PARENT RESOURCES

We want you to be equipped to be the best parent you can be.

Below is a selection of resources to help you on your journey as a parent. Each of our individual services also offer a selection of local resources on their individual website.

Find your service on the Our Centres page.

GWFC Chaplaincy

Suburban transformation through local schools and local communities partnering with local churches through local chaplains.

GW Childcare
Responding to complaints

NSW Regulatory Authority
Department of Education NSW

Kids Helpline
P: 1800 55 1800

Kids Helpline is a service of yourtown for 5-25 year olds

Parentline NSW
P: 1300 30 1300

Kids do better when parents feel supported!

Do you have questions about your child’s development?

Parentline NSW

Support Children’s Identity Growth

Adults support children’s and young people’s social and emotional skill development.

Being Culturally Safe

Educators are able to help children and young people deal effectively with a variety of feelings and behaviours.

Inclusion Matters

Inclusions for children, families & educators means…

Strong Connectedness

Creating a sense of community helps learning communities give children and young people a good start to life…

The Importance of Play

Learning through play is one of the most important ways children learn and develop.

Show Everyone They Belong Here

An inclusive learning community values diversity and helps everyone feel that they belong.

Listening to children

Making a point of listening to every child you know is one of the most important things you can do.

Listening to young people

Young people need to be able to express their ideas and values without feeling they are being judged.

When a child feels sad

Children are less likely to talk about sad feelings. Instead, they may show their sadness by their behaviour.

Use words that help not hurt!

Parents can help children feel good about themselves by the way they speak and the things they say.

Allergy Advice

Information to help parents understand and manage allergies

Being a Dad

Becoming a father changes your life forever. Being involved means being there for your child from before the birth to young adulthood.

5 ways to a healthy lifestyle

Our busy lifestyles can be hard on our family’s health. Rushing to and from school and work can make it difficult to find time to be physically active and eat well.

Get active each day

Regular physical activity is an important part of getting healthy and staying healthy.

Be an active family!

Children love to be active. Making physical activity a part of their daily routine is not only fun, but also healthy.

Good mental health

The Be You framework can help your learning community to develop a shared understand of the importance of mental health and wellbeing for children and young people.

Learn about this community

A community can promote mental health and wellbeing. Understand your community.

30 ways to boost a child’s confidence

From the day they are born, children learn by watching and copying adults.

How to sleep better: 10 tips for children and teenagers

You can help children and teenagers sleep better with bedtime routines, regular bedtimes, healthy sleep associations, comfortable sleep environments and healthy daytime habits. Try our tips.

Sleep tips for children

Sleep is vital for children’s growth, learning and development. Having a good sleep every night makes your child happier, helps them to concentrate and remember things, and improves their behaviour.

Turn off the TV and get active

Kids and teens should spend no more than 2 hours each day using small screen entertainment.

Why is Sleep so important?

Getting enough sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your health and wellbeing. Find out why and what you can do to improve your sleep.

Sleep Advice for Children

Sleep plays a critical role in the physical and emotional development of children and adolescents. Insufficient sleep in these age groups can impair cognitive function, academic performance, and emotional regulation. It may also contribute to behavioural issues and an increased risk of obesity.

Australian guide to healthy eating

Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foodsfrom these five food groups every day. Drink plenty of water.

Eat for health

Dietary guidelines for all Australians

Healthy shopper guide

Follow these steps using the traffic light system to make healthier food and drink choices.

Healthy lunchbox assets

This graphical poster can help make good decisions about what to put in your child’s lunchbox.

Eat more fruit and vegies

All of us need to eat a variety of different coloured fruit and vegies every day – both raw and cooked.

Choose water as a drink

Drinking water is the best way to quench your thirst.

Eat fewer snacks

Healthy snacks in between main meals help kids and teens meet their daily nutritional needs.

Healthy eating for children

Teach your child healthy habits for a healthy life.

Home safety checklist

This home safety checklist is a tool to help parents and carers set up a safer home for children.

Sun safety and heat stroke

Enjoying the sun during outdoor activities is a favourite pastime for many people living in Australia.

Inflatable or portable swimming pools

Inflatable or portable pools are pools which can be inflated or easily assembled, and are not permanent.

Swimming pool and spa safety

Drowning is a leading cause of death among children under the age of five.

Keeping your children safe around school

Here are a few things you can do to help keep your children and others safer during drop-off and pick-up times during the school week.

Kids in Cars

Never leave kids alone in a car.

Driveway Safety

Many small children, particularly toddlers, are run over in home driveways.

Keep your driveway kidsafe

Most driveway run overs occur in the driveway of the child’s own home, or in a friend or relative’s driveway.

Child car restraints

Child car restraints are seats designed to increase the safety of children travelling in a motor vehicle, especially in the event of an accident.

Skateboards, scooters, rollerblades and roller skates

The upper limbs and wrists are the most common areas of injury. Other areas include elbows, knees and the head.

Off-road motorcycle safety

Off road motorcycles are 2-wheeled vehicles that require the user to shift their body weight while riding.

Quad bike safety

Quad bikes are 4-wheeled motorcycles which require the user to shift their body weight while riding the vehicle.

Bicycles and helmets

cycling has the potential to cause injury to the rider, with head injuries being the most common cause of serious disability and fatality.

Poisons

Poisoning is one of the most common childhood injuries. Every year in NSW, more than 3000 children present to hospital as a result of poisoning from products found in and around the home.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation for Children

There are 7 steps to follow when helping a collapsed person. The steps are as follows.

CPR Training for Parents

Every day, approximately 70 Australians need Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) in the community.

Does your preschool child have access to a connected device?

There may be some risks if your child uses connected devices without supervision or for extended periods of time.

Your child’s first smartphone

Children often have access to devices, including smartphones, from a very young age.

7 tips for screen time for your child.

Consider your child’s screen use in the context of their overall health and wellbeing – for example, is online time getting in the way of their sleep and exercise?

What is cyberbullying?

If you’re experiencing cyberbullying, you’re not alone. It can be upsetting and difficult to escape.

Domestic and family violence hurts children too

Domestic and family violence is a crime. It is a serious violation of human rights.

Ways to support and encourage a child’s right to speak and be heard

Children of all ages are able to express themselves, however it is up to the adults around them to show that a child’s right to speak and be heard is taken seriously.

Alternatives to smacking children

Kids can drive you mad! But smacking doesn’t help in the long run and can cause serious harm.

Keeping children safe from sexual abuse

Sadly, sexual abuse of children is common. Children are mostly abused by someone they know - even relatives and family friends.