The relationship is the project: building together as a community

When students are struggling at school or trying to get into a selective-entry high school, some parents may decide to engage a private tutor. But the industry, dubbed the shadow education system, remains largely unregulated, so standards and outcomes vary greatly. With cost-of-living pressures biting, how can parents make the best decisions for their children? Meanwhile, concerns remain about inequity for those families who cannot afford to pay for extra schooling.

The Boomer generation pretty much kickstarted the whole backpacking movement in the 1960s and 1970s. Now some hotels won't accept bookings from people over sixty-five years old, and your travel insurance might skyrocket once you turn seventy.

Is the travel industry ageist? And what opportunities exist for players willing to embrace 'inclusive' tourism?

How do you feel about your favourite star and what would you do to show your devotion to them? Would you hand over a month's wages to see them in concert? Or get a tattoo? We look at the benefits of fandom, and how we can draw identity and community from our idols with psychologist, Chris Cheers, who shares his love for Dolly Parton.

Many of us have a problematic relationship with our smartphones, checking emails or doomscrolling into the late hours of the night.

It can feel hard to resist the pull of constantly pinging notifications, could downgrading to a phone without these capabilities restore your inner peace?

There's a small but growing group switching to 'dumb phones' to take control of their lives back. We look at what it's like, and how to get on top of your digital nutrition.

You've finally landed a great job after being out of the workforce for a while. But the final interview with your new boss was weird.

When you finished answering a question he would just look at you and smile, leaving you to fill the awkward pauses.

How are you going to manage working with this slightly odd and much younger boss?

Sometimes sex is disappointing, and that might lead to you giving up on it altogether.

Sex is good for your mental and physical health, and can provide benefits over and above procreation.

So how can you turn bad sex into something more satisfying?

The world is becoming increasingly automated, but when it comes to herding livestock on a farm, working dogs are more efficient than any machine. So what is it about the dog and sheep relationship and the dog and farmer relationship that is so special? And why, judging by the popularity of ABC TV’s Muster Dogs, is watching a muster dog at work something none of us can get enough of?

Depending where you live, nature can feel very far away. But ecologist Jessie Oliver says unique wildlife encounters are probably within reach if you know where to find them.

How can adults play a role in helping kids access some of the best-kept secrets in our cities? 

Rodney and his partner Jeff are the proud parents of seven kids. They co-parent with five other couples and believe living in extended, chosen families is the best way to make life happy for everyone involved. For anyone finding the nuclear family model unsustainable, both practically and financially, how could they follow Jeff and Rodney’s lead?   

Retired social worker Jane Miller's book, 'Social Betterment, social work education in Australia' tells, for the first time, the history of Australian social work education from 1900 to 1960. 

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