The Kids First Blog

You know your son or daughter has had very little to eat during the day, but despite your best efforts to prepare a yummy meal, they refuse point blank to eat it. You’ve tried everything…reasons, rewards and even the occasional threat, but nothing you do or say will convince your fussy eater to try a […]

If you have a gifted or academically talented primary schooler, it can sometimes be hard to meet their learning needs and interests in a mainstream classroom. However, if you live in NSW you are in luck, because your child may have access to an Opportunity Class, often known as an OC class, which could provide […]

Have you noticed that your child… Is not using as many words as other children of the same age? Mispronouces sounds and words? Pinches, bites or hit other children instead of ‘using their words’? Has had lots of coughs, colds and ear infections? Struggles in English speaking environments (if another language is spoken at home)? Finds […]

Need to help your child overcome behaviour problems, but not sure where to start? If your children are defiant, throw tantrums or display aggression at home, preschool and school, this list of recommended books, compiled by psychologists and teachers in Sydney’ northern beaches, could help you to discover discipline strategies that work for your kids. […]

Does your little person seem to struggle with physical sensations like seams and tags?  Do they feel and express big feelings?  Maybe they ask you lots of questions about what is coming up that day?  Combined with anxiety, the anxious highly sensitive child may find the world a big, scary and overwhelming place. This article […]

To test or not to test…that is the question! NAPLAN is perhaps one of the most hotly debated topics in Australian education. Many parents and teachers firmly believe that it’s important to monitor children’s basic literacy and numeracy skills with a national testing program that shows where kids and schools are at. Others say that […]

Do you think that your bright, curious, highly verbal, and capable pre-schooler could be gifted? Many parents wait until their gifted child goes to school to start catering to their unique needs, but in doing this, they can run into problems. Kids First psychology team has years of experience identifying children who are gifted and […]

Sharing is a concept that many young children find difficult to master, and it’s especially tough for children aged under 6. This is because, developmentally, children aged under 6 are usually still concrete learners who find abstract ideas tricky to understand. While an ideal world would be one in which all children played happily and […]

People are naturally social creatures, but the skills involved in developing friendships with others are mostly learned, not innate. Social skills or ‘tricks of the trade’ that children have to learn are time-limited. If they are not learned within an appropriate age period, conditions for learning them will get a lot more difficult. Here, Kids […]

As a parent it is normal to worry about your child’s development and whether they are progressing toward a happy and functional adulthood. If your child is on the autism spectrum, you know that he may have a few more hurdles to get past than other children. One of the biggest difficulties facing children with […]

It can be very difficult to watch your child experience the day to day struggles of life.  Just like adults, children often feel anxiety as they navigate life’s ups and downs.  While it may not be possible to completely remove the stressors from your child’s life, teaching your child to deal with anxiety in a healthy way […]

It’s an exciting time. Your child is growing up and will soon be entering kindergarten. You are looking forward to watching them learn, but you have a little trepidation. You wonder if they have all the skills they need to be successful beginning readers. Is there anything that you can do to help them succeed? Yes! There […]

School readiness skills are important for all four and five year olds. Some children take time to learn routines. When your child knows what to expect, he or she will have confidence, feel more independent and the transition into a new environment will be easier for everyone. What to do Over the Holidays Getting ready […]

As any preschool teacher or early educator will tell you, the end of the year is a busy time for the families of 4 and 5 year olds. If your child is going to school next year, October to January is full of all kinds of school readiness activities. You’re heading off to orientation days […]

Do you have a child you know is bright, yet he or she can’t seem to pay attention long enough in school to excel? Do teachers tell you your child is not completing homework assignments, is making careless mistakes, or acts impulsively in the classroom? At home, is your child extremely fidgety and rarely able […]