Hi everyone, Hoping for some advice.

My husband and I are in the early stages of planning our first baby - I’m an overthinker, and have been deep diving into our financial entitlements to try and settle some of my nerves well ahead of time.

I am entitled to 16 weeks paid primary carer’s leave from my employer (plus 36 weeks unpaid), and we will also be entitled to the government Parental Leave payments, which will be either 120 or 130 days total depending on when we have our baby.

My husband’s workplace also offers 12 weeks primary carer’s leave, or 2 weeks secondary carer’s leave.

Does anyone know if it would be possible for me to take my primary carer’s leave (plus some accrued annual leave) for the first 6 months of our baby’s life, return to work and then have my husband take primary carer’s leave from his employer? We would not utilise his secondary carer’s leave at the time of birth (as I imagine this would be double-dipping), and would use annual leave and some of the government paid leave days to give him a month or so off around the time the baby is born.

I would like to try to avoid daycare until our baby is approaching 1 year old if possible, and love the idea of each of us being able to spend a significant chunk of time at home with the little one in their first year.

Is this possible? He would be the primary care giver to our child upon my return to work, but I’m unsure if it’s common for employers to grant fathers primary carer’s leave say 6 months after the birth of your baby, once mum has returned to work?

Alternatively, we could obviously use majority of the government parental leave payment to allow him some time off, but it makes sense to use his parental leave from his employer if possible.

Does anyone have experience doing something like this?

Thanks so much!

Hi there, I'm coming over to Aussie with our toddler and I know that his car seat doesn't meet Australian rear facing regulations because it doesn't have the tether strap. But would it be OK to use front facing? Or do any car seats in Aussie need the tether for front facing as well? We have a Britax Boulevard ClickTight

Hi everyone,

I am a scientist from Australia + a mum- I am looking for participants for some new research I am doing.

Are you the parent/caregiver of a child aged 2-12 years? If so, we kindly invite you to participate in our short online survey about sharks. We are interested in what children know about sharks, so this survey involves you completing a couple of questions about sharks, and then asking your children some questions about sharks. You will then be asked to write what your children say or what they do (e.g. if they use hand gestures).

LINK TO SURVEY:

https://research.unisa.edu.au/redcap/surveys/?s=XYPHMNMKFEJR7H4P

Please also feel free to send to any one you know who might be interested.

The survey takes approximately ten minutes per child to complete, if you have more than one child aged between 2-12 they can all participate.

This study has received ethics approval from the University of South Australia (#206267). If you have any queries, please contact the lead researcher: Brianna.lebusque@unisa.edu.au

My son is currently bored of his toys. I don't think they are age appropriate anymore.

Anyone with 17-18mo toddlers. What are they into now excluding raiding the cupboards and utensils.

Question for the ladies. Has anyone found since having kids you get angry quite quickly and short tempered. I have a soon to be 5yo and a 16½mo and find things set me off quite easily from there being too much noise, oldest son not listening or is yelling or throwing things, husband not listening or too worried about playing hiis game on the phone, even when things don't go to plan or house gets messy.

I don't really get me time unless it's driving home from work. I work part time. The day I have off is consumed by childcare and kindy pickups, housework, scrubbing the wet areas and washing etc.

What have you found to help manage the anger?

Hi Everyone, My husband and I have tried everything and our 4 year old daughter still won’t do poos on the toilet. We don’t know what to do and we are to the stage we will be going back to nappies because I can’t throw out underwear every 2 days.

The kindy has been great help and does all they can but she still won’t go. We have tried sticker charts, making a big fuse over when she does go to the toilet and small rewards for no accidents. We have missed swimming lessons a couple of times because she has done accidents as well. She tells us when she has to do a wee and she has never wet the bed so I am in desperate need of help!

Thanks in Advance!

This seems like a silly question but maybe I'm looking for reassurance as well as ideas.

Kiddo starts high school next year. We currently use before and after school care 3 days a week as I work in the city those days.

I think they allow students to hang out in the library and do homework after school, but due to my commute my office days are long so I'm assuming that will get boring quickly.

At what age is it OK for a kid to be left at home to leave for school themselves, and get home, being on their own? What do you do?

