Latest news with #AustralianInstituteofFamilyStudies
7NEWS
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
The Wiggles launch Backseat Brainiacs to combat children screen time on road trips
Road trips with children can be tough at the best of times, with parents usually resorting to screen time to occupy restless kids on the road. However, Australian parents have revealed their children now spend a staggering amount of their time on tablets and smartphones, prompting children's music group The Wiggles to push for change. 'We live in a digital world,' mum and red Wiggle, Caterina Mete, told 7NEWS. 'So children need to be familiar with that, but it shouldn't be everything.' Mete said she didn't know what to anticipate when it came to navigating screen time as a new mum after giving birth to her twin girls, Dolly and Gigi, in 2024. 'I didn't know what to expect,' she said. 'I know it can help a lot for parents to have a screen. 'Especially if they need to have a shower. I know that helps me. 'But I think also just making sure that you monitor it, and it's a healthy amount, and it is not overdone because children love to play.' Most Australian children spend more time on screens than is recommended, according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies. Estimates from primary research suggest only 17–23 per cent of preschoolers and 15 per cent of five-to-12-year-olds meet screen-time guidelines. In an attempt to curb the screen time trend, The Wiggles has partnered with car rental company Thrifty to launch Backseat Brainiacs, a screen-free car game aimed at reducing the amount of screen time for kids on road trips. 'There's a staggering amount of screen time used in cars, and it's nice if we can just get away from that a little bit and just look at the beauty of nature,' Mete said. '(Backseat Brainiacs) makes car rides more engaging for the children in an interactive and fun family way. 'Children have got the best imaginations. They come up with such wonderful things, and being able to do that in a car ride is pretty special, I think.' The Wiggles activity pack includes memory card matching games, a road trip scavenger hunt, and the listen-along Backseat Brainiacs audio quiz read out by The Wiggles. 'There's a scavenger hunt where children can tick off things they've seen on the car ride,' Mete said. 'It might be, you know, a kangaroo, and they can tick that off, and it keeps them looking out the window and looking at the Australian landscape and beautiful of always relying on screens.' Mete said her favourite road trip game as a kid was 'I spy'. 'It's still a great game for children. You know, it's a game that will last forever.' Damien Shaw, Vice President at Thrifty Asia Pacific, said they wanted to create something that turns the car ride into a shared experience for the whole family. 'As a parent, I know how tough it can be to keep children engaged on long drives,' he said. 'With Backseat Brainiacs, we wanted to offer something that goes beyond the usual screens and snacks.' Backseat Brainiacs and the accompanying The Wiggles travel packs will be available from July 14 at participating Thrifty Car Rental locations across Australia and New Zealand Non-Thrifty customers can head to or to download and print off the road trip scavenger hunt or access a link to the Backseat Brainiacs audio quiz.
Economic Times
13-07-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
‘Till debt do us part'; how the high cost of living in Australia makes unhappy couples as ‘Financial Flatmates'
Synopsis Australia's divorce rate has hit a historic low, not due to marital bliss, but financial strain. Soaring living costs, rising rents, and strict lending rules are trapping couples in 'financial flatmate' situations. While fewer people are marrying, and older couples are divorcing more, economic factors are a major driver behind the declining divorce rate. TIL Creatives Breaking up is hard to do and even harder to afford, soaring living costs are keeping unhappy Australian couples together. When love fades, most couples think about moving on. But in Australia today, many are asking a different question: can we even afford to? A study by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) shows the country's divorce rate has dropped to its lowest point since the mid-1970s. But it's not happier marriages that are driving the trend; it might be the soaring cost of living. For many, staying together isn't about love anymore. It's about survival. Also Read: Former Miss World Australia Amber Laidler and AFL star Jeremy Laidler split after 12 years togetherLegal experts say splitting up has become financially unviable for many couples, with rising rents, tighter lending rules, and growing living expenses pushing people to remain 'financial flatmates' under the same roof, even after their relationship has ended. Rising rents, strict lending conditions, and high living expenses are making it harder for couples to afford life after separation. Kylie Burke, a family law expert and partner at Burke Mangan Lawyers, said to that many couples now stay in the same home even after separating. 'It's not just about dividing assets anymore,' she explained. 'People are worried about how they'll support themselves and their children after the split.'In some capital cities, rents have gone up by as much as 30 per cent. This makes it difficult for separated individuals to find or maintain independent living 2023, the divorce rate fell to just 2.3 per 1,000 residents aged 16 and over—its lowest point since the Family Law Act came into effect in 1975. This continues a long-term downward trend that began after a peak in divorces in the early spike had partly resulted from administrative changes in 2021 that made it easier and faster to finalise divorces. Since then, the rate has resumed its slow AIFS researcher Dr. Lixia Qu pointed out that fewer people are getting married today, and many couples are marrying later in life. More people are also living together before marriage, which may reduce the number of legal divorces, even when relationships Dr. Qu warned that a lower divorce rate doesn't necessarily mean happier or longer-lasting relationships. 'It reflects changes in how people form and maintain partnerships,' she couples are still more likely to divorce, but their divorce rates are falling. Older couples, particularly those over 50, are divorcing more often than before. In 2023, the median age at divorce was 47.1 for men and 44.1 for median duration of marriage before divorce was 13 years, with final separation usually occurring around the 8- or 9-year 12 per cent of divorces in 2023 involved marriages that lasted fewer than five years. Nearly 30 per cent of divorces occurred after 20 or more years of marriage. The proportion of long marriages ending in divorce has grown steadily since the 1980s. The introduction of no-fault divorce in 1976 removed the need to prove wrongdoing, making it easier for couples to separate. While this led to a short-term rise in divorces, the long-term trend has been downward ever since.
