Word use

Adolescent(s)

Refer to 'teenagers' not 'adolescents'. In other words, don't use 'adolescent' as a noun. But don't refer to 'your teenager'; use 'your child'.

Affect/effect

Affect is a verb and effect is usually used as a noun. Sometimes effect can be used as a verb meaning to make something happen:

A guide to how environment or surroundings affect your child's behaviour. 

Sucking seems to have a soothing and settling effect on babies.

It is pointless to try to effect a change in policy now. 

Alcohol and other drugs 

NOT 'drugs and alcohol' (which implies that alcohol isn't a drug).

Alternative

Alternative is a choice between two courses of action; if there are more than two, option or choice may be better. Don’t use alternate instead of alternative. Alternate is every other or a substitute. 

As/because/since

As, because and since can be used in similar ways. But there are important differences between them.

As and since can be used to refer to the reason for something, particularly common when the reason is already known to the reader, or when it’s not the most important part of the sentence: 

Since John had already eaten, I made do with a sandwich.

As he wasn't ready, we went without him.

As-clauses often come at the beginning of sentences. They’re relatively formal. In an informal style, the same ideas are often expressed with so: 

He wasn't ready, so we went without him.

Because often introduces new information which is not known to the reader. It puts more emphasis on the reason. When the reason is the most important part of the sentence, the because-clause usually comes at the end: 

I read because I like reading.

Because of/due to

Because of is an adverb: 

He failed the exam because of his carelessness.

Due to is an adjective:

His success was all due to his hard work during the semester.

Child/children - your

In articles about:

• newborns, use 'your newborn baby' in the first instance, then 'your baby' thereafter

• babies, use 'your baby'.

• toddlers, use 'your toddler' (for SEO reasons). 

• older children, including preschoolers, use 'your child'.

 For articles that cover a range of ages, use 'your child'. If there are sections for specific ages including babies and toddlers, you can use 'your baby' or 'your toddler' as relevant.

Don't refer to 'your teenager'; use 'your child'.

Compare to/with

Compare to is used to discuss things that are essentially different in nature:

You can compare an orange to an apple. 

Compare with is used to discuss things that are essentially alike: 

It’s helpful to compare the old template with the new one.

Communities

Aboriginal: when referring to the Aboriginal community, use Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, not Aboriginal or Indigenous.

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD): people for whom English is not the first language. Use instead of Non-English Speaking Background (NESB).

Conjunctions at the start of a sentence 

And, but, or can all be used successfully at the beginning of sentences.

Consist/comprise

Use either ‘consist of’, or ‘comprise’. ‘Comprise of’ is wrong. 

Contagious vs infectious

An infectious disease is caused by an infectious agent (virus, bacteria etc). A contagious disease is one that can be passed from human to human through contact or droplets. An infectious disease might or might not be contagious. 

Continual/continuous

Continual refers to things that happen repeatedly but not constantly; continuous indicates an unbroken sequence. 

Different from

Different from is the correct way of expressing a distinction between objects:

Right: Influenza is different from the common cold. 

Wrong: Oranges are different than or different to apples.

Faeces

In general, refer to 'poo' rather than 'faeces'. 

Forward/forwards

Our house style is to use forwards (and backwards):

Let’s walk backwards to the kitchen!

He can stand on one foot for a short time and can hop forwards on each foot separately.

Gender/sex

Gender

This is your sense of who you are – woman or man, girl or boy,  both or neither. Gender is assumed and assigned to a baby based on their sex characteristics at birth.

Sex
This is one way to describe aspects of the physical body, chromosomes and hormones. Typically, a person is assigned a sex at birth depending mostly on the way their body looks. You’ll mostly hear the words ‘male’ and ‘female’ used in relation to sex.

Use ‘gender’  to refer to a child's socialisation into accepted ways of being a person and 'sex' to refer to a child's biological identification. 

However as a conjunction

Avoid using however as a conjunction when joining two contrasting and coordinate clauses: 

Instead of: The baby was not tired, however he went to sleep. 