We are new parents and trying understand how you go about finding a nanny/baby sitter for a couple of hours on Weekends. Me or my wife will be there and looking for someone to look after the baby while we rest/ do household chores. Any info/ suggestions are appreciated.

I feel like its a day to spend on the relationship with your child including eating terrible breakfasts that the kids work hard on, saying thankyou so much for the things they bought you or made (whether you like it or not) and then going and doing something with the child that (as much as possible) you both enjoy but its more important they enjoy it with you than for you as the parent.

My partner on the other hand see's it as a day they get to do what they want (playing games primarily (not kid friendly)) without being bothered on their day. The kids were told to their faces that the parent just wants time to themselves for 'one day' and to leave them alone. The kids were not happy and really wanted to spend time with their parent but because they wouldnt leave them alone, they ended up getting yelled at.

I dont know if I'm looking at this in the wrong light though, so would appreciate input from others on whether it's common to see Mother/Fathers day as a day to do whatever they want without their kids?

And I am a happy, successful person who is married with two kids and very close to both my parents.

Just wanted to chuck that out there for any parent who needs to read that. I am consistently seeing posts that suggests full time daycare is harmful for kids. It wasn't for me or sibling. You do what you gotta do/what's best for your family. And that is different for everyone.

Hi all! I'm a student in University currently seeking ways to improve children's education by engaging parents! If you could please fill out my survey that would help a lot, cheers!
https://forms.gle/ade3bkLUEZE2ARkC7

My almost 4yo and 20mth/o love listening to music, but not the same music. My almost 4 year old daughter has my pristine condition generation 5 iPod touch bought new in 2014. But of course, with Apple and their forced obsolescence, it’s so slow, she can’t use it.

She has her own Spotify account cause I got sick of my Spotify getting clogged up with kids songs. (I’ve had a family plan since before I had kids, and I had a spare slot) but I don’t want her having a phone, SIM card or not.

We went on a road trip last year, and we downloaded songs on Spotify on my iPad (that I had in the front with me, I wasn’t driving) so she could listen to music in the car with Bluetooth headphones, but I need my iPad for work. Neither of my kids have their own tablets, that’s not something I’m particularly comfortable with them having at this age, and I don’t know much about parental controls.

So, to my question, Are there any decent MP3 players out there? Something that rivals the old iPods? Have you found old iPods (like the classic and nano) still being compatible with the latest iTunes?

Do I need to compromise on the tablets to get something that’s going to meet my needs?

tips and tricks on stopping your toddler scratching kids at daycare?! 😭 my daughter is 2y9m and goes to daycare twice a week. the past few weeks her educators have had to pull me aside at pick-up and let me know she's hurt a couple of kids that day. I feel absolutely mortified, embarrassed and so upset for the kids and their parents, but I just don't know how to get her to stop! she does scratch/lash out a bit at home, usually when she's been told no to something - but she knows now she gets in big trouble at home for not using her gentle hands so ive found its not happening quite as much here. her speech/language/understanding is really good for her age, so it's not that she physically doesn't have words to express her feelings. she also KNOWS not to do it, and that it's not nice - we have had countless talks about it, and theyre talking about it as a group at daycare about being kind, gentle etc. she even told me last night at bedtime when I told her goodnight, big day at school tomorrow - "goodnight mummy, I'm going to school tomorrow and I won't hurt my friends". and yet, I've just had a phone call from her educator about her having done it twice this morning already. any suggestions or ideas are SO welcomed 😭

How many primary schools are having dad only camping trips with the kids? Didn't realise it was a thing.

Hi guys, about to be a new parent. I’m very sun safe, but I’m normally the person to put sunscreen on at home. Considering how gross your hands get from sunscreen, how do you normally clean your hands if you are out and about with the baby? And say you want to eat? Or is it not an issue? Thanks!

I am looking for baby monitors for my 3 kids rooms. I would like to know which of my kids is crying, without having to have the sound constantly on (eg. it just turns on the sound when it detects crying). Is there a monitor which has VOX for multiple rooms? I would prefer a non-wifi monitor as I am not sure I would wake to a phone notification. Any suggestions?

