“My daughter says she’s not inviting us for Christmas.” Published in The Guardian
I love my daughter very much and thought we were close. Some years ago we gave her financial help, bought her family a car and helped…
What makes a good parent? It’s not discipline, or striving for respect (or fear). Above all else, it’s trust. Published in The Independent
As I started to write this, I asked my eldest child, who is nine, what makes a good parent. “Someone who cuddles you, someone who plays…
So you’re good at exams. So what? Published in The Independent.
It would be woefully unfair of me to judge Michael Gove on his physical appearance. Yet he would have me judged, perhaps my whole life defined,…
“Forty years ago my mother had a baby that died. How can I help her?” The Guardian
Dear Annalisa How can I help my mother? Almost 40 years ago, she had a baby girl who died a couple of days after she was…
We’re making it easier for violent men. Published in The Independent.
We all know politicians can lie, but it’s only when you know a little bit about something that you realise just what honkers they’re capable of…
My mother’s suitcase. Published in National Geographic Traveller.
The first suitcase I ever picked up was my mother’s. It had travelled with her from Italy and lived in the depths of her wood-lined wardrobe.…
A child will learn nothing from being hit. The Independent
Well, that David Lammy has caused a hoo-ha with his talk of smacking children. And a decade ago, I might have agreed with him. But what…
Rebellious children? At least you’re doing something right. The Guardian.
Two stories caught my attention recently. One was a report that breastfed babies are more challenging in their behaviour and the other was about a new…
It’s time to reclaim the M-word. Published in The Guardian
Naomi Stadlen likes mothers. She has written two books with the word in the title: What Mothers Do, Especially When it Looks Like Nothing and her…
Expectant mothers need facts, not fear. Hospital vs home birth. The Independent.
Here we go again. A debate about home vs hospital birth. There is only one thing – I’ve found – that’s more emotive than where you…
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