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parenting

The MixFebruary 20

Love without conditions

After nearly a quarter of a century of sage advice on the sometimes fraught business of parenting Ian Munro, the wise old owl of The Weekend Mix is retiring his byline, with a few final thoughts.
Love without conditions
Love without conditions
The MixJanuary 16

Keeping tabs on your teen

How to keep teenagers safe while allowing for growing independence is one of the biggest angsts most parents face, writes Ian Munro.
Keeping tabs on your teen
Keeping tabs on your teen
The MixDecember 19

Hitting the brakes

There’s one aspect of Christmas that saddens me each year. The memory of the death of the son of a very dear friend, writes parenting columnist Ian Munro.
The MixDecember 5

Dealing with their grief

I recently attended a presentation by a local GP about our Covid future. It made 2022 look somewhat rough, writes parenting columnist Ian Munro.
Dealing with their grief
Dealing with their grief
The MixOctober 31

Imagining anywhere

As parents it’s essential that we give our youngsters time and space to develop that creative imagination free from our "inside the box" thinking, writes Ian Munro.
Imagining anywhere
Imagining anywhere
The MixOctober 24

Improving male attitudes, depends on how we raise our sons

Sons, and daughters, see and absorb how their father treats their mother and how they talk about women in general, writes parenting columnist Ian Munro.
Improving male attitudes, depends on how we raise our sons
Improving male attitudes, depends on how we raise our sons
The MixOctober 10

The many joys of laughter

Some of the most satisfying sounds are, reputedly, a fire crackling, rain on the roof, waves breaking and children’s laughter, writes parenting columnist Ian Munro.
The many joys of laughter
The many joys of laughter
AustraliaOctober 9

Say their names, talk about stillbirth, mum says after loss

At a loss about how to talk about child loss? Speak their names, says Emily-Jean Hill, whose daughter was stillborn.
Say their names, talk about stillbirth, mum says after loss
Say their names, talk about stillbirth, mum says after loss
The MixSeptember 26

Put stress in perspective

If we shelter children completely from life’s disappointments or fight all their battles for them, we’ll be doing them a great disservice, writes Ian Munro.
Put stress in perspective
Put stress in perspective
The MixSeptember 12

Picking the right moment

Kids who fuss over food can be a right pain and often turn into food-faddy teenagers who would have the family cook prepare several different meals of an evening. It’s a problem best not tackled head-on, writes Ian Munro.
Picking the right moment
Picking the right moment
The MixSeptember 3

Imagination, lots of love all that’s needed

The best Father’s Days cost next to nothing - just some time, energy, a little imagination and lots of love.
Imagination, lots of love all that’s needed
Imagination, lots of love all that’s needed
The MixAugust 29

Maintain perspective during lockdown

This lockdown, you may have a project or two that the kids can be involved with.  Skills are learnt and variety added to the day, writes Ian Munro.
Maintain perspective during lockdown
Maintain perspective during lockdown
The MixAugust 22

Put children front of mind

Given the Delta outbreak, there’s only one thing we can responsibly do to protect our youngsters and others unable to be vaccinated - vaccinate ourselves, then our youngsters when eligible, writes Ian Munro.
Put children front of mind
Put children front of mind
The MixAugust 15

Negotiating hormones

It probably starts most obviously with increasingly persistent requests to have a phone, writes parenting columnist Ian Munro.
Negotiating hormones
Negotiating hormones
The MixAugust 8

Consequences both positive and otherwise

Some parents find it hard to let their children learn from consequences but it’s the only way we learn that everything we do does have a consequence of some sort, writes Ian Munro.
Consequences both positive and otherwise
Consequences both positive and otherwise
The MixAugust 1

Much in play when it comes to toys

A gift to a child should always be made without strings attached, in other words to show our love, appreciation or because it’s a gift-giving occasion, writes Ian Munro.
Much in play when it comes to toys
Much in play when it comes to toys
The MixJuly 25

Loving our children just because they exist

Unconditional love allows children to flourish, feel good about themselves, feel that they are worthwhile people and, when times are tough, to keep going, writes Ian Munro.
Loving our children just because they exist
Loving our children just because they exist
The MixJuly 4

Keeping them safe around cars

Parenting columnist Ian Munro says children need clear, easy rules when using learning road safety.
Keeping them safe around cars
Keeping them safe around cars
The MixJune 20

Overcoming teen barriers

Oh, the frustration of trying to get Teen to listen to something we want them to do!
Overcoming teen barriers
Overcoming teen barriers
The MixJune 13

Choose a school wisely

Ian Munro shares some thoughts on how to pick the right school for your child.
Choose a school wisely
Choose a school wisely
The MixJune 6

The importance of friendship

It’s good to have a few close friends. It’s good for our mental health among other things. And so it is with our youngsters.
The importance of friendship
The importance of friendship
The MixMay 30

Opening the digital world

Digital is no longer just our future - it’s very much our present, says parenting columnist Ian Munro.
Opening the digital world
Opening the digital world
The MixMay 23

Setting priorities

It’s not easy out there. I wouldn’t like to be managing a young household at the moment, writes parenting columnist Ian Munro.
Setting priorities
Setting priorities
The MixMay 16

Be proactive on peer pressure

How successfully teenagers handle peer pressure depends on how they feel about themselves and how they see their place in the scheme of things, writes parenting columnist Ian Munro.
Be proactive on peer pressure
Be proactive on peer pressure
The MixApril 18

Sex education is now crucial

For parents these days, there’s another element to sex education that needs to be addressed - "porn literacy" - says Ian Munro.
Sex education is now crucial
Sex education is now crucial