“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…
“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…
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…
This sat nav of the labour ward is driving us the wrong way. The Guardian.
When I gave birth to my first child in 2003, I was as prepared as I could be: positions, breathing, birth plan. What I hadn’t accounted…
We’re supporting our student son, but he just lazes about. The Guardian.
Dear Annalisa Our 21-year-old son is a student who is about to start third year. We are supporting him financially with his accommodation, he also has…
Why I still breastfeed my four year old. The Independent.
In December 2004, I wrote in these pages about how I found myself “still breastfeeding” a 14-month-old, when previously I had viewed “extended breastfeeders” as a…
Annalisa Barbieri 
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