Rowe & Associates, Child & Family Psychology

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Rowe & Associates, Child & Family Psychology

Rowe & Associates is a specialist Child Psychology private practice based in South Hurstville Sydney

Rowe & Associates is a specialist Child Psychology private practice based in South Hurstville

15/12/2025

When tragedies happen in our community, the instinct is to stay glued to the news. But children don’t need rolling coverage or frightening details. They need calm adults, steady routines, and a feeling of safety.

If your child is struggling or you’re unsure how to talk about it, reach out, we’re here to help.

— Clare Rowe, Psychologist

Share with a parent who needs this

12/12/2025

BE READY FOR THE LIES. Teens are smart. They will try the workarounds when the social media ban comes into force on December.

Our job is to address the ethics and the immediate consequence of breaking trust. Swipe for the conversation. 😈

Teens will discuss how to circumvent the social media age ban (using a sibling's account, lying about their age, using a VPN). Your approach must be firm, non-dramatic, and focused on the breach of trust and the safety risks.

The Script for Workarounds:

"We know you might be tempted to lie about your age or use a friend’s account to get around the law. If you do this, you are telling us you are not mature enough to handle the device at all. The consequence of breaching this trust will be a total loss of device access for [define a significant time frame]. More importantly, you are putting yourself at greater risk for adult content and online predators when you lie about who you are. We are on your side, but you must be honest with us."

A confident parent defines the rules and the consequences before the breach occurs. Don't be emotional; be the rock of non-negotiable safety.

Write down your family's clear, defined consequence for any attempt to bypass the age ban.

Sign it with your child. Share one non-negotiable consequence in the comments (e.g., "Loss of phone for 1 week").

09/12/2025

🎉 THE LONG-TERM WIN. The battle for their mental health is won through consistent boundaries, not quick fixes. Be proud: you are giving your child the gift of an intact brain. 🏆

This isn't just about a law; it's about the long-term investment in your child's psychological future. By confidently enforcing the age-16 boundary, you are ensuring they have the necessary window to develop key traits before exposure to digital comparison and instant validation:

Authentic Identity: A robust self-concept developed through real-world struggle and success, not digital performance.

Emotional Resilience: The ability to handle disappointment and manage emotions without needing a digital distraction.

Deep Focus: An improved ability to concentrate, learn, and appreciate delayed gratification.

You are the only one who can provide this protection. Take a moment to acknowledge the hard work. You chose common-sense, science-backed solutions over the easy path. You raised a resilient child.

Share one single positive change you have observed in your child's behaviour, mood, or sleep since you started implementing stronger boundaries.

Let's focus on the wins!

07/12/2025

WAKE-UP CALL: You are the biggest role model for phone addiction. 📱 If you're scrolling, you're signalling that the screen is more important than the family. Fix your own habits first. 👇

You can't preach water and drink wine. As the adult, your relationship with your phone is the most powerful teaching tool you have. Children learn what is valued in a family by watching what captures their parents' attention. If you jump at every ping, if you scroll at the dinner table, you are undermining every single boundary you set for your child.

The Common-Sense Fix: Model the Behaviour. Implement strict phone-free zones (bedrooms, dinner table, car rides). Keep your phone charging out of sight. When you are with your child, be with them. When you are tempted to scroll, remind yourself: "I am choosing to invest in my child's attention span and mental health right now." This is not a "hack"; it's basic parental leadership.

Make a permanent "Screen-Free Dinner" rule tonight. Put your phone away first, and give your child 100% of your attention.

What's the biggest difference you notice when you put your phone down?

04/12/2025

PARENT CHECKLIST: 4 Must-Do Steps Before the Social Media Ban

🔔 DEADLINE CHECKLIST: BE THE ADULT. Four non-negotiable, common-sense steps to implement this weekend. No excuses—your child’s mental health depends on your leadership. 📋

December 2025 is months away, but parental leadership starts now. This weekend, commit to completing this high-impact checklist:

Lead with the Law: Deliver the "This is the law, and we are a team" script (Post 6).

