Articles
Supporting children with additional support needs
Every family makes changes to cope with the stress of everyday life. If your child has additional support needs, these...
Coping with stress
Most of us know that stress is bad for us. But understanding a bit more about how we can reduce...
Death and bereavement
Death can be one of the hardest topics to discuss with a child. But at some point, most children will...
Coming home with a new baby
The first few days of having your baby at home can be exciting, exhausting and nerve-racking, especially if it’s your...
Bonding with your baby
The bond between you and your baby is the most important they will make and will affect the way your...
Looking after yourself with a new baby
Wonderful as having a new baby is, most new parents will tell you it also can turn your life upside...
Behaviour and feelings
When it comes to children, we’re used to thinking about ‘good behaviour’ or ‘bad behaviour’ and probably not much in...
Managing Children's Behaviour
These are some things which parents tell us have really helped them. When you are feeling most challenged as a...
Toddlers and tantrums
'Terrible twos'. 'Three-nagers'. All parents will have been warned about the spectacular tantrums that can be thrown by pre-school children....
Teenage behaviour
Do you remember your own teenage behaviour? No matter how old your child gets, no matter what comes out of...
Approaches that work with teenagers
Rather than lay down the law, demanding that your teenager does their homework, has a tidy room, sits down for...
Risk-Taking Behaviours
Taking some risks is an important part of growing up. Without striking out and taking a chance we would be...
Mental Health Issues in Children
For some children the stresses they face can cause serious issues, such as depression, anxiety, self harm or eating disorders...
Common Mental Health Issues
This page gives some basic information about some of the more common mental health issues affecting children which parents regularly...
Helping your child with mental health issues
Worries about mental health in the family are among the main reasons parents and carers get in touch with Children...
Challenging or distressed behaviour
As a parent, chances are you’ve been tested and frustrated by your child’s behaviour. It could be the tantrums of...
Spotting signs of abuse or neglect
What is abuse? Child abuse is when someone causes (or doesn't prevent) significant harm to a child. ( Source: Scottish...
Screen time
It is tempting to believe that the internet is a problem for our children, and adults have got it totally...
Online safety and parental controls
Parental controls are a key tool for parents to keep their children’s internet use safe – within the home at...
Sexting
From the time our children are babies we teach them right from wrong, how to keep themselves safe and how...
Pornography
It’s not something parents generally want to think about but, as children reach adolescence and think more about sex, many...
Disturbing or Extreme Content
The thought of your child seeing something disturbing or extreme online can be very distressing and can leave parents unsure...
Understanding self harm
For parents it can feel overwhelming to discover your child is self harming, as can trying to figure out what...
Bullying
Bullying is a concern for many of the families who contact Children First support line. Although the thought of your...