Write: The baby was not tired, but he went to sleep. 

If/then

There is usually no need to include ‘then’ in a simple conditional statement beginning with ‘if’: 

If it rains, the picnic will be cancelled (rather than If it rains, then the picnic will be cancelled).

Infectious vs contagious

See contagious vs infectious.

Information about/information on 

Both information about and information on are correct. Either can be used.

Like/such as

Both ‘such as’ and ‘like’ are acceptable, and ‘like’ is often preferable because its informality is more consistent with the friendly voice of raisingchildren.net.au: 

You can praise your child for different things, such as leaving the park when asked, or for having a go at tying his own shoelaces.

Outdoor play can include working with your child on everyday tasks like weeding, sweeping the driveway, watering vegetables or hanging clothes on the line.

Medical words

Italicise Latin names when using the medical words for germs:

Staphylococcus aureus 

Medicine vs medication

'Medicine' is preferred to 'medication',  unless there are content-based or SEO reasons for using 'medication'.

Might/may/(can)

Use 'might' when talking about possibilities or suggestions. For example: 

You might like to try…

Use 'may' when talking about permission. For example:

You may start the exam now.

Use 'can' when talking about ability. For example:

You can jump higher than your sister.

Milestones

Physical or behavioural signs of development in infants and children. Examples of developmental milestones include rolling over, sitting, walking and talking. Milestones serve as a guide to typical development.

Normal

Avoid use of 'normal' in relation to child development. 'Typically developing' is preferred. Consider whether 'normal' is the best word for other usages.

Only

Only can be ambiguous if not placed next to the word or phrase modified: 

I have only one ambition

is clearer than

I only have one ambition

Plurals 

Use:

these types of programs

not

these types of program

Poo

In general, refer to 'poo', rather than 'faeces'.

Sex/gender

Sex
This is one way to describe aspects of the physical body, chromosomes and hormones. Typically, a person is assigned a sex at birth depending mostly on the way their body looks. You’ll mostly hear the words ‘male’ and ‘female’ used in relation to sex.

Gender

This is your sense of who you are – woman or man, girl or boy,  both or neither. Gender is assumed and assigned to a baby based on their sex identified at birth.

Use ‘gender’  to refer to a child's socialisation into accepted ways of being a person and 'sex' to refer to a child's biological identification. 

Teenager(s)

Don't refer to your 'teenager' (singular); use 'your child' for all age groups.

But do refer to 'teenagers' when referring to children in this age group as a group.

In general, don't refer to 'teen' or 'teens', except in character-restricted fields.

That/which

‘that’ defines, ‘which’ gives extra information (often in a clause enclosed by commas): 

This is the art project that Jack made.

This art project, which Jack made, is falling apart.

Note the sentence remains grammatical without ‘that’ (the house Jack built), but not without ‘which’.

Typically developing

The way in which children generally develop physically and mentally, usually measured using developmental ‘milestones’. Milestones provide a rough guide to expected development, based on age and the order in which most children achieve them.

Urine

Refer to 'urine' (and 'urinate', 'urination' and so on), rather than 'wee', except for in those articles and subdomains that refer to 'wee and poo'.  

Wee

See 'Urine'.

Whereas/while/although

Generally, ‘while’ is used to show that two or more events happened at the same time: 

Measurements were taken while the baby was being dressed.

For comparisons and contrasts, 'whereas' and 'although' are normally used instead of 'while': 

Weights are logged manually, whereas temperatures are recorded automatically by the sensors.

These two events happen in different ways. They do not necessarily occur at the same time: 

Although weights are logged manually, temperatures are recorded automatically by the sensors.

The meaning of this sentence is similar to the previous one, but it places more emphasis on the differences between the two events.

Women

The following guidance is primarily applicable to our pregnancy and early parenting content, although it might apply elsewhere too.

If referring to:

• both pregnant women and women who have given birth, use pregnant women and birthing mothers (or pregnant women or birthing mothers as relevant).

• only to mothers who have given birth, use birthing mothers.

• only to pregnant women, use women or pregnant women.