Set the Sleep Boundary: Implement the "No screens in the bedroom" rule permanently.

Designate a Non-Digital Hobby: Find one weekly activity that demands real-world effort and commitment (sport, art, coding).

Model the Behaviour: Institute a family screen-free time (e.g., dinner) and stick to it - your actions speak louder than your rules

You are the adult. Your consistent, non-negotiable boundaries are the framework for your child’s emotional maturity. Get it done.

Pick ONE item from the checklist and commit to it by Monday. Which one will you choose?

02/12/2025

FRIENDSHIP REALITY CHECK: Friends don't need an algorithm to stay in touch. 👯‍♀️ Teach your child to transition their core friendships to safer, direct, non-public channels. Swipe for the practical alternatives!

The primary anxiety children express about the ban is the fear of losing their social connections. Your response must be to validate the need for connection while providing practical, safer alternatives. Focus on Quality over Quantity. A child only needs a few strong, resilient connections, not a thousand digital followers.

Help them transition their closest friendships to non-public messaging apps, encrypted chats, or simple phone calls/text messages. These direct communication methods focus on genuine interaction, rather than the "performance" of public posting. We want deep connections, not digital performance art. This actively teaches them how to nurture real-world relationships, a far more valuable life skill than scrolling.

Create a 'Top 5 Friends' list with your child and decide on the one private, safe communication channel for each. This moves them from passive scrolling to active, intentional connection. What’s the first real-life meet-up you can encourage this weekend?

30/11/2025

PARENT TRAP AVOIDED: Your child is angry? Don't over-therapise the emotion. Give them a few minutes, validate the feeling, and then redirect to action. Swipe for the exact response. 💔

We must teach children to manage uncomfortable feelings without resorting to dramatic outbursts or self-diagnosis. When your child reacts with anger or distress (often manifested as FOMO), their feelings are real, but our response must be structured to build resilience.

When they say, "I'll miss out on everything!" Respond: "Disappointment is a normal feeling when things change. We acknowledge that. Now, let's use your energy to solve the problem: who are the five people you need to stay in touch with, and what is the best non-platform way to do that? We solve problems in this house; we don't wallow in frustration."

This teaches them that feelings are temporary, but solutions are empowering. Avoid turning normal disappointment into a mental health crisis.

The strongest antidote to digital disappointment is real-world success. Sign your child up for a club, sport, or activity that is guaranteed to create new, positive, non-digital memories this week.
What activity is it?

27/11/2025

USE THIS TONIGHT. No more stumbling through the social media ban chat. Deliver this with confidence and focus on protection, not prohibition. 🛡️

As an adult, you need to deliver this news with authority and compassion, but without apology.
The best script is firm, factual, and forward-looking:

"I need to address the new Australian law: by December 10, 2025, social media platforms must enforce a minimum age of 16.

This is a national standard for protection, not a family punishment. Experts confirm heavy use before 16 is detrimental to developing brains—it messes with your sleep, self-esteem, and ability to focus.

I know you're disappointed, but we're moving forward. Our focus is on the gain: protecting your mental health and putting that time into skills that build genuine self-worth. We're a team, and our job now is to figure out better, healthier ways to keep your best friendships strong off-platform."

Focus on empowering them to handle a tough situation and find real-world solutions. You are the confident parent, guiding them toward resilience.
Use a variation of this script tonight. After the talk, pivot immediately to a problem-solving session about an alternative way to connect with one friend.

Share the first solution you discussed!

25/11/2025

⚠️ 3 HAZARDS to Their Health. We need to call out the real harms: it's not just "screen time," it's body image distortion, sleep loss, and digital trauma. Swipe for the tough talk. 💔

Let's get practical about the damage. Social media is not a neutral tool for kids; it’s a high-risk environment.

Body Image Distortion: The constant exposure to unrealistic content is devastating. A 2023 Australian study found that 80% of teenage girls compare their bodies to images seen online, with half feeling dissatisfied afterward.

