With summer on the way, we should let children play outdoors – without wrapping them up in cotton wool – and let them take risks, says Liz Fraser It seemed as if it would never happen, but this week the weather gods finally woke up and answered the desperate prayers of a shivering, vitamin-D deprived [...]
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Now that the stigma of mental illness is slowly lifting, it’s time to talk to the children, says Sarah Owen My sister Rebecca was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 17 years ago at the age of 22, and as mental illness goes she’s quite a way along the spectrum. Although she has had periods of stability, [...]
Continue reading Explaining mental illness to children
Sex education needs to become broader and more ‘human’ in its approach, says Jo Hemmings Given that the dictionary definition of the word abstinence is ‘self-enforced restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure’, when used in a sex education context it seems like presenting the proverbial red rag to [...]
Continue reading Should schools be teaching the value of abstinence?
As the debate about the best way to parent our children rumbles on, Rebecca Alexander asks whether we’re raising a ‘teacup’ generation Rachel Johnson, the novelist and sister of London Mayor Boris Johnson, recently lamented today’s ‘wretchedly indulgent’ and ‘wet’ parenting, contrasting it with the ‘benign neglect’ shown by her own parents, which she believes [...]
Continue reading Helping or hovering: what makes a good parent?
The traditional approach of rewarding good behaviour and punishing bad behaviour is damaging our children’s emotional health, says Jane Evans. It’s time to re-think the way we parent For the past few years I have been exploring the idea that traditional parenting – based on rewarding behaviours we want more of and giving consequences or [...]
Continue reading ‘Traditional parenting stunts children’s emotional growth’
The government plans to introduce radical new flexible-working and parental leave legislation from next year. What effect will this have on modern family life, and will it be good news for the economy? Piers Townley investigates Two weeks go by in the blink of an eye. It’s quick enough when it’s your annual summer holiday [...]
Continue reading What flexible paternity leave means for your family
Apps are everywhere – on our phones, TVs and even in our cars. While this means we can access games, content and advice wherever we are, it also makes it harder to track what our children are playing, watching and buying, says Andy Robertson A case in point is the recent story of five-year-old Danny [...]
Continue reading Beware the dangers of apps
