The relationship between the ‘good’ parent and parent fatigue

Modern parents are expected not only to participate in their children’s lives, but to perform. Dr Kym Macfarlane, senior lecturer of Child and Family Studies at Griffith University, argues that we should make time to play and relax.

Investing in early childhood education

Early childhood expert Dr Kym Macfarlane explains why investing in early childhood care means laying solid foundations for future education.

A great deal of money is currently being invested by the federal government to ensure that all 3-4 year old children have access to an early childhood teacher for at least 15 hours per week. This investment has meant strong emphasis by the States on ensuring there are enough early childhood teachers to fill this role. 

In Queensland, scholarships have been offered to teachers and early years’ practitioners to encourage them to add further early childhood qualifications to their repertoire. There have been similar moves in other states. Therefore, the investment in this federal government initiative is significant.