Sleep Deprivation: The blue light and mental stimulation late at night disrupt critical sleep. For teen girls, 50% say social media has hurt their sleep. Getting the phone out of the bedroom is non-negotiable science.

Cyberbullying: The attacks are relentless and inescapable, eroding self-esteem. More than half of young Australians (53%) have experienced cyberbullying.

Our duty is protection. A strong parental boundary is an act of love. By delaying access, we are giving them the necessary time to build a solid, internal sense of self that is immune to the transient horrors of the digital world.

How are your child’s sleep habits?. All phones and screens must be out of the bedroom an hour before bedtime. This is non-negotiable science. What is your family's bedroom rule?

23/11/2025

Screen Time vs. Real-Life Connection - The Brain Science

Why is social media more addictive than you think? The answer is in the prefrontal cortex. 🧠 Stop fighting the habit and start understanding the science. 👇

The teenage brain is still under construction. The prefrontal cortex—the command centre for judgment, impulse control, and long-term planning, is not fully developed until the mid-twenties. Social media addiction bypasses this control centre, flooding the brain with bursts of dopamine every time they get a 'like' or notification. Data suggests more than 1 in 10 adolescents (11%) show signs of problematic social media behaviour—struggling to control their use and experiencing negative consequences. This creates an external loop of validation that undermines their ability to develop internal resilience.

When a child’s self-esteem is performance-based (i.e., contingent on what they post), they are stripped of the opportunity to develop true self-acceptance. We are witnessing the medicalisation of normal adolescent struggle because their environment (the phone) is constantly pushing them toward neuroses. Delaying access until 16 gives that critical prefrontal cortex a crucial window to mature and establish healthy coping mechanisms before it’s exposed to the performance trap of social media.

Your job is to facilitate real-world effort that leads to delayed, deeper satisfaction. Replace the instant digital hit with a concrete goal.
What's one tangible, non-screen skill your child will focus on this week?

20/11/2025

FRIDAY FACT CHECK: The Australian Social Media Ban for under 16 years old starts 10 December 2025. This is your chance to lead the transition like a confident parent.

For Australian parents, the new law is a gift. It removes the emotional labour of being the sole enforcer. Now, our focus shifts to coaching our children through a government-mandated change. The worst thing you can do is wait for the deadline and allow your child to react with panic or anger when their account is deactivated. Proactive communication is your power.

This weekend, start Phase 1: Validation and Redirection. Acknowledge their disappointment, but immediately pivot to the gain: more time for sport, creativity, deep connections, and better mental health. Frame the law as a universal safety measure, a sensible decision made by adults to protect developing minds. This prevents them from adopting the "victim" role often encouraged by a hyper-therapeutic culture.

Have a non-judgmental, structured discussion this weekend. Your opening line: "This new law is tough, but it's designed to protect your peace of mind. Let’s figure out a new, healthier way to connect." What's the first connection strategy you'll discuss?

19/11/2025

AUSTRALIA LAW ALERT: What the Under-16 Social Media Ban Means for Your Family

THE BAN IS YOUR BREAK: The Australian Government is setting the age limit at 16 (Dec 2025). This takes the pressure off YOU and makes it a non-negotiable boundary.

The new minimum age framework, effective 10th December 2025, is a long-overdue safety net. The government is making platforms responsible for enforcement, which means the conversation with your child shifts from "Mum/Dad is mean" to "This is the law, and we’re going to navigate it together." This is a powerful tool to shield your children during the years when they are most vulnerable to online comparison, sexualisation, and cyberbullying.

The reality is that platforms are designed to be addictive. Allowing children access prematurely impedes their ability to develop emotional regulation and internal self-worth. This law is an opportunity for a mandatory mental health intervention. We must use the time between now and December 2025 to coach our children, not just police them.

Don't wait until 2026. Start framing the conversation tonight: "The government has finally listened to psychologists. This law is being enforced to protect your mental health." What’s your biggest fear about the transition? Let’s share practical solutions in the comments.

Address

51 Connells Point Road
Sydney, NSW
2221

Website

http://www.roweandassociates.com.au/

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