douchery’, Em Rusciano has one message for the people raising the men of Australia.
‘I’ve hated the last 10 years of my life’
Rohan Smith THERE are some things society still refuses to talk about. One man decided he’d had enough of staying quiet about his struggle with depression.
Tax deductions for cars rev up
Anthony Keane TAXPAYERS are claiming larger work-related car expenses - but rule changes to be introduced this year are set to slow down many motorists.
Kids
Teen cyberbullying scourge revealed
DOCTORING images to humiliate classmates — some aged just 12 — is the latest vile trend of cyber bullies. These are some of the ways you can put a stop to it.
What Aussie men need to know
AFTER a shocking week filled with a new level of ‘online douchery’, Em Rusciano has one message for the people raising the men of Australia.
‘Are you pregnant in the bum?’
TANYA was in line at Kmart when a little girl came up to her and asked this incredibly honest question. She had the perfect response.
Kids’ book: ‘Nobody likes a C**kblock’
THE latest ‘children’s book for adults’ follows the same trend of other books like “Go the F**k to Sleep” (2011) and “You Have to F**king Eat”.
Law tearing dad and son apart
BIOLOGICALLY and emotionally, John is his son’s father. But the law doesn’t agree, and now they’ve been ripped apart.
Does Barbie cause domestic violence?
DO THE toys Australian children play with — and the marketing material they consume — have a part to play in our huge domestic violence problem?
Signs you’ve hit the parenting ‘sweet spot’
IF YOU’RE not obsessing about poo and you’re actually getting some sleep, there’s a good chance you’ve hit the parenting sweet spot. Enjoy it while it lasts.
‘They’re the daughters I never had’
A MUM of four boys was so desperate for daughters she has spent more than £3,000 on lifelike dolls, which she treats as her children.
Stripper performs at child’s birthday party
A MOTHER is under fire, after deciding to hire a stripper for her eight-year-old son’s birthday party.
Letter every parent should read
IN A touching and important open letter to her daughter Ava, Annika Sorenstam has some wise words of advice.
Powerful lessons from my six-year-old
MIA Murchison has taught her family and friends a lot in her short life. In this beautiful story her mum shares what matters most.
The dog who changed a boy’s world
LITTLE Lachlan spent the first few years of his life trapped inside his own head — but two years ago Lachlan’s life changed because he met Zeke.
Welcome to the Mummy MAFIA
BULLYING, exclusion tactics and tightly formed cliques are common in school life, but how do you navigate playground politics when the perpetrators are other mothers?
Batman v Superman: Is it okay for kids?
THERE are going to be a lot of kids begging their parents to take them to see Batman V Superman this long weekend. So just how dark is it?
Easter, what happened to you?
EASTER is the new Christmas. Kids don’t just get one or two eggs anymore, parents are taking it to absolute extremes.
Messy kids equals Instagram gold
DID you think your children are badly behaved? Well feast your eyes on this lot, and remember ... you’re not alone.
Smug mums’ lunch pics are too much
SMUG mums are taking to Facebook parenting groups to show off their meticulously organised freezers and school lunches.
Smacking your kids is officially OK
A FATHER who was in court after smacking his child has had his conviction quashed, with a judge saying people who smack their kids are not criminals.
I’m not giving my eight-year-old a phone!
OPINION: Nope. No. Not happening. I refuse to give my child unrestricted access to the internet by means of a smart phone.
Pic of duct-taped toddlers causes outrage
A MUM is being investigated after posting a shocking photo on Facebook showing two toddlers with their hands and mouths duct taped.
Feel the force of good money habits
US FINANCIAL expert Mellody Hobson - otherwise known as George Lucas’s wife - shares her advice for imparting good money habits to youngsters.
Are medicines making things worse?
YOUR toddler is squirming with pain from an ear ache, you’re facing a sleepless night - but the latest medical guidelines say your doctor shouldn’t write a prescription for antibiotics.
‘I would rather cancer than a child at 33’
AT 19, Anne had her first and only child. Some would say too young, but the now 41-year-old thinks more women should follow her lead.
