The traditional idea of a family unit being two parents, two children, and a dog, is increasingly outdated – and we’ve become much more used to blended families.
Take singer and presenter Stacey Solomon, and her partner, fellow presenter and actor Joe Swash, who have four boys between them, all under one roof: Harry, 13, from Swash’s previous relationship, Zach, 12, and Leighton, 8,...
Since the coronavirus pandemic started, my eight-year-old daughter has been very anxious about catching the virus and is nervous about people coming near her or touching anything at all outside. How can I stop her being so anxious, as it’s really having a negative effect on her life?
Clinical psychologist Dr Malie Coyne, a lecturer at the National University of Ireland Galway and...
Being a new mum is stressful. Between round-the-clock feeds, disrupted sleep and fears that you’re ‘not doing it right’, it can be all too easy to feel overwhelmed.
It’s something that many mothers can relate to – even the Duchess of Cambridge. The parent-of-three has spoken out about the lack of information available for new mums in the first few years of their child’s development...
She’s become one of the nation’s favourite TV personalities as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing and now Britain’s Got Talent – but Alesha Dixon has never hidden the self-doubt and lack of confidence that troubled her in the past.
Now in her 40s though, things have changed a lot on that front. “I feel I’m on the brink of a new era, a new decade and a new adventure,” Dixon, 41, reveals...
I know I shout at my kids too much. How can I discipline them without shouting, and help us all get along better?
Paediatrician Carlos González, a father of three and author of Kiss Me: How to Raise Your Children With Love, says: “Who’s the one shouting all the time? Who’s the one in need of discipline? You’re an adult, you have the experience, the knowledge, the mind balance. You...
The UK’s largest online platform for childcare providers, parents, schools and tutors has revealed the most common phobias passed on from parents to children.
The survey of more than 4,000 parents and guardians by Childcare.co.uk discovered that Arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, and Social Phobia, a fear of social situations, are the most common phobias parents share with their...
My son isn’t shielding but has asthma. Am I putting him at risk by sending him back to school?
Respiratory expert and GP Dr Andy Whittamore, Asthma UK (asthma.org.uk) clinical lead, says: “Going back to school after a long break is usually an exciting time for children. Understandably, parents of children with asthma are more concerned this time round, and may be worried about...
My teenage children don’t go back to school till September, and while they’ve reluctantly done some schoolwork at home, they’re mostly just getting up late, playing computer games and drifting. How can I realistically get them to use their time better over the next few months?
Hannah Abrahams, leading educational and child psychologist on the Zoono Family Panel, says: “Young people...
Comedian and writer Robert Webb, 47, who rose to fame with David Mitchell in Peep Show and That Mitchell And Webb Look, recently recovered from a heart operation and is relishing family time with his wife, fellow comedian Abigail Burdess and their two children Esme and Dory.
He writes from his home in London in between school hours, and has just penned his first novel, Come Again....
When the stress of homeschooling starts to heighten, crack out the craft – easy, fun projects are great for encouraging kids to be creative, and can be relaxing too.
Get involved if you can, as focusing on just one thing can be wonderfully mindful, while your children will love spending quality time together. And if the mess stresses you out, choose an option you can do outside on a...
