Dyspraxia affects children’s wellbeing – here’s how parents and caregivers can help: Vietnam Stock Images/Shutterstock It’s likely at least one child in every classroom has movement difficulties in the form of developmental coordination disorder (DCD), also known as developmental dyspraxia. DCD is a disorder that affects a child’s ability to perform and learn everyday tasks …
Advertising toys to children is an environmental nightmare — here’s how parents can deal with it: RegenWolke/Pixabay As Christmas approaches, many children experience the “gimme-gimmes” and write a list of toys that they hope Santa will bring. This is to be expected. Toys give children a chance to learn and be curious, engage their imaginations …
South Africa leads the continent in offering more paternal leave to fathers. How to make sure both parents benefit: A South African high court has ushered in a new era of parental leave with a landmark ruling that new parents can share four months of parental leave, previously available only to mothers. The case against …
More young people in the UK are living with parents and grandparents – here’s what you need to know if you’re considering it: Shutterstock In a recent court case in Pavia, northern Italy, the judge sided with the complainant, a 75-year-old woman, and ordered her adult two sons to move out of her home. The …
How autistic parents feel about breastfeeding and the support they receive – new research: Almost half the study's respondents found breastfeeding to be a positive experience most or all of the time. Lolostock/Shutterstock Surprisingly little is still known about autism and breastfeeding. A few years ago, we reviewed all of the research evidence and found …
My parents are from two different African countries: study shows how this shapes identity: More than a third of migration in sub-Saharan Africa happens within the continent. This mixing of people means that some children have parents of different national origins. Yet not enough is known about the lives of these children: how they form …
Books on toddler sleep can give inflexible advice – parents should be reassured that one size doesn’t fit all: Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock If you are a parent of a young child, sleep may well have become an obsession for you. Toddlers often wake frequently during the night. Sleep deprivation is a real problem for parents. And parents …
Schools know sharing sex ed lessons with parents is vital – it’s something they already do: Media_Photos/Shutterstock The education secretary Gillian Keegan has written to schools in England stating that they should be sharing relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) teaching materials with parents and carers, even if copyright contracts with external providers of school …
HIV-positive parents in Zimbabwe struggle to manage their children’s education – study shows how: Over the past three decades researchers have explored various aspects of the impact of the HIV pandemic. One focus area has been children who have lost their parents to AIDS. Less attention has been given to children who are raised by …
Compatible seabirds may make better parents, but personality clashes can lead to family tragedy and ‘divorce’: Black legged kittiwakes often mate for life. Frank Fichtmueller/Shutterstock Is there anything worse than a disappointing first date? It is particularly disheartening when a potential partnership that had so much promise turns out to be one big personality clash. …
‘Mum-shaming’ of Sophie Turner is part of a problem that harms all parents: The high-profile divorce of Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner is sparking discussions about mum-shaming. lev radin/Shutterstock Like many celebrity divorces, the split of Sophie Turner and singer Joe Jonas has been accompanied by a flurry of rumours. It was reported that the …
After Lucy Letby: what are new parents entitled to expect when their newborn needs specialist care?: The facts of the Lucy Letby case are harrowing. A nurse has been convicted of murdering seven of her newborn patients and attempting to murder six others. And there are suggestions that managers in the healthcare system failed to …
Male rhesus macaques often have sex with each other – a trait they have inherited in part from their parents: Male same-sex sexual behaviour was widespread in a population of rhesus macaques. Sam Edwards, CC BY-NC-ND Homosexual behaviour is not limited to humans. Biologists have reported homosexual behaviour in many species of wild animal, ranging …
Can parents give their children too much attention?: There's a fine balance between confidence and humility. STUDIO GRAND WEB/Shutterstock Parents today spend more time with their children than ever before. Yet, at the same time, they worry more than previous generations about doing enough – believing a lack of engagement may harm their child’s future …
Breastfeeding linked to higher GCSE results: how to understand the nuance behind the numbers – and the lack of support for parents: kryzhov/Shutterstock Recently published research has found a link between breastfeeding for longer and higher GCSE grades. We know from previous research that across a whole population, breastfeeding can help support health and development. …
The worries parents from ethnic minority backgrounds have about their children’s experiences at school: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock Children and young people should be able to study in schools that recognise and respect their diverse backgrounds. But teachers sometimes struggle to handle this diversity in the classroom. Findings from research conducted in Ireland have shown that teachers may …
Les enfants et le temps d’écran : un expert donne des conseils aux parents et aux enseignants: Les experts ne s'accordent pas sur la question de savoir si le temps passé devant un écran est bon ou mauvais, ou s'il se situe entre les deux. Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock Combien de temps votre enfant a-t-il passé …
Children have been interacting in the metaverse for years – what parents need to know about keeping them safe: Frame Stock Footage/Shutterstock The metaverse sounds like it could be a scary place. Recent headlines have highlighted the dangers to children of the metaverse – a generic term for the range of online virtual worlds, developed …