‘Hanging child’ ad shocks parents
A BILLBOARD promoting insurance in a Geelong shopping centre is creating a stir from concerned parents on social media.
‘You’d be pretty if you had long hair’
A MOTHER has penned an open letter to the “inconsiderate stranger” who criticised her four-year-old daughter’s haircut while they were queueing to buy a doll.
‘Anti-tiger mum’: Easy technique to stop crying
LOOK out Tiger Mums, because this woman has found the key to silencing her upset child. The claws do not need to come out.
Stick to what you’re good at, Curtis Stone
CELEBRITY chef Curtis Stone might be able to roast a mean rack of lamb, but when he tries to branch out into parenting advice, it stinks.
Haunting photos of children of war
THEY’RE as old as the war itself — five-year-old children who have never known a day of peace or ever had a home.
Insights from a working mum
AS Nicole Thomson-Pride discovered, not all of the cliches about working mums are true. In fact, she says going back to work has made her a better parent.
Is sex when your kids are in the room OK?
A WOMAN has divided opinion after raising concerns about a friend having sex with her partner while their children slept in the same room.
Five life lessons from four-year-olds
IT’S the funny TV show you probably haven’t seen. But the kids on The Secret Life of Four-Year-Olds could teach adults a thing or two.
Our epidemic of pampered brats
THEY’RE known as the “affluenza” kids — a generation of self-centred spoiled brats. Experts say they’re becoming an epidemic.
Is this the ultimate in bogan chic?
ENCOURAGING kids to rock tattoos isn’t standard parental behaviour — but this mum-of-four says demand has soared for her inked sleeves for tots.
‘Keep your son quiet or pay $550’
JANIN Mayer was gobsmacked when she got a letter demanding she keep her child quiet in his own home. How is this OK?
Mum shames her bully son on Facebook
WHEN her son bullied a girl at school, a mother took to Facebook to say she was “disgusted” by his actions. She stands by the post that is dividing opinion.
What this girl had stuck up her nose
FOR six months a young girl had strange flu-like symptoms. The mystery was solved when she blew her nose last weekend.
Tough ask: ‘Mum, what’s rape?’
THIS query from Alex Speed’s 11-year-old daughter caught her by surprise. How do you explain something like that to a young girl?
Toddler falls out of car, driver unaware
THIS is the horrifying moment a toddler fell out the back of a moving car — and the driver, his grandpa, didn’t even notice.
‘He doesn’t want to come to my party’
THE mother of a five-year-old autistic boy is outraged by how another mum responded to her son’s invite. But was it really that bad?
Top guide: what to expect from your kids
COMPLETELY baffled by your child’s behaviour? Don’t worry, it’s normal. This is the ultimate age-by-age guide for what to expect from your kids and teens.
Twin mums each give birth to twins
IDENTICAL twin sisters each recently gave birth to identical twins — again.
Takes two minutes for disaster to strike
EVERY minute counts and the parents of Emmerson Boyle will never know whether she had a fighting chance at survival.
How to turn your baby sister into a zebra
IT WOULD seem this three-year-old has a deep love of zebras. So much so that she tried to turn her sister into one.
Zuckerberg bans kid from Facebook
HER photos have been liked by millions and her father owns the world’s largest social network. But little Max Zuckerberg won’t be getting any special treatment.
Isabelle’s fight to stay a girl
ISABELLE is like any other 12-year-old girl. She likes to sing and dance, and fights with her sister over Monster High dolls. All she wants is to stay that way.
Stubborn kid? They may do great things
IS YOUR child a stubborn little rebel? Don’t worry, it’s a good thing experts say.
The grossest things about being a mum
WARNING: Don’t read this while eating. Sometimes being a mum is downright disgusting, and there are spit or swallow scenarios you don’t even want to think about.
‘How could someone be so sick?’
ROXY Jacenko is hitting back today after someone digitally altered photos and sexualised her young daughter.
