The Parent Squad

The school year is drawing to an end and soon enough, families will be filling school halls and gymnasiums for the end-of-year prizegiving. 

For the star students or athletes, it's a moment of pride to walk across the stage and receive a well-earned award. For others, the whole thing can feel demoralising. 

Never mind the awards themselves - there are clear differences between some, like the dean's award and the most impr...

Summer holidays is just around the corner and kids will be rushing out the door to spend as much time as they can with their friends. 

But this time of year is often the longest period that parents will be able to spend time at home with the family. 

We don't want to pull our children away from their friends, but we also want to instil the value of family time. 

So where do we draw the line between family time and fr...

We live in a near cashless world these days. Hardly anyone has anything further than a couple cards, or even just Apple Pay. 

We all remember a time we'd get a gold coin for washing mum's car, or a couple notes for chopping wood, but those days seem to be gone. 

How are parents going about pocket money without cash? Are we really giving our kids bank cards, and how young is too young? 

And if money's not the right re...

We hear lots of horror stories about parenting - from the accidents that cost us a hefty bill, the arguments and bickering we bump into as they get older, the worries about our what they're doing when we're away, and the concerns of how social media's affecting their mental health.

But we do it because we love them - unconditionally. And part of that is having to embrace the numerous versions of people they grow up to be. So what a...

Our kids are growing up, and with that comes the parental obligation to allow them to start making decisions for themselves. 

This come after we saw the story of the Gaza Flotilla and an interview with the father of Sam Leason, an 18 year old who was a part of the recent flotilla to Gaza. 

I think regardless of your views, most parents would be pretty hesitant to allow their teenager to head off into a warzone. But truly,...

Parenting in the modern world comes with a slew of challenges - not just in terms of technology and social media, but the people who have influence over your children. 

The majority of those born into Generation Z or earlier looked up to sports tars, actors, and the like. But today, it's whoever the public finds interesting enough to follow online. 

Whether it's a good or a bad thing, raising children in a modern world se...

Literacy and numeracy rates in New Zealand are still shameful compared to other countries in the OECD. 

23% of year 8 students are at the curriculum benchmark for maths following recent curriculum changes from the Government, up from 22% in 2023. 

Teachers in recent years have put the blame on parents, saying kids are starting school without the basics. 

Harpreet Singh is the founder of SIP Abacus New Zealand, and he...

The first 1,000 days are the most important in any child's life - to set the foundation for a well-rounded and stable adulthood. 

A key part of those first 1,000 days is early attachment, the importance of forming healthy attachments, and what that means for children as they grow up. 

Nathan Wallis is a neuroscience educator and he joins to discuss early attachment.

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