Hello, Tony Abbott's proposed Paid Parental Leave scheme has got a lot of news over the last few days. We want to know whether you think this is a step in the right direction or a step too far. We also look at the frightening subject of Toddler Rage. If your toddler is currently full of it, then you might find our article helpful.

Last week Tony Abbott announced that if he wins the election, he will be instigating his ramped up version of the Paid Parental Scheme to represent six months (26 weeks) paid leave at full pay, with a cap at $150,000 per working mother (which means therefore up to $75,000 per mother).

The extended Paid Parental Leave would come into effect from July 1 2015, but has divided the Coalition as well as the general public, businesses and political commentators.

So would the new PPL swing your vote? While most people recognise the need for paid parental leave, many believe this six months on full pay is too much and divides the working mother and stay at home mum and favours those on the higher pay scale.

The new coalition maternity leave policy would provide mothers with 26 weeks' paid leave based on their earning capacity, capped at a salary of $150,000 a year, meaning a mother could receive up to $75,000. The scheme also includes superannuation. Fathers will be eligible for two weeks' paternity leave at their wage.

It's a big increase. Currently the paid parental leave is 18 weeks pay at minimum wage. With dads being able to swap in and take over primary care if the mother goes back to work early.

So how does Australia's Paid Parental Leave scheme stack up globally? Here's a quick snapshot of what some other countries offer:
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Yes it's one of the parts of early childhood that parents dread. The terrible twos, threes, fours and let's face it young children display rage for a number of years.

Toddler rage is extreme. Unpredictable. Violent. Scary. It can reduce normally placid parents to gibbering wrecks in a matter of minutes. But we've ALL been there. We've all been raging toddlers ourselves, in fact. It should come as no surprise.

It's hilarious when you hear smug people say things like: "No, Olly never had the terrible twos". Just wait sister. Olly's brewing. He's just a little later than some. Because toddler rage is a rite of passage and it will come.

But why? Why do toddlers get SOOOOO incredibly frustrated and angry? Put yourself in their shoes. Things don't make sense. You can't ask for an explanation. You can't make yourself understood. Your parents dismiss your unspoken needs with patronising baby talk and irrelevant responses.

AAAARGGHHHHH. Are you feeling me, Mister?

Over ten years ago Dorothy Einon, a senior lecturer in psychology at University College, London and now author of over 15 books on child development, started running temper tantrum workshops: a pilot scheme designed to help parents struggling to cope with particularly unruly children.
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