Family

Advice, tips and lifetsyle features aimed at parents, children and families.

Three in five Brits think their phone is making them stupid

A UK consumer electronics ‘e-tailer’ has discovered that three in five (63%) Brits believe their mobile phone is making them stupid.

The Big Phone Store surveyed more than 2,000 British adults to discover how modern mobile phone use has impacted people’s everyday lives.

When asked why they believe their mobile phone is making them stupid, nearly three quarters (71%) of Brits...

How can I keep my child learning over the summer?

Leonor Stjepic, chief executive of the Montessori Group, which offers education based on self-directed activity and hands-on learning in nurseries and schools, says: “With months of nursery and school closures, it’s understandable parents may be concerned about disruption in learning. However, especially in the early years, learning doesn’t have to be structured or rigid – in fact, it can be...

Seven outdoor survival skills your kids need to know

We’ve all been spending more time at home and in nature lately. The great outdoors is such a brilliant place for families, and children in particular, but would yours know how to light a fire or find safe drinking water if they got lost on a hot day? Would you even know?

“The pandemic has made a lot of parents realise that when it comes to outdoor survival tactics, our children are...

Gamers say they would rather their house was destroyed than lose their saved games

Mobile gaming publisher Kwalee has revealed exactly how important our virtual lives have become in 2020, finding that 1 in 10 gamers admit they would rather see their whole house destroyed, before losing their ‘save game data’.

The ‘save game data’ refers to the data file that allows players to pick up where they left off on any game they’re playing. Meaning that a FIFA fan can pick...

How to stay safe when visiting the coast, lakes and rivers this summer

Lots of us have been travelling to beaches, lakes and rivers to get some respite from the warm weather and a good day out.

Friday, July 31 saw the UK’s third hottest day on record, and it coincided with the HM Coastguard receiving 329 call-outs – the highest number in four years.

Gareth Morrison, head of water safety at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), says: “...

How to handle the emotional impact of calculated exam results

Waiting to find out your exam results is unavoidably stressful, but this year, students are waiting to receive results for exams they didn’t even get to take.

Normally you’d have a rough idea of how well (or badly) you might have done because you sat through the test, handed in the coursework, and know how well your mocks went. Coronavirus has seriously tampered with the system this...

Women less confident about breastfeeding

New mums less confident breastfeeding in public due to coronavirus

Following months of lockdown and social distancing, three quarters of breastfeeding mums have now admitted to feeling more cautious about breastfeeding in public, as a direct result of COVID-19.

Shockingly, just over two fifths of mums now feel confident enough to breastfeed their newborn if they were out in public. And with restaurants and bars now re-open, 43% will take measures to...

New research has revealed that the average engagement in the UK now costs over £3k

Weddings may have been put on hold for the past few months due to the coronavirus epidemic, but that hasn’t stopped couples getting engaged.

Ten years ago an engagement would have been just a proposal and a ring, but the pressures of social media and over-the-top celebrity celebrations have changed this, meaning expectations of brides and grooms are now a lot higher.

Local...

Mothers sacrifice work more than fathers when homeschooling in lockdown

Mothers are more likely to have sacrificed their work commitments in order to homeschool their children amid the Covid-19 lockdown, according to research by UCL. The figures released indicate that average hours worked fell by 40% in lockdown, and mothers with younger children at home were significantly more likely to have stopped work than fathers.

This echoes findings in a study...

Ten fun summer outdoor activities for kids – with TV’s Helen Skelton

After months out of school during lockdown, children and their weary parents are now faced with yet more time to fill during the holidays.

To help inspire them, The Wild Network has teamed up with TV presenter Helen Skelton and Smart Energy GB to suggest 42 sustainable things to do over the summer.

“I’ve got two young boys, who have been home pretty much the whole time...