Blooming Kids Psychology

14/12/2021

The same sleep patterns that have been handled without trouble or ‘expert advice’ for thousands of years have now become a source of big business. It is in the benefit of industry for b…

14/12/2021

18/11/2021

"So, I had to tell a stranger that our daughter was stillborn yesterday. She was performing an investigative scan where it was relevant information, so I told her. She then said, "you know, sometimes these things are for the best”.

I stared forward… swallowed behind my mask and said “yeah…”

For... The... Best... What?
I can’t shake the feeling that other people who don’t know what happened to Billie might think this, so here goes...

Firstly, I presume that this woman thinks any baby who dies before birth has something “wrong with it” and the “for the best” is referring to a child being saved from a difficult life. I understand where it’s coming from but firstly that’s a wildly untrue assumption and even if something was wrong with Billie….. NEVER say that to a parent who has lost a child. It’s just not that simple and is a horrible thing to say no matter what.
Billie –

Billie was perfect. The whole pregnancy. Perfect.
We had an autopsy after she was born and she was p.e.r.f.e.c.t.
Post mortem studies of her placenta found that Billie’s placenta had a blood clot which haemorrhaged and her blood supply from me was interrupted. Her death was sudden, unexpected and the best doctors in the state still aren’t entirely sure why she died. Her death was not for the best. In fact, it’s ripped our world apart and removed a little human from this earth who would have been a bloody legend.

It was a tragedy where a little girl who was likely to be a perfectly healthy baby and grow up to live a healthy, happy, meaningful life, died unexpectedly before she got a chance to take her first breath.
Placental problems are among the most common causes of stillbirth - alongside infection, problems with Mum’s health and INTERESTING FACT, in up to 1/3 of stillbirths the quality of care provided is a contributing factor.

NEVER say that it's for the best...

And when it comes to babies who may have passed away due to having some problems - saying those words - “maybe it was for the best” puts them in a position of being forced to agree with you that their baby dying was a good thing. Just don’t.
Don’t tell, ASK. The parent you’re speaking to is the expert on their circumstances, not you. Ask them about their baby. Say you can’t imagine what they are going through. If they want to tell you what happened - listen. Don’t assume anything.

Young women have stillborn babies.
Healthy women have stillborn babies.
Stillborn babies are often perfectly healthy babies who tragically died due to external factors.

“I’m so sorry, this is so unfair”.
“What’s their name?”
“I really hope you get some answers”

Try that instead...
This story comes from Mel, Mumma to beautiful Billie, who was born so perfect but still. Thank you Mel for your support as not only a Still Aware volunteer, but for having the courage to share your story with Billie with our community. We will remember Billie alongside you always. ❤🦋

03/08/2021

One tactic we see from offenders is the use of incentives in exchange for child sexual exploitation material.

This can commonly take place on games with chat functions where children are groomed with incentives such as offering to send gaming codes, gifts (phones, tablets etc.), or even cash.

The below is a common scenario based on real reports.

Critical thinking and questioning suspicious behaviour, are key skills that empower a young person to identify that something isn’t right, and to take action. These are skills that parents and carers can continue to guide them on and encourage.

Our operational teams work hard alongside the Australian Federal Police and State and Territory Police to deter and track down offenders, however, there is more we can all do to educate and protect our children.

For more advice for parents and carers, visit https://www.thinkuknow.org.au/find-advice/not-everyone-online-who-they-say-they-are

To report online child sexual exploitation, visit http://www.accce.gov.au/report

03/08/2021

"What if I was to tell you that a game of peek-a-boo could change the world?" asks seven-year-old Molly Wright, one of the youngest-ever TED speakers. Breaking down the research-backed ways parents and caregivers can support children's healthy brain development, Wright highlights the benefits of pla...

31/07/2021

The TV legend possessed an extraordinary understanding of how kids make sense of language.

01/07/2021

Join us in celebrating legendary Yolngu dancer and actor, David Gulpilil, who is 68 years-old today 🖤💛❤️

In early 2017, Gulpilil was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer and advised that he had only months to live, he told filmmakers Molly Reynolds and Rolf de Heer that he wanted to make one more film.

🎥 You can watch ‘My Name is Gulpilil’ on ABC TV and iview, Sunday 11th July 8:30pm as part of NAIDOC on the ABC.

📷 ABCG films

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.abc.net.au/article/100156218

23/06/2021

A quick reminder about co-regulation. I know it can feel disheartening when you’ve been doing it for months or years and your child still isn’t self-regulating. But just know that each time you co-regulate (which won’t be all the time…it might be 70%, 50%, 10% of the time…because no one is perfect), you’re laying the foundations for them to be able to self-regulate in the future. It’s not for nothing.

Don’t forget that the part of the brain responsible for self-regulation (the prefrontal cortex) doesn’t fully develop till we’re in our 20s, and even then, we co-regulate. No adult is expected to stay in control of their emotions all of the time, so we can’t expect kids to.

This isn’t to say we don’t lay the foundations. We do. We just have realistic expectations at the same time. We also need to give ourselves praise for the work we’re doing, even if we can’t see the fruits of our labour straight away.