Parenting

by Rio Nassar   As a first-time mum, I was both excited and nervous about the new journey ahead - we couldn’t wait to meet our little miracle. However, while pregnant, one thing that shocked us was the amount of unsolicited advice we were given on a daily basis, the most common being “Enjoy your…

  by Jacqui Owens, RDM co-founder   The list of things a mum 'needs' for her baby could be as long as your arm but the truth is babies don't need all that much. Having recently had my third child combined with living in a small house has meant I've been very choosy when it…

  Being clean does not come naturally to children. Helping to clean up around the home, being part of the family team, is a behaviour that can be taught. Make a game of cleaning up. Write jobs on pieces of paper and put into a hat. Each family member picks a job out of the…

  As we get older, we expect that our eyesight could start to decline, but what if your child was diagnosed with a vision problem? Myopia, sometimes known as short-sightedness or near-sightedness, is a common condition that causes blurred distance vision. It usually starts during childhood and typically progresses until the child stops growing.   It…

  Many of us have learned social manners – to say “Please”, “Thank you”, “Sorry”. This is learned behaviour which we teach our children. As parents, we role-model many behaviours, which our children learn within the home environment. The home is a place where children feel comfortable in expressing their feelings freely, whether it be…

by Kate Sawtschuk, RDM editor   When I saw the preview of the 2018 film Tully, I was not particularly keen to see it. It shows an exhausted and miserable mother (Charlize Theron) slumped in a chair expressing milk like a farm animal amidst a scene of domestic chaos, seemingly engulfed by motherhood. As a…

  Grandparents are cherished members of the family; their life experience and wisdom is invaluable. Many grandparents will say the love given and received from their grandchildren is a rewarding experience. They see their legacy continue through their beloved grandchildren.   It can take time for some to develop their new role and navigate a…

  There is a strong yearning within each of us to belong and be accepted, whether it be part of a family or a social group. Sadly, some people are not accepted in a group because of a disability, their sexuality or culture, social awkwardness, or other pretexts. It hurts to be left out.  Distinctions…

by Lucy Jones [space_20]Sienna was born in London in July 2007 and was a perfectly happy and healthy baby girl. When Sienna turned seven months, we moved to Sydney, as we had always dreamed of living there and had visions of a wonderfully relaxed life by the beach. However six weeks after arriving, Sienna had…

When our adorable bundle is born, we are not given an instruction manual on how to raise our delightful progeny.  We guide our offspring through the many milestones of life and on this journey, we take photos and record events in the lives of our children and families.  Over 30 years ago, these events would…

[space_20]Until around the 1970s, there were mostly clear and defined roles for Mums and Dads. The Mother would stay at home or be the main caretaker and emotional support for the children whilst Dad was the bread winner. However these days there are no longer any clear role definitions for either. No matter what the…

by Jess B [space_20] My name is Jess and I'm a local mum of 4 beautiful children. I have wanted to write about the story of Jack (my second born) but I didn’t know where to start. The beginning always seems to be good! I have followed an Australian dad's Facebook page for a long…