Family

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

Ben Fogle: Why I want my children to go wild

TV presenter Ben Fogle travels the world for his adventures and physical challenges, but when he gets home, he's not looking for a bit of peace and quiet. Instead, he wants his children to go wild.

"I know the virtues of travel, the outdoors and animals," says the TV presenter of Channel 5's series New Lives In The Wild, who has two children, Ludo, 10, and Iona, eight, with his wife...

10 things you’ll know if you’re incapable of keeping anything tidy

We’re ‘mess-blind’ and proud.

When it comes to tidiness, you either have it or you don’t.

For neat freaks, keeping everything in order is a way of life, while those with an ever-present ‘floordrobe’ are equally unlikely to change their ways.

Here are a few things you’ll know if mess is your day-to-day default, and Monica from Friends would never, ever invite you...

Ferne McCann: 'I know who I am now – being a parent definitely teaches you that'

Reality show Ferne McCann: First Time Mum is back for a second series, following the life of the former The Only Way Is Essex star as she brings up her daughter alone. Georgia Humphreys finds out more.

In the first series of First Time Mum, we saw the early stages of Ferne McCann learning to be a mother to daughter Sunday.

The 28-year-old reality star – who appeared in The...

What parents can do if you think your child is addicted to their smartphone

It's a common trope in sitcoms to see teenagers glued to their mobile. It's often played for laughs, but new research shows just how widespread – and damaging – it can be for young people to be constantly attached to their phones.

Scientists at King's College London have found almost one in four children and young people are exhibiting "problematic smartphone usage" (PSU), which...

Gary Barlow on parenting: 'Sometimes I'm a good dad, sometimes I'm terrible'

He was only a teenager himself when he first found fame with Take That and now lead singer Gary Barlow has teenage children of his own.

The singer-songwriter has three children – Daniel, 18, Emily, 16, and Daisy, 10 – with his wife Dawn. The couple also had a stillborn daughter, Poppy, in 2012.

Barlow – who was recently announced as the new face of Osiris Eyewear at...

House or flat? The pros and cons of different domestic dwellings

Here’s how to tell if you would suit a two-up two-down, or if you would be better served by four side-to-side.

It may seem hard to believe, given the high-rise apartment blocks now dominating so many city centres, but the British Isles still has the highest percentage of house-living anywhere in Europe.

According to figures from the European Commission, in Spain, Germany and...

I said 'yes' to my kids for a week and this is what happened

The noise level in the lounge hit a whole new level when I sat down to explain to my two daughters, Rosie (9) and Poppy (6) what we were about to embark on. Their wide grins and glinting eyes said it all – as did my nervous grimace.

I'm not entirely sure why I agreed to this challenge, but I sincerely hoped my sometimes absent parenting and negotiation skills would come into their...

Seven ways to squeeze quality time into busy family life

As a busy, working parent, it's so easy to let life get in the way of having fun with your kids. When exactly do you fit in the quality time around work, school, cooking, cleaning, homework, clubs, exercise, life admin and laundry?

According to new research by Thomas Cook, half of British parents spend less than one hour of quality time with their children each day, and of the 1,500...

Confused about retirement savings? 7 popular pension myths busted

The minimum amounts that can be put into workplace pensions will be stepped up from April, as UK savers are encouraged to put aside more for their retirement.

Under automatic enrolment rules, from April 6, the minimum that can be put in by employers and their staff will increase from 5% of qualifying earnings to 8%. Within the new 8% rate, at least 3% must be paid by the employer,...

Five things consider if you're thinking of relocating for work

Would you up sticks and move away from your area if you were offered better career prospects or a bigger salary? The dilemma of whether to relocate for work or stay put can be tricky to answer – particularly for those who already have strong ties with their local community.

Among employees who have never relocated, 59% of men and 65% of women say the desire to stay near family is the...