Expert Profile
Dr Michael Nagel
Associate Professor, School of Education, University of the Sunshine Coast
Dr Michael C Nagel is an Associate Professor at the University of the Sunshine Coast where he researches and teaches in the areas of child and adolescent development, behaviour and educational psychology. A prolific author, Dr Nagel has written seventeen books related to human development and education with particular interests in the developing paediatric brain, behaviour and learning. Along with being a contributor to a number of textbooks used in over 20 countries and in undergraduate and postgraduate education courses throughout Australia, Dr Nagel has been nominated as Australian Lecturer of the Year each year since 2010 and has been an invited expert on TV New Zealand Breakfast, Sunrise, A Current Affair and The Project. When he is not busy professionally, he spends his time learning the important lessons of life from his own children, Madeline and Harrison.
Questions answered by Dr Michael Nagel
Rough and tumble play with girls
My husband plays very rough with my 3-year-old daughter. But one day I wanted to see him amusing my little daughter and find him swinging her upside down by the ankles, I got a little nervous when I saw her hanging like that, but I smiled when I saw that she was enjoying it and hearing her laugh, so I did not say anything, but whenever he plays with her, he hangs her upside down surprising her at some point. She loves it but I don't know if that's okay.
When is rough play too rough?
My 5yr likes to engage in rough play but it seems to turn into him on the ground with the others boys focusing on him eg light kicking or putting their foot on his arm. I think this is too rough and looks vindictive and mean. When my husband stepped in and said it was getting too rough our son was extremely upset to stop the situation saying he wanted to continue. I am confused I am worried the other boys are turning on him and it is a form of bullying? Any ideas?
My baby is not getting enough sleep
I’m worried my baby is not getting enough sleep, or proper awake time. Night time sleep is going ok. Not so much in daylight hours though. We spend hours trying to go to sleep, then have to get up for the next feed without having slept at all. He doesn’t really cry when put in bed, mostly grizzles. I try patting, rocking, white noise, dim lights, wrapping. Then he gets over tired and sometimes frustrated. Help!
3-week-old is very unsettled
My 3 weeks old is very unsettled. He can only fall asleep in our arms. As soon as we put him in his cot he wakes up even in deep sleep. He cries so loud as if something is wrong. The only thing that settles him is breastfeeding.
Day time naps and sleep patterns
Hello. My 5 almost 6 month old was only waking up once a night. But now she is waking up at 10.30 and will not go back to sleep. She then wakes more times throughout the night. She is sleeping well in the day, sleeping for two long naps, morning and afternoon and then one at about 4.30 and then bed at 7. But it’s just not working and I don’t know what to do anymore.
Articles by Dr Michael Nagel
Child Development
Bullying: What parents should know
How do you know if your child is being bullied? Speaker, author and academic Dr Michael Nagel looks at the impact of bullying and how parents can recognise the signs and help children build the skills to combat unwanted attention and bullying.
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Early Learning
Beating loneliness and making friends
We all want our children to have friends. Being socially successful is a source of fun but also critical to a child’s development. Speaker, author and academic Dr Michael Nagel examines friendship and how it lays the groundwork for other lifelong skills.
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Parenting techniques
Why saying 'no' to your child is okay
Whether it’s refusing a treat or saying no to delaying bedtime, speaker, author and academic Dr Michael Nagel explores the importance of saying ‘no’ to children and why it may even be beneficial to healthy emotional development and long term success.
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Child Development
Tips for raising boys during a pandemic
Raising boys isn’t always easy! Add a global pandemic and this task becomes much more challenging. Indeed, there is mounting evidence that as the COVID crisis continues, parents in many countries are struggling to keep their sons healthy and occupied.
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Child Development
Masks and isolation: Impact on children
Children across Australia are dealing with a very unnatural situation and Dr Michael Nagel says this might lead many parents to wonder how isolation, social distancing and masks may hinder their child's social development and mental health.
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Child Development
Helping your children cope with stress
One of the most troubling trends we are seeing in many western countries is a growing number of anxious children. Anxiety is linked to stress. What is well known, is that stress is incredibly detrimental to the brain and a child's healthy development.
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Child Development
Screen time and the science of learning
Screens are not good babysitters, but is there such a thing as healthy screen time? How do we understand the benefits and challenges or decide when screen usage might aid learning? Author, speaker and academic Dr Michael Nagel, looks at the research.
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Child Development
Boys: Understanding rough and tumble play
Speaker, author and academic Dr Michael Nagel, continues his exploration of gender differences with a closer look at boys’ behaviour and the desire for rough and tumble play, giving us a greater appreciation for how we parent and educate our sons.
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Child Development
How to praise and encourage your child
Praise is something we have all experienced, but there is debate about whether this is an appropriate tool for raising or working with children. Dr Michael Nagel discusses to what extent praise should be used and what type of praise is most beneficial.
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Child Development
Why boys wrestle, play fight and fidget
Science tells us that because of their biological makeup, sitting still is just not an easy proposition for boys. Whether you have a boy or a girl you may have wondered what science can tell you about the brain's role in shaping your child's behaviour.
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Child Development
Bringing up girls: Biology and behaviour
Whether you have a boy or a girl you may have wondered what science can tell you about the brain's role in shaping behaviour. There is evidence suggesting that the physiology of the female brain plays a tremendous role in how girls behave and learn.
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