Time of India
13-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
‘Till debt do us part'; how the high cost of living in Australia makes unhappy couples as ‘Financial Flatmates'
When love fades, most couples think about moving on. But in Australia today, many are asking a different question: can we even afford to? A study by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) shows the country's divorce rate has dropped to its lowest point since the mid-1970s. But it's not happier marriages that are driving the trend; it might be the soaring cost of living. For many, staying together isn't about love anymore. It's about survival. Also Read: Former Miss World Australia Amber Laidler and AFL star Jeremy Laidler split after 12 years together Legal experts say splitting up has become financially unviable for many couples, with rising rents, tighter lending rules, and growing living expenses pushing people to remain 'financial flatmates' under the same roof, even after their relationship has ended. Too costly to separate? Live Events Rising rents, strict lending conditions, and high living expenses are making it harder for couples to afford life after separation. Kylie Burke, a family law expert and partner at Burke Mangan Lawyers, said to that many couples now stay in the same home even after separating. 'It's not just about dividing assets anymore,' she explained. 'People are worried about how they'll support themselves and their children after the split.' In some capital cities, rents have gone up by as much as 30 per cent. This makes it difficult for separated individuals to find or maintain independent living arrangements. Divorce rate In 2023, the divorce rate fell to just 2.3 per 1,000 residents aged 16 and over—its lowest point since the Family Law Act came into effect in 1975. This continues a long-term downward trend that began after a peak in divorces in the early 2000s. That spike had partly resulted from administrative changes in 2021 that made it easier and faster to finalise divorces. Since then, the rate has resumed its slow decline. The role of family patterns Senior AIFS researcher Dr. Lixia Qu pointed out that fewer people are getting married today, and many couples are marrying later in life. More people are also living together before marriage, which may reduce the number of legal divorces, even when relationships end. However, Dr. Qu warned that a lower divorce rate doesn't necessarily mean happier or longer-lasting relationships. 'It reflects changes in how people form and maintain partnerships,' she said. Who's getting divorced? Young couples are still more likely to divorce, but their divorce rates are falling. Older couples, particularly those over 50, are divorcing more often than before. In 2023, the median age at divorce was 47.1 for men and 44.1 for women. The median duration of marriage before divorce was 13 years, with final separation usually occurring around the 8- or 9-year mark. Only 12 per cent of divorces in 2023 involved marriages that lasted fewer than five years. Nearly 30 per cent of divorces occurred after 20 or more years of marriage. The proportion of long marriages ending in divorce has grown steadily since the 1980s. The introduction of no-fault divorce in 1976 removed the need to prove wrongdoing, making it easier for couples to separate. While this led to a short-term rise in divorces, the long-term trend has been downward ever since. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
The Age
23-06-2025
- General
- The Age
Why waiting for the ‘right time' to divorce may not be a good idea
We should stay together for the kids The Australian Institute of Family Studies reports that while 82 per cent of children aged under a year live in 'intact' families, this figure drops to 64 per cent for 14-year-olds. Divorce is most common for families with middle primary school-age children, at eight to 10 years old. This means that in any Australian classroom, up to half of students may be experiencing separation or divorce at home. 'We know children do best in low-conflict homes where parents are happy and content,' says Carol Markie-Dadds, international country director with parenting program Triple P. 'The key determinant of how children fare is how well parents manage the transition to separation and divorce, rather than when it happens.' Children's understanding of divorce will depend on their age, but that doesn't mean they'll cope better when they're older. Loading 'Regardless of when it happens, have age-appropriate, open and honest conversations that let children know that the separation is not their fault, both parents love and care for them, and that your family is resilient and will bounce back,' Markie-Dadds says. I can't afford to get divorced With lawyers charging upwards of $350 an hour and barristers more than $1500 a day, divorce in Australia can be expensive. A 'standard' divorce is estimated to cost between $10,000 and $20,000. According to Money Magazine, if your matter ends up in court, the average cost is between $50,000 and $100,000 (and it can take up to three years). 'This is a worry we hear often,' Russell says. 'The fear is real, but often inflated by media portrayals of divorce as an expensive, combative legal battle. The truth is, it doesn't have to be that way, and there are plenty of professionals who are committed to reducing the stress and expense of this process.' Markie-Dadds says: 'Financial worries are a common concern but shouldn't be the sole reason to remain together.' I want to wait for financial reasons When actors Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise married in 2012, their prenuptial agreement ensured she would receive $US3 million for every year of marriage, up to a maximum of $US33 million. If their marriage had lasted 11 years or more, the prenup would have been off the table, and Holmes would have been entitled to half of Cruise's assets – estimated today at US$600 million ($932 million). Holmes called time after five years. 'It really depends on the individual circumstances,' Russell says. 