Youth Specialties Australia

I have long been concerned about the danger of screen and smart phone engagement for our children and students.

One of the most powerful drivers of human innovation and growth has been space away from the influence of other inputs to spend time in one's own mind to wonder, think, challenge, and plan. Today this opportunity is being stolen by the streaming of ideas, entertainments, and distractions directly into the brains of our children.

This is much more eloquently expressed in this address by Lady Sophie Winkleman, patron of School-Home Support UK.

Whether you watch on your screen, or listen while you exercise, it will be the most valuable and challenging 20 minutges you'll spend this year

WATCH: The most compelling argument against tech in schools | Sophie Winkleman at ARC 2025 “How will children who are so constantly artificially stimulated ever learn to think, imagine, create or just be still?”In her ARC 2025 speech, Sophie Winkle...

What happens in the USA soon follows here in Australia, and for many things this is good. Unfortunately the bad follows just as easily, and drug use trends is amongst the most bad. This video is a must watch for anyone who works with teens as it shows the precarious path that even casual drug users face. It also highlights the danger of the increasingly common practice by drug dealers of lacing their products - including ma*****na and co***ne with the incredibly addictive and dangerous fentanyl

Douglas Murray Investigates: America's Drug Crisis As the U.S. has turned away from “the war on drugs,” many cities have sought more “humane” approaches to dealing with addiction. They’re not working.In my ne...

The power of social media to distort girls' view of themselves is frightening for two reasons: the ideas and suggestions flood their feeds, and parents have no real idea what their girls are really reading and seeing. This Dove commercial from 2022 is a very powerful wake-up call.

Toxic Influence: A Dove Film | Dove Self-Esteem Project 📣 You wouldn’t give your daughter toxic beauty advice, but she could be hearing it online. Every. Single. Day. ✨New ✨ Dove Self-Esteem Project research foun...

Storytime: Recalling my Hall of Fame teachers I noticed that my lasting impressions are not about unsolved math problems or misspelled research papers. These eight teachers were not just teachers to me.

Some more excellent resources from the Bring Up Respect campaign that will be very helpful as parents raise strong, considerate, resilient children.

However, by limiting the discussion to turning the tide of bos'/men's disrespectful behaviours towards girls and women we run the danger of minimising the equally harmful disrespectful behaviours (especially in pre and early adolescence) of girls' disrespect to boys and, even more, girls' disrespect to other girls.

It should be a simple exercise to add similar resources for those behaviours, including stereotypical harmful attitudes and behaviours towards all others who are 'different' (minorities of all types).

https://www.respect.gov.au/resources/talking-about-respect/?fbclid=IwAR0FbdmSMuV9OoAaIDRUQXygOAVjp-y2ootuiPNS9XTYmSFBbshwPIBBuNs

The Conversation Guide – Respect.gov.au The Conversation Guide A practical guide to have conversations with young people about respect As parents and family members, we want the best for our kids. We want them to have rich experiences, healthy relationships and opportunities to shine. We want them to understand right and wrong. We want th...

MAINTAINING POSITIVE, EFFECTIVE, RELATIONSHIPS TAKES TIME

One of the greatest causes of loss on influence that parents have over their teens is the los of INCIDENTAL TIME, people being in the same place, at the same time, with nothing much else to do.

We are so busy doing our "parenty" thing, and our kids are so busy doing their "kid" thing, and the device in the palm or on the wall is so busy doing its "tech" thing, there is no time left to do "human being" things.

This is so dangerous because the conversations that reveal inner fears, or share deep joys, or unveil private hurts, or reflect understanding and empathy, occur and noticed in the context of the incidental.

Do whatever you can to preserve and create incidental encounters wherever possible, and this will mean sacrifice.

Your kids are more important that drinks after work, or that exteranl course, or men's or women's club. They are more important than the gym, football club, Rotary and even the school P&C.

There will be plenty of time for those later, but right now they need to be rationed - your time belongs to your kids. And the great news is that the more time you spend with them your life will be much more full of laughter and joy than discipline and rage. THis is a sacrifice that is an investment!

A wonderful time with the Year 12s from Genesis Christian College on the Sunshine Coast then a quick trip to Bega via Canberra for Bega High staff and 12s. First "tour" since March last year! The best part was the positive response from students and staff.
From Tracey, the organiser: "staff and students that I spoke to were all inspired and appreciative of the presentations".
From students: "I wish we could listen to Graham more often. I'd get more out of that everyday than I would from normal lessons."
"I wish we had of had Graham to inspire us when we were younger"