Parenting: such a horrible word, ugly on the ear and fundamentally misleading. It suggests that being a parent is a job, or a vocation, or even a craft, when in truth it is an exercise in survival. Nowadays, we are all under such pressure to be “successful” parents, but by my reckoning, if your children [&hellip
Family life need not be such a grind, according to Jennifer Senior, the author of a book for burnt-out parents We’re meant to sacrifice ourselves for our children, aren’t we? It’s what good parents do, deriving their happiness from securing theirs. Yet a new book creating a buzz among burnt-out American parents asks not just [&hellip
Middle-class parents intent on giving their kids the childhood they never had may be putting their families at risk My husband and I were out for dinner; spruced up, child-free, and sipping from goldfish bowl-sized wine glasses. Optimal conditions for romance. But there was only one line of chat. Our seven-year-old had ripped his trousers, [&hellip
PRESSURE is growing on video game and console makers to overhaul the charging systems that allow children to buy expensive “extras”, leaving parents with unexpected bills running to hundreds of pounds. A poll of 1,300 parents, by Netmums for The Sunday Times, revealed that 21% had faced large bills after a child bought game extras, [&hellip
People who lose a parent during childhood are 50 per cent more likely to die young themselves, a vast Scandinavian study has concluded. Those bereaved as children were more likely to die by their forties from almost all causes, according to researchers who urge better care for children who lose a parent. Early deaths are [&hellip