The untold grief of childless men
CHILDLESS blokes might not get much sympathy, or even worse, be treated like paedophiles, but for many the pain is very real.
What’s wrong with this picture?
A CONCERNED mother has taken a shot at one of our major retailers over their choice of little girls’ clothing. And it seems thousands of others agree.
10-year-old model sparks outrage
A CHILD model, known as “the most beautiful girl in the world”, has sparked controversy by landing a big contract in the US.
Mums hit back at cruellest meme
ALICEANN Meyer has launched a crusade to get rid of a nasty meme that’s been used to “humiliate” her son online.
Stop saying these things to dads
DADS are used to being spoken about in a certain way, even when they're within earshot. We need to stop being so ridiculous.
How do you discipline your kids?
THE way you punish your child is just one of a myriad of issues most parents feel conflicted about on a daily basis. It’s time to get some consensus.
The nannies earning six-figure salaries
FIRST it was Britney, then it was Elle. Now parents around the world are embracing a celebrity trend once viewed as too edgy and expensive.
Price hikes put childcare out of reach
PARENTS are paying an $104 a week more than they were in 2008 to place their child in long day care. And the Productivity Commission says prices continue to soar.
Little boy serenades mum with love song
AN adorable home video of a little boy lovingly singing You Are So Beautiful to his mother has captured the hearts of millions online.
Daughter takes dad to court over iPhone
A FATHER and daughter have ended up in court in America over an iPhone. But who ended up keeping the smartphone?
Controversial swim school ‘is not for fun’
A RADICAL water safety school in Melbourne is throwing fully-clothed children, as young as six months, in the deep end in a bold bid to prevent drownings.
Never yell at your kids
MOST parents do it and don’t realise the damage it’s doing, says Dr Justin Coulson. So how can you get your kids to listen, without resorting to yelling?
Hero mum fights off ‘carjackers’
THERE was no way this mother was going to let two men make off with her car — or her kids. See the video.
Dad caught feeding kids ‘vodka shots’
SHOCKING video has emerged of a father appearing to pour his two young daughters shots of vodka, teaching them how to guzzle the booze.
Is it ever okay to leave kids in the car?
IF YOU’VE got small kids in the back and just need to pop in to pay for petrol, can you leave them in the car?
‘Eat the cake. Eat the whole f***ing cake’
CONSTANCE Hall first rose to internet fame writing about “parent sex”. Now she’s back with another message that’s resonating with thousands.
Mum shares brilliant parenting hack
ONE mother has discovered an adorable way of getting her baby to sleep, and the hypnotic method really does seem to work like a dream.
It’s a Hi-5 party in the Blue Mountains
I HADN’T seen a smile this big since Santa visited on Christmas Day. Hi-5 got the new year off to a musical start with Summer Songfest to Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains last Monday.
Modern parenting isn’t working
Our kids are stressed, entitled, fat, over-medicated and lacking resilience. And they’ve got that way because parents have assigned their power over to their little princes and princesses.
The problem with good dads going viral
IT’S a beautiful photo of a dad brushing his daughter’s hair, while he has a small baby strapped to his front. But here’s why it shouldn’t have gone viral.
Mum’s desperate plea for son
A WOMAN who adopted a Chinese boy is searching for his birth parents so that he can meet them before he goes blind.
Anti-vaxxer zoo ’catch-up’ slammed
FACEBOOK post by mums planning gathering for their unimmunised kids at tourist mecca branded “completely irresponsible”.
Meet the three-year-old with insane abs
THIS little kid can run for kilometres on a whim and has his own Instagram account. And his abs are absolutely insane.
Father outraged over airport pat-down
A FATHER is outraged that his 10-year-old daughter was patted down for nearly two minutes all because she forgot her juice box in a carry-on bag.
10 signs your child has a high IQ
EVERY parent thinks their child is a genius but there’s a way to be sure from an early age.
‘Men have no idea how to treat women’
HE MAY be just six, but once a month Lyle Drummonds takes his mum to dinner, pulls out her chair and tips the waiter in a bid to be a “gentleman”.
