Mackay Youth Support Service Inc

30/10/2025

🌴🎉C.R.U.S.H showing 2nd of November 🎉🌴

To close out the three-day theatre-making weekend. Crossroad Arts invites you to attend the FREE C.R.U.S.H showing.

Come along to watch the performances created over the three days during the workshops with Dancenorth Australia (Townsville) and Undercover Artist Festival from Brisbane.

🟡When: 2nd November.
🟡Time: 3:30PM - 4:15PM
🟡Where: Senior Citizens Hall, 58 MacAlister street, Mackay

RSVP HERE 👉 https://events.humanitix.com/c-r-u-s-h-2025-showing

Access: Showing is Auslan interpreted, Venue is wheelchair accessible.

C.R.U.S.H is proudly supported by Gold Sponsor Ergon Energy
Our Artistic Program is proudly supported by our 2025 Artistic Program Principal Sponsor, Daly Bay.

Image description: A poster design with the event information about the crush showing

13/10/2025

Ever wondered why some moments your child can talk things through calmly…
and other times, it’s like reasoning just disappears?

That’s the Upstairs Brain at work (or not!).
This part of the brain helps children think, plan, and manage big feelings — but it’s not fully developed until their mid-twenties.

When it’s online, they can listen, learn, and problem-solve.
When it’s offline, logic flies out the window.

Let’s take a closer look at what the Upstairs Brain does — and why it matters so much for emotional regulation.

IN THE RESOURCE STORE - instant electronic download with secure global checkout. Only £3.75, introductory price until 19 October 2025.
Toolkit to accompany our new series:
When Worries Take Over: Supporting Children With Everyday Worries
The Toolkit for Parents & Educators contains parent information sheets which capture the content of our posts over the series as well as tools, resources and activities to support the young person.

Electronic download available at link in comments or via our Linktree Shop in Bio.

13/10/2025

Let’s talk about the child brain!

Ever felt baffled by a child’s sudden meltdown, defiance, or emotional switch? It’s not bad behaviour — it’s brain behaviour.

This week, we’re diving into The Child Brain Explained — a series that helps you understand why children react the way they do and how you can guide them back to calm.

We’ll start with a simple but powerful idea: the Upstairs and Downstairs Brain — the two parts that shape how children feel, think, and act.

Once you see what’s happening inside the brain, everything starts to make more sense.

Stay tuned — over the coming week we’ll explore how the brain develops, what happens when it feels unsafe, and how connection helps bring it back online.

Understanding the brain is the first step to changing behaviour.

NOW AVAILABLE IN THE RESOURCE STORE - to accompany our series on social media.

The Child Brain Explained: How the Upstairs & Downstairs Brain Shape Behaviour, a Toolkit for Parents & Educators - available for only £3.75 until 3 November 2025

Electronic download available at link in comments or via our Linktree Shop in Bio.

07/10/2025

When big feelings take over, a child’s amygdala — the brain’s emotional alarm system — goes into overdrive.
Helping them name it to tame it switches the thinking brain back on, calming that alarm and making room for self-control to return.

IN THE RESOURCE STORE - instant electronic download with secure global checkout. Only £3.75 until 19 October 2025

When Worries Take Over: Supporting Children With Everyday Worries
The Toolkit for Parents & Educators

Worry is part of every child’s life, but for some it takes over — showing up as tummy aches, meltdowns, perfectionism, clinginess, sleep struggles, or silence. It’s not “bad behaviour”; it’s a sign of anxiety that needs understanding and support.

This toolkit brings together everything parents, carers, and professionals need to respond with confidence and compassion.

Inside you’ll find:
✔️ 13 in-depth strategy sheets, covering topics such as spotting triggers, emotional vocabulary, school worries, sleep struggles, calming strategies, and when to seek extra help. These pull together all the content from our 14 day social media content.
✔️ Practical checklists and brainstorming tools for addressing worries, incidents and negative thoughts.
✔️ Visuals and posters that make emotions and strategies easy to remember and use in the moment.