'For some, delaying separation might seem financially strategic, if you're waiting for superannuation to stabilise or for property values to shift, for example. 'But I always caution against staying stuck in limbo. Life doesn't wait. Redundancies, new relationships, children or health issues can shift the landscape quickly and add complexity to any future agreement.' My family will freak out It's easy to assume that your family will have your back when it comes to a divorce. But sometimes that's not the case. In certain dynamics or perhaps for cultural reasons, immediate family members – parents, siblings – might struggle to support someone's decision to leave. 'Family and friends often have strong opinions about your process, but ultimately, this is your life,' Russell says. 'We encourage people to manage these conversations by 'setting the reaction'. That means calmly communicating your decision and setting clear boundaries around what kind of support you need.' Divorcees may experience family opinions that splits are 'not fair' on the children, especially where older family members have fixed ideas on the traditional family unit. 'The most important thing is that your child feels loved and safe and is shielded from conflict,' Markie-Dadds says. I feel bad because someone is sick There's nothing like illness to bring clarity to a relationship. When Grey's Anatomy star Eric Dane was diagnosed with a form of MND earlier this year, his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, dismissed the divorce petition she had lodged in 2018. It doesn't have to be a spouse's health issues that affect a decision; any illness in an ex-partner's family is typically a reason to rally together.
Sydney Morning Herald
23-06-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
Why waiting for the ‘right time' to divorce may not be a good idea
We should stay together for the kids The Australian Institute of Family Studies reports that while 82 per cent of children aged under a year live in 'intact' families, this figure drops to 64 per cent for 14-year-olds. Divorce is most common for families with middle primary school-age children, at eight to 10 years old. This means that in any Australian classroom, up to half of students may be experiencing separation or divorce at home. 'We know children do best in low-conflict homes where parents are happy and content,' says Carol Markie-Dadds, international country director with parenting program Triple P. 'The key determinant of how children fare is how well parents manage the transition to separation and divorce, rather than when it happens.' Children's understanding of divorce will depend on their age, but that doesn't mean they'll cope better when they're older. Loading 'Regardless of when it happens, have age-appropriate, open and honest conversations that let children know that the separation is not their fault, both parents love and care for them, and that your family is resilient and will bounce back,' Markie-Dadds says. I can't afford to get divorced With lawyers charging upwards of $350 an hour and barristers more than $1500 a day, divorce in Australia can be expensive. A 'standard' divorce is estimated to cost between $10,000 and $20,000. According to Money Magazine, if your matter ends up in court, the average cost is between $50,000 and $100,000 (and it can take up to three years). 'This is a worry we hear often,' Russell says. 'The fear is real, but often inflated by media portrayals of divorce as an expensive, combative legal battle. The truth is, it doesn't have to be that way, and there are plenty of professionals who are committed to reducing the stress and expense of this process.' Markie-Dadds says: 'Financial worries are a common concern but shouldn't be the sole reason to remain together.' I want to wait for financial reasons When actors Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise married in 2012, their prenuptial agreement ensured she would receive $US3 million for every year of marriage, up to a maximum of $US33 million. If their marriage had lasted 11 years or more, the prenup would have been off the table, and Holmes would have been entitled to half of Cruise's assets – estimated today at US$600 million ($932 million). Holmes called time after five years. 'It really depends on the individual circumstances,' Russell says. 'For some, delaying separation might seem financially strategic, if you're waiting for superannuation to stabilise or for property values to shift, for example. 'But I always caution against staying stuck in limbo. Life doesn't wait. Redundancies, new relationships, children or health issues can shift the landscape quickly and add complexity to any future agreement.' My family will freak out It's easy to assume that your family will have your back when it comes to a divorce. But sometimes that's not the case. In certain dynamics or perhaps for cultural reasons, immediate family members – parents, siblings – might struggle to support someone's decision to leave. 'Family and friends often have strong opinions about your process, but ultimately, this is your life,' Russell says. 'We encourage people to manage these conversations by 'setting the reaction'. That means calmly communicating your decision and setting clear boundaries around what kind of support you need.' Divorcees may experience family opinions that splits are 'not fair' on the children, especially where older family members have fixed ideas on the traditional family unit. 'The most important thing is that your child feels loved and safe and is shielded from conflict,' Markie-Dadds says. I feel bad because someone is sick There's nothing like illness to bring clarity to a relationship. When Grey's Anatomy star Eric Dane was diagnosed with a form of MND earlier this year, his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, dismissed the divorce petition she had lodged in 2018. It doesn't have to be a spouse's health issues that affect a decision; any illness in an ex-partner's family is typically a reason to rally together.