‘School compney is taking a brake’
A LITTLE girl’s attempt to get an extra week off school has won her an A+ for effort from online supporters.
I am a lazy parent and proud of it
YES. We allow “screen time” in our home (this is your cue to gasp in utter horror).
Why Madonna’s kids are over her
INSIDERS have revealed Madonna is not as cool as she seems and it’s taking a toll on her children.
Aussie boy’s near-death mistake
WATCH the shocking moment a child is hit by a car and survives unharmed as he runs across the road. WARNING: Distressing footage
You’re doing Santa presents wrong
DOES the fat man wrap his presents for your kids? And how many does he give? How can something so simple become so fraught?
‘Nothing will make me feel better’
THE struggle is real for the kid who wrote this angry note to her parents after hearing some life-changing news about Santa Claus. Warning: spoiler alert
Dear Santa, I’ve been a naughty mum
IT’S not easy to admit these parenting sins. But when it comes to the naughty and nice list, Kylie Orr knows exactly where she belongs.
Stay at home mum vs. having a career
LANA doesn’t want to be on the corporate ladder and miss out on watching her son grow up. She says you can’t have it all.
‘You don’t even keep animals like that’
A COUPLE has been jailed after letting their nine-year-old son whittle down to just 7kg and starve to death. His sister was days from the same fate.
Adoption rates hit alarming lows
AN all-time low of less than 300 children were adopted by Australians last year, prompting calls for urgent reform of the gruelling process.
Babies thrown in deep end before they can walk
BABIES as young as six months are being taught to swim in their nappies before they can even walk in a tough-love approach to water safety.
Girl’s heartbreaking letter to Santa
WHILE most kids wish for a new toy, this girl has written to Santa requesting something no child should ever need to ask for.
Ex-Neighbours star takes back son
ELIZA Szonert has snatched back her son from her ex-partner in a dramatic custody dispute, but her problems aren’t over yet.
Epic fail on homework sheet
A SCHOOL has apologised after giving a class of six-year-olds homework asking them to write “what p***** you off”.
The toddler who can’t stop eating
DOCTORS could be a step closer to discovering why an 18-month-old who weighs a staggering 24 kilos can’t stop eating.
Sarah’s strange request from Santa
SARAH Wilson wants us to give up something odd this Christmas. And no, for once it’s not sugar. Could you go without buying presents this year?
More kids named after Instagram filters
SAY hello to baby Valencia. The rise of Instagram has led to an increase in the number of children being named after the photo-sharing app’s filters.
The creepy new Christmas tradition
IF YOU’RE a parent and haven’t heard of this creepy elf, you must be living under a rock. Because there’s just something wrong with this little guy.
New talking Barbie freaking people out
THE release of the new talking Barbie doll, which is likely to be a hit this Christmas, is scaring some parents with her hi-tech ways.
Murder and terror on TV at 7.30pm
SITTING down to watch TV with the family could be a thing of the past, with networks now able to show M-rated shows in prime time, and experts are uneasy.
‘I saw a bit of his eye land on his T-shirt’
WARNING: Graphic. Toddler Oscar Webb was playing in a neighbour’s garden when a nightmare unfolded with a hobby drone.
Aussie dad punched and thrown by gorilla
THROWN three metres in the air by a cranky gorilla, Johnny managed to keep filming. But this wasn’t the most dangerous thing he did.
The great Christmas toy scam
LOOK closely at the logo of these ‘LEGO’ toys. They’re not what they seem. It would be hilarious, if it wasn’t so dangerous.
‘I copped so much abuse’
A MELBOURNE mum made a Facebook plea to reclaim her daughter’s “beautiful” name Isis from the terrorist group. The reaction shocked her.
Favourite ‘more prone to depression’
A NEW study suggests there’s a positive side to not being your mum’s favourite child.
8-year-old diagnosed with breast cancer
AN eight-year-old girl from the US has been diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer and will have to undergo a mastectomy.
