Anonymous – Parent lived experience Hosting teens in Wānaka over New Year is a mix of magic and mayhem. Following on from last week’s blog, here’s a practical framework sharing one Wānaka family’s lived experience of hosting teens over the New Year period. Communication Start talking early on. This family contacted every parent, agreed to ...
Anonymous – Parent lived experience If you’ve ever had teens staying in Wānaka over New Year, you’ll know it’s a world of its own. Between the crowds, the late nights, and the energy that comes with the season, it can feel both exciting and daunting. One local family hosted groups of boys from Years 11–13 ...
New Year in Wānaka was the highlight of my teens. It was the trip everyone talked about all year, a summer holiday with your closest mates and half your school year in one place. For me, it was also a chance to step away from home and enjoy a bit of freedom: sunny days, boating, ...
People often ask me how to talk to children about death and support them in their grieving. It’s one of the hardest conversations we’ll ever have, and yet avoiding it does more harm than good. At some point I noticed that talking to kids and young people about death and grief bears distinct similarities to ...
As we get closer to the end of the school year, I start to think about the summer ahead and what it will be like for our young people. Many will have a summer job, some might pick up more responsibilities around the home – like looking after younger siblings – while others will be looking forward ...
Are you concerned about alcohol harm in communities and its impact on children’s health and wellbeing? Join University of Otago Wellington researcher Professor Louise Signal to see the latest findings from innovative studies where 12-year-olds used wearable cameras and online screen capture to record their daily exposure to alcohol products and marketing. See what children ...
If you have a teen about to sit exams, share this with them – it’s full of practical, science-based tips to make studying less stressful and more effective. If you’ve ever sat down to study and found yourself reorganising your desk, making snacks, or suddenly very interested in the family cat, you’re not alone. Studying ...
Author: Dr Lucy Hone For over a decade, Monday mornings have meant early alarms, kids yawning into their Weet-Bix, frantic searches for school shoes and ties, a quick peck on the cheek – out the door they go and off to school. They’ve been happy times. Not serene or still – plenty of shouting, squabbling ...
We often think of happiness as the reward we get after everything’s sorted. But science shows that small moments of positive emotion – like joy, amusement or gratitude – help us cope better and perform better. They’re not just a result of wellbeing – they’re a tool to build it. Research shows that dialling up ...
Real Talk with Ali McCormick Parenting teens can feel like navigating a minefield, even on your best day. That’s why Path Wānaka’s Whānau Support Group is designed a little differently. It’s not a lecture or a textbook course. It’s a space for real conversations, real coaching, and real change. At the heart of it all ...
What Parents Took Away from the Night Last Thursday, more than 200 parents, caregivers and teachers filled the Lake Wānaka Centre to hear Rob Cope share the hard truths about keeping our kids safe online. The impact was evident. Parents left with practical strategies, renewed determination, and the relief of knowing they’re not facing this ...
Mount Aspiring College Nicola Jacobsen joined Jack on Radio Wānaka to talk about Our Kids Online – a vital community event that took place on Thursday 11 September 2025. In this short interview, Nicola shares why it’s so important for parents, grandparents, whānau and anyone supporting young people to understand the online risks our kids ...
We all have an inner voice. Sometimes it’s helpful – motivating us through a tough day. Other times, it’s just mean. For teens, that inner critic can get loud. Under pressure, it often turns into a stream of ANTs – Automatic Negative Thoughts – like: “I’m so dumb.” “I can’t do this.” “What’s wrong with ...
Last week on More FM Queenstown, Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College Principal Nicola Jacobsen joined Joel on air to talk about the social media and online epidemic online epidemic affecting families across our region. Every day at the school gates she sees it first-hand – the challenge of raising teens in a digital ...
Every year, someone asks: “But when’s Straight Pride?” It’s a question that misses the point of what Pride means, and why it still matters, especially in Wānaka, our growing rural district. Pride isn’t a competition. It’s a celebration. It’s about visibility for those questioning or struggling with their identity. It’s about creating safety and belonging ...
Path Wānaka exists to help parents and whānau support our young people as they face adult-sized challenges and change. And right now, the biggest of those challenges is happening in the palms of their hands. Let’s face it, what our kids are facing online is beyond anything we have ever imagined. It’s horrifying. It’s terrifying. ...
Parenting teens doesn’t have to feel like survival mode. Your relationship with your teen is too important to leave to chance. What Does a ‘Good Parent’ Prioritise Every Day? (Hint: It’s not perfection.) Myth: Good parents always know what to do and never need help. In the chaos of modern parenting, work pressures, school demands, and ...
This guide offers advice for large events like after-ball parties, while also providing tips applicable to small gatherings. Key Principles: Safety and enjoyment are paramount. Alcohol concerns? Consider an alcohol-free event to keep things simple and safe. For people under 18, the safest option is not drinking at all and delaying drinking for as long ...
I want to start this post by saying: I never expected to be here, writing this. Three years ago, our 15-year-old son—once a happy, popular, cheeky boy—began to change. At first, we chalked it up to adolescence. Mood swings, withdrawal, sleeping late, the usual teenage angst, right? We missed it. We had no experience with ...
I want to tell you something you might not believe yet: you’re doing better than you think. If you’re here, reading this, you’ve probably already taken those terrifying first steps to help your teen. You’ve called the GP, contacted therapists, spoken to school. You’ve started to piece together a new language, a new way of ...
We often hold onto the hope that things will “go back to normal” once the worst of our child’s depression passes. But the truth is — they don’t. They can’t. And actually… that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Your young person is changed. You are changed. There is no rewinding the tape to before it ...
We all know what it’s like when a teen is stuck in a mood – and let’s be honest, we get stuck too. Teenage emotions can feel intense and unpredictable. That’s because the teenage brain is wired to feel higher highs and lower lows. They’re not being dramatic – their emotional volume really is turned ...
If you’re a caregiver or working with rangitahi in Wānaka, attending a Mental Health First Aid Course is a must! Path Wānaka | Ara Ki Wānaka is proud to host this two-day Youth Mental Health First Aid course again in 2026. Hosted by Path Wānaka and facilitated by Karyn Munro of Mental Health First Aid Aotearoa, this evidence-based programme ...
Ever notice how your teen zeroes in on the one thing that went wrong, even when lots went right? Author: Kim Tay, Director – The Wellbeing Works It’s not just teenage angst – it’s a survival instinct built into all of us. Our brains are wired to focus more on what’s wrong than what’s ...
