My 13-year-old son seems upset about something but won’t talk about it. How can I encourage him to be brave enough to open up about his feelings?
Speaking ahead of Children’s Mental Health Week (February 3-9) ( childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk ), Sue Rogers, a mental and emotional health expert at Action for Children ( actionforchildren.org.uk ), who leads The Blues Programme, an...
If your child is nagging you for a mobile phone, it may help to know what age other parents decide to give one to them.
The answer, it seems, is from the age of just seven.
A new study by Childwise has found 53% of children are mobile phone owners by around the age of seven, and by the age of 11, nine in 10 have their own device. Once children are in secondary school, phone...
My daughter is 10 and wants to get her ears pierced, but I think she’s too young and it’s causing arguments. What do other parents do?
Daena Borrowman from jewellerybox jewellers https://www.jewellerybox.co.uk says: “Currently, in the UK and Ireland, there’s no legal age in place for most piercings, meaning it’s all on the parents before their child is 16. Although a survey we’ve...
Your kids love being outside but you always worry they might hurt themselves. How can you worry less?
Parent coach Lorraine Thomas, founder of the Parent Coaching Academy, says: “Understandably the outdoors can be a bit scary for parents, but rather than focusing on the potential negatives, focus on the positive benefits of being outside.
My husband and I have just split up – how are our children likely to react in these early stages of the separation?
Child psychotherapist Rachel Melville-Thomas, spokesperson for the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP), says: “In the complicated task of setting up two homes and new arrangements for children to see both parents, how are the children really feeling as time goes...
The UK’s leading online platform for parents and childcarers has revealed the top parenting trends for 2020, along with the biggest worries for UK parents going into the new year.
A survey of more than 5,000 parents and guardians of 0 to 16 year-olds has found that limitations on children’s social media use and screen time is the biggest trend for 2020, followed by dismantling gender...
A pharmacist explains how to keep children's immune systems in peak condition to help protect them against winter bugs and maintain their health.
What's the best way to boost my child's immune system over the winter?
Pharmacist Anshu Kaura, from Lloyds Pharmacy, says: "There are a few ways in which you can try to prevent your child from getting poorly. The first of these is...
Children are notoriously fickle, and if they love something today, chances are they won't be nearly as keen on it tomorrow.
And while toys, clothes and other possessions can be easily replaced (if you've got the money), the same can't be said for decor and furniture. So, that means the lovely child's bedroom you spent countless hours and huge expense decorating and furnishing, could...
The humble piggy bank seems to be falling out of favour. Two years ago, 80% of kids said they owned a piggy bank, according to a survey by Halifax – but now the proportion has slipped to 72%.
This doesn't mean the younger generation is losing interest in saving money though, as many are finding new places for their cash. Over the same period as the piggy bank decline, Halifax's...