Has anyone travelled overseas particularly to Japan as a sole parent of minors from Australia ? My kids have their passports but I’m wondering what other documents I need to take to show that the other parent has granted permission. There are no court orders in place. Thank you.

My 2 children (5m) (2f) are in childcare 4 days a week. We've had ongoing issues with violence in the room mostly with our 5yo. It seemed to have died down after the last incident made it into the herald sun. Well today I was picking up my 2yo and before I've even logged in to sign her out I hear screaming and very loud banging. As I walked to her room the whole time I'm thinking wtaf is going on and please don't let there be something going on on her room. Low and behold I enter the room and a much older child is throwing an absolute meltdown worse than anything I've ever witnessed. He was with his mother who seemed to be trying to take him home. But the whole time he was thrashing violently, hitting and kicking her, she'd release him and he'd start punching the walls and windows. I kept my cool but the educators were just sitting there watching this happen, doing nothing to intervene. Standard response from my understanding is that the child should have been removed and if that wasn't possible the other children should have been removed. I'm fairly upset about what my daughter has witnessed and don't know how common it is for her to be exposed to this. I'm waiting for a call back from management. But what am I actually supposed to do besides withdrawing my kids? This is their 3rd childcare in 2 years and the next option is a 30 minute drive from home.

For some added info, I understand that neurodivergence is almost definitely at play here. I understand all too well being from a neurospicey family. But there is a line between ND and dangerous and this incident went well beyond anything resembling the acceptable tolerance for behaviour.

As per title. Any recommendations? I'm specifically looking for boys sneakers.

Google comes up with a bunch but I dont have any familiarity with the brands.

Hi everyone, Monash University is currently undertaking a study looking at eco-anxiety in Australian children following the effects of climate change. We would love to hear from your kids about their thoughts and feelings about the environmental crisis!

We are recruiting children aged between 9-12 years old to complete two 10 minute online surveys, and their parents to complete a 5-10 minute survey for the Eco-Anxiety Assessment Project!

You will receive a personalised report about your child's levels eco-anxiety and pro-environmental behaviour , as a token of our appreciation.

For more information and to express your interest, follow this link:

https://redcap.link/0krberet

Can any kindergarten teachers or parents give me some insight or help understanding the attached picture.. My son started kindergarten this year, he is three days before the cut off to start kindy. Last week we received a ‘report card’ that his dad and I find a little bit ridiculous. He is the youngest in the class and yes of course has areas he could improve (still has some baby talk, has some trouble opening things) but most things listed he either does perfectly fine at home or we & previous daycare teachers haven’t noticed an issue with. He has definitely never had any trouble making friends, sometimes he decides to not listen or blatantly ignores us if he doesnt want to do something but I assumed that was every three going on four year old, never has trouble going to the toilet by himself and does what I suppose any three year old should be doing..

But they are talking about development delays and hearing problems but i see him as a child… just being a child? i honestly dont think he has any development delays at all and they are expecting more from a three year old than they should be…

im at a loss as what to think about any of this (or if this will even make sense to anyone else) and find myself getting angrier / more stressed the more i think about it so any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I am looking for some advice for friend.

Basically they are in a position where they need their children picked up from school one day a week. They are a single parent with no family here in Aus.

What safe options are there?

Hopefully it's OK to ask here, I was wondering if anyone can give me any ideas on where to look for deals or budget options for a holiday with kids in QLD. Although I would love to camp I have some mobility limits from a car accident which makes that option difficult. If possible I would love to find a place that has a pool and play equipment close by without needing to drive anywhere, which unfortunately makes things a bit more expensive. This would be our first family holiday ever and on a very, very tight budget so if anyone has suggestions I would love to hear them. Thanks

I see the Government makes the course free online. So is there a market for in person providers?

My five year old daughter was grabbed on the wrist and scratched by a teacher aide at school a bit over a month ago.

I took photos and informed her classroom teacher immediately, went home and sent an email explaining the incident to the principal, who arranged a meeting with us for the next day.

During our meeting, the principal said he would speak to the teacher aide directly, and the entire school staff on appropriate contact. I didn’t feel like that was enough, but didn’t know what else to do.

