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Parent tip sheets

Have you ever wondered how much pocket money you should give your children? What to say to teenagers about drugs? Or what to do when your children quarrel? Parent tip sheets provide this information and much more.

General parenting

Helping kids to be positive

So much depends on the way you look at life. Helping your child look on the bright side of life is a step towards preparing your child for a strong future.

Home alone

Children need to be developmentally ready to assume the responsibility of being home alone. Try and seek alternative options before leaving a child alone as parents are expected to make reasonable decisions about their children's safety.

TV - off 'n' on

Television and videos entertain us all, but for children they also provide a window to the world. That world influences their development. They take in messages about lifestyles and behaviour. Sometimes the harsh realities of life can give messages that are harmful to their development. They can also have positive experiences and be shown responsible ways of acting in the world.

Keeping kids safe

Parents, guardians and child carers have a major role to play in ensuring the safety and well being of children. The onus is on the carers of children to provide a secure and safe environment, to ensure all possible safety measures are in place and, in case of an emergency, first aid equipment and training is up to date.

When the kids argue

Parents often worry about brothers and sisters quarrelling. A certain amount of quarrelling is normal for children in families. It is one of the ways that they learn how to get on with other people. Sometimes, however, you will need to step in when tempers become frayed and you can see that things are getting out of control.

Being a dad

While parenting can be done by either parent, children still have different experiences with their fathers than with their mothers. Fathering is not the same as parenting.

Information for Queensland families about paedophiles

We cannot always stop bad things happening to our children, but we can do a lot to prepare them for some of the dangers in life.

Sexual development of children

When parents or carers talk to children about their bodies and about sexual behaviour and feelings, children learn that it's okay to talk about these things.

Babies and Toddlers

Living with babies

In the first months of life babies learn that the world is safe and that there are people who will look after them. They do this when you meet their needs for food, comfort, warmth and love. When you do this they learn to love and trust you.

Living with toddlers

Between the ages of one and three years your toddler's world is growing rapidly. This is a time of many changes for toddlers. The most important lesson for your children in these years is that they are separate, independent people.

More about living with toddlers

As your toddler grows, you will both face daily challenges as your toddler seeks greater independence. Toddlers are learning to stand up for themselves and testing to see how much 'say' they can have about what happens to them. It's up to you to shape and guide this new-found skill. Testing their independence is a normal stage of development for young children.

Developmental delay

There is a very wide range of what is considered 'normal' in how babies and children grow and develop. This varies from the Einsteins of this world to children who take longer to learn new things but who are still able to lead a happy life, have a job and contribute to their community.

Why stories are important

Stories help children to cope with a lot of their feelings and problems. Story time can be a special caring time which they will remember all their lives. Whether they are the stories you tell or stories in books, stories are one of the ways that children learn to enjoy reading.

Children 4-12 years

Growing and learning in the family

The first and most important learning in a child's life happens within the family. Children learn from the way people treat them and from what they see, hear and experience as soon as they are born. Children are natural learners and between birth and five years they grow and learn at the fastest rate of their lives. It is easy to see the enormous opportunity parents, and those who care for children, have in these early years to help shape children's learning before they start school.

Pocket money

Pocket money is an issue that often concerns parents. To a large extent it depends on family values and finances, but there are some general points that you might like to consider in making your decision.

Children and the internet

The Internet is an amazing invention. It is an attractive and fun new way of providing information, dazzling pictures and incredible opportunities for learning. Some benefits of being connected to the Internet include access to educational games and programs, research information for school projects, communication with people from around the world and share resources and ideas with people of similar interests. Most children at some stage will have some sort of contact with the Internet.

Children lying

When children don't tell the truth it can be very worrying for parents. It is easy to become upset about the lie and to overlook what it means to the child. There are many reasons why children may not tell the truth. Almost everyone tells lies from time to time for a variety of reasons, from avoiding hurting someone else's feelings to getting out of an awkward situation. It is important to understand the reasons why a child might lie before you react.

Teenagers and young people

Living with teens

Adolescence can be a challenging time for young people and their families. The teenager is going through rapid physical and emotional changes. Parents and adolescents must make changes in their relationships to adjust to this new stage. The teenager goes backwards and forwards between wanting freedom and at the same time still needing the security of the family.

Working things out with your teenager

Parents need to feel confident that discipline is an important part of a teenager's upbringing.

Peer pressure

Peer groups are groups of friends of about the same age. Having a group of friends is one of the most important aspects of being a teenager. It is how teenagers learn to get on in the world of their own age group and to gradually become independent.

Teenagers and drugs

Many parents of teenagers worry from time to time about their teenagers taking illegal drugs, how they can tell, and what to do about it.

South Sea Islander

Grandparenting

Grandparents are very important people in children's lives, and they can help children be proud of their own heritage and accepting of all cultures. Children with close family ties develop a strong sense of belonging.

Other languages

The most popular tip sheets in each series are available in the following languages:

Arabic
Arabic		 Bosnian
Bosnian		 Croatian
Croatian
Chinese
Chinese		 Serbian
Serbian		 Vietnamese
Vietnamese

Adapted from information contained in the Parent Easy Guide Series © Parenting SA, Government of South Australia.

Published by teh Department of Communities. For reorders phone (07)3224 4225 if in the Brisbane metropolitan area or 1800 637 711 (toll-free within Australia)† if outside the metropolitan area.

† Calls from mobile phones are charged at applicable rates.

Look in your local White Pages for your Queensland Health Community Child Health Service and for information about their parent education courses (Positive Parenting Program - Triple P).

Services for parents and children

Your local library has a range of excellent books on parenting.