Family

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

Ten everyday struggles that only extremely disorganised people will relate to

Getting through life in a constant state of chaos isn’t easy, but somehow you make it work.

Every day is a constant battle against your lack of organisation and you often end the day amazed that you made it through unscathed.

Here are some things that only seriously disorganised people will understand:

1. You never have matching socks

Even though you...

Is seven-years-old too young to give children a mobile phone?

If your child is nagging you for a mobile phone, it may help to know what age other parents decide to give one to them.

The answer, it seems, is from the age of just seven.

A new study by Childwise has found 53% of children are mobile phone owners by around the age of seven, and by the age of 11, nine in 10 have their own device. Once children are in secondary school, phone...

It's never too late to change career

New research from Think Forward Consulting www.thinkforwardconsulting.co.uk has revealed that 75% of people in the UK are unhappy within their role. In a survey of almost 1500 workers, the findings were reflective of a largely unsatisfied workforce. This unhappiness appears to be down to three key issues: passion, recognition and environment.

Only 19% of respondents said that they...

Easter eggs on sale in January? I'm EGGSasperated

With Christmas followed swiftly by my daughter’s birthday, I’ve pretty much had my fill of ‘pester power’, by the end of January.

So, imagine my horror, when a quick trip to the supermarket this week prompted the request… “Can I have an Easter Egg?”

And there it was – an aisle full of confectionary to be consumed around the time of the most important Christian festival....

Dogs get fed treats at almost HALF of human mealtimes

How To Choose The Best Food For Your Dog Dogs get fed treats at almost HALF of human mealtimes, a new study by dog food company tails.com reveals.

A separate study by researchers from the University of Liverpool estimates that 59 percent of dogs in Britain are overweight and this could shorten their lifespan by 2.5 years.

Our Q&A offers advice and tips on feeding treats...

Should I let my daughter get her ears pierced?

My daughter is 10 and wants to get her ears pierced, but I think she’s too young and it’s causing arguments. What do other parents do?

Daena Borrowman from jewellerybox jewellers https://www.jewellerybox.co.uk says: “Currently, in the UK and Ireland, there’s no legal age in place for most piercings, meaning it’s all on the parents before their child is 16. Although a survey we’ve...

Myleene Klass on her post-baby body image

Most people will remember Myleene Klass from her famous white bikini shower scene on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! So it may come as a surprise that she’s not racing to get back into that kind of shape again, after giving birth to her third child.

“I’ve got two daughters, and the last thing I want to do is let them see me standing up and down on the scales when I’ve just given...

Are you washing your clothes properly? 11 expert tips for doing laundry the proper way

Many of us have just been getting on with the laundry for years – but are we always doing it in the best possible way?

For example, new research shows clothes last longer and shed fewer microfibres in quicker, cooler washing cycles.

“Consumers claim their clothes can lose their fit, softness and colour after fewer than five washes – this means it’s more likely they will...

How you can stop worrying so much when your children are outdoors

Your kids love being outside but you always worry they might hurt themselves. How can you worry less?

Parent coach Lorraine Thomas, founder of the Parent Coaching Academy, says: “Understandably the outdoors can be a bit scary for parents, but rather than focusing on the potential negatives, focus on the positive benefits of being outside.

“To overcome any doubts and fears,...

Why eco-anxiety is a good thing – depending on how you use it

In 2019 climate emergency was placed front and centre, and that’s likely to continue being the case.

The news stories can be overwhelming, whether it’s seeing footage of the bushfires in Australia, or the World Bank predicting the Maldives could be completely submerged by 2100 due to rising sea levels.

We’re increasingly wising up to the crisis, particularly with the help of...