Each section is clear, practical, and rooted in strategies you can apply straight away at home or in the classroom. The toolkit is designed to reduce overwhelm, provide step-by-step guidance, and give children the tools they need to face their worries gradually with growing resilience.

Perfect for:
– Parents who want simple, effective strategies for daily life
– Teachers looking for classroom-friendly tools
– Professionals supporting anxious children, or their families, in different settings

Anxiety doesn’t have to control a child’s world. With the right knowledge, practical tools, and steady support, adults can make a powerful difference.

When Worries Take Over is your go-to toolkit for turning worry into an opportunity for connection, growth, and confidence.

Electronic download available at link in comments.
Secure global checkout via Stripe (conversion at checkout).

07/10/2025

07/10/2025

Are your kids ready to be superheroes and help save a life?
Join us for a fun, hands-on First Aid for Kids workshop designed especially for children aged 5 to 12 years!

In just one hour, your child will learn the most important and common First Aid skills every kid should know — all in an engaging, age-appropriate way.

📅 Wednesday, 15 October 2025
🕒 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
📍 Moranbah Public Library

To register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/first-aid-for-kids-moranbah-tickets-1767908093699?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=wsa&aff=ebdsshwebmobile

07/10/2025

SECOND CHANCE SUNDAY

When a child seems defiant — refusing to follow instructions, melting down over “simple” requests, or pushing back against boundaries — it’s easy to see only the behaviour.

But often, what looks like defiance is actually anxiety in disguise.

Here are the Top 5 Anxiety Triggers for Children that can spill over into oppositional or challenging behaviour.

When we recognise the why behind the behaviour, we can respond with compassion and strategies that reduce anxiety — instead of escalating defiance.

💬 Which of these triggers do you see most often in your child or classroom?

NEWLY AVAILABLE to accompany our series on the topic. Only £3.25 until 7 October 2025.
Misunderstood Defiance: the Vulnerable Child Toolkit for Parents & Educators
Electronic download available in comments or via link in Bio.

07/10/2025

To find out our triggers we need to start being aware of our reactions. We really need to sit back and work out if our reaction really was justified. Chances are if you felt your heart rate spike quickly in response to your child, then you were triggered. When you are calm and able to think about what might have been your underlying reason for being angry. Was it anger? or was it hurt, sadness or fear? Be real with yourself, remember we can't change what we don't acknowledge. When we really look at our thoughts and feelings behind these situations we might be surprised at how unrealistic they are, but that's because they were an automatic response and we weren't able to think through them at the time.

Common thoughts behind our triggers could be:

You don't respect me

this is not convenient

I don't know what to do

I can't cope

I feel unappreciated

I expect you to do more than you can

I can't do what I want to do

More information in my book

Guidance from The Therapist Parent
Available on my website www.thetherapistparent.com and on Amazon

07/10/2025

08/09/2025

💛 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘆 – 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀’ 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 💛

This Wednesday is Su***de Prevention Day, and we are honoured to welcome incredible local organisations to the Mackay Farmers’ Market, including:

✨ 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩
✨ 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞
✨ 𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐈 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞
✨ 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤
✨ 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐃𝐨𝐠 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐞
✨ 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐀
✨ 𝐏𝐇𝐍
✨ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞

These groups are here to support survivors, families, and anyone affected by su***de. 💛

Please head down to Bluewater Quay this Wednesday, have a chat, connect, and learn more about the amazing work these organisations are doing in our community. Together, we can raise awareness, offer support, and help save lives. 🌿

Grapevine Group - Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday regions su***de prevention
Lifeline
Run for MI Life
Real Mates Talk
Black Dog Ride Mackay
CASA - Community Accommodation & Support Agency Inc.
Northern Queensland PHN
Paul Buchanan

***dePreventionDay
Loren Vanzella Photography & Digital Marketing