Helpful Hints 

Michael Grose 'Parenting Toolbox' 

Picture your child’s bedroom.

What’s inside?

A bed. Obviously.

A dresser or cupboard. Usually.

A desk or table. Tick.

Posters. Often.

Mess on the floor. Good chance.

School or pre-school bag. Probably.

Night light. Perhaps.

What have I missed? Maybe a screen, a ball or two, some toys, sports clothes……

Two items that I’d include

If you pictured a pot plant and fish tank (with fish), well done.

These aren’t the usual inclusions in a child’s room, but they should be.

If I had my children again, these are two items I’d definitely include, particularly for my more anxiety-prone child.

1. Watch a screen of a different kind - a fish tank, no less

Technology is a big ticket item for many kids. But screens are designed to stimulate.

And that’s not always what kids need.

If you’ve ever watched fish in a fish tank, you know how calming it is.

It’s a contemplative experience, bringing you into the present in a heart beat..

It’s no coincidence that many hospital and dental waiting rooms have fish tanks. They calm the nerves. Take away fear. Neutralise the nerves.

Technically, they calm the lizard brain and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation and rational thinking.

A bedroom with a fish tank is wonderful for your child to retreat to when life gets busy, stressful or overwhelming.

2. Take the outside indoors with a plant or two

Kids’ mental health would be way better if they had less screen time and more green-time.

In my book Anxious Kids, I wrote about the worldwide movement encouraging people to spend time in the natural environment.

Turns out time spent in nature is good for you. Who knew?

Town planners across the globe are exploring ways to incorporate more natural landscapes into urban environments. (Our forefathers knew a thing or two when they created cities with extensive parks and gardens.)

Neuroscience shows that spending time among plants reduces cortisol levels, the stress hormone that helps maintain anxious states. If you can’t get your kids outside, do as the Scandinavians do and bring the outdoors inside.

Scandinavians experience long, dark, cold winters that keep them indoors for extended periods. Recognising the positive effect of greenery, they fill their homes and apartments with plants and shrubs.

(Aside: My son, who lives with his family in Sweden, has a veritable garden inside his home, including a veggie patch, climbers and creepers!!!)

Researchers have found that we respond positively to things that are good for us, and we associate protection, nutrition and survival with trees and forests.

If you’ve already filled your home or apartment with plants and shrubs it will be relatively easy to move one or two plants into your child’s room.

If plants are a little sparse, a visit to a nursery may be one of the best things you can do for your child’s wellbeing next weekend.

Finally

Your child’s bedroom is many things. Sleeping quarters. Play room. Occasional Sin bin.

But with the addition of an indoor plant or two and a fish tank, you can Contemplative Sanctuary to that list.

And that’s something we can all do with - yes, that includes parents too!

❄️ Winter Health Update: Keeping Our School Community Healthy

As the colder months settle in, we want to share a quick health update based on recent advice from NSW Health to help keep our students, staff, and families well this winter.

What’s circulating this winter?

Good news first: COVID-19 levels currently remain low and are not expected to be our primary challenge this season. However, NSW Health has advised that RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) and gastroenteritis are currently circulating at high levels across the state. Additionally, flu season is expected to peak in the coming weeks.

Free "Needle-Free" Flu Vaccine Available Now

To help protect your family before the flu season peaks, NSW Health is currently offering a free nasal spray flu vaccine for children aged 2 to 17 years.

• Painless and quick: It’s a simple spray, making it an excellent alternative for children who are uncomfortable with needles.

• Time-sensitive: Supply is limited, and stock at participating GPs and pharmacies is only expected to last until mid-July.

• Plan ahead: It takes approximately two weeks for the vaccine to provide full protection, so we encourage families to book in as soon as possible.

How you can help at home

To minimize the spread of winter bugs and minimize disruptions to learning, please continue to support our school community by:

• Keeping children home when unwell. Please allow them to rest and recover fully before returning to school.

• Encouraging regular, thorough handwashing.

• Reminding kids to cover their coughs and sneezes with a tissue or their elbow.

A quick note on international travel

While there are no measles outbreaks in schools, recent cases in NSW have been linked to international travel. If your family has recently returned from overseas, please remain vigilant for any symptoms of measles.

Thank you for your ongoing support and cooperation in keeping our classrooms safe and healthy this winter!

Hi there!

We are delighted to show you our new promotional video that describes who we are at CCSP and what we do as the representatives of parents and carers in our NSW Catholic schools.

You can click the YouTube link below to watch. We would love it if you could share this video with your families in your school communities. It could also be shown to parents and staff at assemblies, meetings and other gatherings, so that they can find out about the important work we do in leadership, advocacy and support of our Catholic school families.

This updated video includes information about our new role as the voice of parents and carers with children in Catholic diocesan preschools and long daycare centres. We’re very excited about providing this new level of service for Catholic ECEC families starting in 2027.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/HSyvYJDi9MwSP Conference for Parents and Carers

Conference website page: https://ccsp.schoolzineplus.com/2026-conference