A website recently launched by Kids Helpline and Optus is helping parents overcome the generation divide and learn to speak the language of the young.

Kids Helpline General Manager Wendy Protheroe said the top issue for young Australians is consistently family relationships, so the national counselling centre joined forces with partner Optus to tackle the issue.

"The Talk to Your Kids website, www.talktoyourkids.com.au, is a valuable resource for parents and carers, offering tips, education and information to help them improve relationships and understand the world their kids live in," she said.

"The most popular section is the Conversation Starters page where parents can get ideas about the activities, interests and websites that are important to different age groups.

"The second most popular page is the Kids Speak Translator, where parents can learn the meaning of words such as 'uber-phat' and 'cheddar' - and they don’t mean overweight or cheese!"

Maha Krishnapillai, Optus Director of Government and Corporate Affairs said, "Optus is committed to helping Australians connect safely, we are very proud to work with Kids Helpline on this exciting and valuable initiative."

The Talk to Your Kids site also offers parents information one of the biggest issues facing young people today, the safe use of technology.

"As a society, we are seeing increased media coverage of the misuse of technology, this site has been designed to help parents talk to their kids about issues such as cyber bullying, abuse and sexting and develop strategies for keeping them safe," Ms Protheroe said.

"We are aiming to help parents to be vigilant about these issues, identify the signs that something is negatively affecting their child and develop strategies to tackle them.

"We are not suggesting that parents take their kids off sites such as Facebook and MySpace or remove their mobile phone, these things are an integral part of young people's lives. What we are trying to do is increase parents understanding and awareness so they have a better understanding of their kids' world."

Interview opportunities regarding this initiative are available with Kids Helpline and Optus, please contact:
Jessica Tatzenko, Kids Helpline Communications, Tel: (07) 3867 1248 or
Tracy Woodley, Optus Corporate Affairs, Tel: (02) 8082 7850