Since then, the teacher aide has denied to the classroom teacher that the incident occurred, she also denied it a few days later to my daughter. The classroom teacher now says it couldn’t have been the teacher aide that my daughter named.

My daughter has felt very uncomfortable around the teacher aide since the incident, but it hasn’t been a major thing until this week, this teacher aide is now permanently in my daughters classroom instead of all over the school.

All week my daughter has been timid and shy and hiding behind me and clinging to me when I drop her off, this is the complete opposite to how she behaved before the teacher aide permanently moved to her classroom. She used to be so happy to go to school, even to the point where she would be upset with me for making her stay home when she was sick.

I’ve spoken to my daughter and she said she thinks no one at school believes her, she’s frightened of the teacher aide and thinks she will be hurt again.

The school has already proven what side they’re on with this and I feel like I can’t approach anyone to discuss this. I guess what I want to know is how other parents would handle the situation and what the heck I should do. I have a lot of my own school related trauma from when I was a child, so I’m worried I may be overreacting about something that doesn’t need to be dealt with. But I also want my daughter to feel safe and comfortable at school, especially as I’m not there to protect her myself.

I’ve got a 2yo and 4yo. I’m up at 6am to get to work an hour away then by the time I get home it’s straight into dinner bath and bed, at which time I’m wrecked. I’m in my 30’s and feel like my body is at the use it or lose it stage

Please no judment. A few weeks ago I got a call from DCP saying their was an aligation saying that my partner is abusive towards me and that the kids are witnessing domestic violence they asked me some questions and I answered all questions 100% honestly and I thought that the phone call would be it because none of the claims were true at all! Yesterday they came to my house and told me that they have decided to investigate further and needed to ask me more questions again I answered all questions honestly and they asked if it would be ok to speak with my 2 older kids at school I agreed and and more than happy for them to speak to my children. I am currently 16 weeks pregnant so for the unborn baby they are doing a seperate investigation and they told me that they were going to be involved through the remainder of my pregnancy and they would need to set up a safety plan and meetings with the midwives, drs, social workers ECT at the hospital and around the end of my pregnancy they will decide if baby can go home or not. They are making it sound like their is a good chance I'm going to loose my unborn baby as soon as she is born and I am stressing and devistated about this.

What I don't understand is they have not even spoken to other family friends and support only the person who made the UNTRUE claim and myself but it seems like they have already made their minds up and just taking this person's word for what happened and are jumping straight to possibly taking my kids of me because of what 1 person said. And now I have to spend the rest of my pregnancy not knowing if I am going to loose my baby and my 3 other kids. I was already going through alot of stress that the person who made the claim is the cause of and now I am beyond the point of stressed and am hysterical I can't eat I can't sleep since the first phone call I have been loosing alot of weight and feeling very faint and unwell (did get tests done to make sure there was not medical reason for it).

I have asked for advice elsewhere and everyone is telling me I need to leave my partner or I will definitely loose my kids obviously if I had to choose my kids are my number 1 but I don't understand why I would have to leave my partner when he has done nothing wrong. Our kids are well looked after, very loved, happy and have never witnessed any domestic violence between my partner and I. Has anybody else been through anything similar? Or knows what to expect them to do going forward and how likely is it that I am going to have to choose my partner or my kids. And will I loose my unborn baby as soon as she is born honestly just anything I am just trying to wrap my head around what is happening and to know what might happen in the future so I can know what you expect and don't get caught off guard again.

The stress and panick I have been dealing with since yesterday has caused me to feel sick and im getting cramps in my belly and have almost had many panick attacks.

Please please help me.

Hi all, immigrant parent here needing some local perspective. My family and I moved here (Sydney) seven years ago and now my son is in Year 7. We're very happy with how he's going at the local school; making friends and doing well in class. We're also happy with the school campus, program, and facilities.

We're now looking to purchase our first home in a distant suburb (can't afford anything near here) but are worried about switching schools. My son can be a bit socially awkward at times and we feel that this age is critical in social development. We're also worried that he/we might not be as happy with the new school.

One option we're considering is to buy a worse-ish property not as far away and not switch schools. However that would still involve a long commute.

Are we overthinking this? Any advice appreciated, especially if you've experienced a switch or a long commute either as a student or as a parent.

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