We are a Happy Families School!                                                           

Our school is subscribed to the Happy Families School Membership! Owned and run by Dr Justin Coulson, one of Australia’s leading parenting experts, the membership offers a wealth of parenting education and resources.

Parent Session - Entitled: Raising Responsible, Respectful Kids

Wednesday 5 November, 7pm AEST / 8pm AEDT

On-demand gratification has become the modern-day norm, and our children have never known anything different. As a result, parents are noticing a clear pattern of declining levels of resilience and frustration tolerance. We naturally want them to be happy and successful, but we also recognise that a sense of entitlement can hinder their journey. While our hearts yearn to give them the world, we know it’s equally important to nurture gratitude, responsibility, and respect within their hearts.

Our children are growing up in a world defined by instant gratification. They’ve never known a time when things weren’t immediately accessible, which has contributed to declining resilience and frustration tolerance. As parents, we yearn to give them the world and shield them from disappointment, but we also know that fostering gratitude, responsibility, and respect is essential for their true happiness and success.

Entitled with Dr Justin Coulson will dive deep into the issue of entitlement. We’ll explore its root causes, its impact on our children’s development, and most importantly, we’ll equip you with practical strategies to turn things around. You’ll learn how to shift your child’s mindset from “gimme” to “thank you”, and how to foster a sense of appreciation even in an age of abundance.

In this presentation, we will navigate the challenges of parenting in today’s world and discover how to raise children who are not just responsible and respectful, but empowered, resilient, and ready to make a positive contribution to the world. 

We will regularly share resources available through our membership with you, including Insight Articles and Live Webinars.

This week’s Insights Articles are  attached

• Trusting Your Child's Natural Development (EL)
• Supporting Autonomy Without Losing Authority (P & S)

Building Independence

Building independence helps children grow in confidence, resilience, and a sense of responsibility — all vital skills for lifelong learning and wellbeing.

Research shows that when children are given age-appropriate opportunities to make decisions and take ownership of tasks, they develop stronger problem-solving skills, higher self-esteem, and greater motivation to learn (Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2022).

How Families Can Help

At home, you can encourage independence by:

• Involving children in daily routines – Let them pack their own bag, make their snack, or help with chores. Consistency builds responsibility.
• Encouraging problem-solving – Before stepping in, ask: “What do you think you could try?” This helps them think through solutions and build confidence.
• Allowing small, safe mistakes – Forgetting a hat or lunchbox once can be a great learning opportunity. Reflect together: “What might you do differently next time?”
• Praising effort, not just outcome – Say things like “You worked hard on that!” or “You figured it out yourself!” to build a growth mindset (Dweck, 2015).

Extra Tips for Families

• Create predictable routines – Children feel more confident when they know what’s expected.
• Offer simple choices – Two or three options help develop decision-making skills.
• Model independence – Let children see you organising your own tasks and managing challenges calmly.
• Be patient – Independence takes time; celebrate small steps and progress.

Independence at Every Age

These skills are important for all students, from our Foundation learners just starting their school journey to our Year six students preparing for secondary school.

For our older students, independence helps them take responsibility for their learning, manage time and organisation, and approach new challenges with confidence, key skills for a smooth and successful transition into high school.

Submitted by Lize/Caitlin