family

Grandmother with her family

The emotional toll lockdown is taking on grandparents

For many people, one of the hardest parts of the coronavirus lockdown has been not being able to see family – and that’s been especially difficult for grandparents, who often live alone and depend on close family contact.

Some grandparents have taken extreme measures just to have physical contact with their grandchildren – a Californian grandmother and grandfather were so desperate...

Parent and child spending family time home schooling.

Home learning best practice advice for parents

Under normal circumstances, today would be the beginning of the Summer Term. Now, however, thousands of children across the UK will return to home-schooling instead, since schools have been shut officially since the 20th March. Many parents elected to take a break from lessons and observe the Easter Holiday; however, now parents and their kids must pick up their pencils again to carry on with...

How to make family video conferencing during lockdown more fun. Getty Images/iStockphoto

Ten ways to make family video calls more fun

Video calls are helping millions of families stay connected right now – but with daily life deep in Groundhog Day mode for many of us, it’s easy to run out of things to talk about.

Switching it up with some good, old-fashioned organised challenges can boost the amusement factor – and give you all something to talk about that isn’t just what you had for lunch.

Want some new...

Coleen Nolan, Loose Women presenter on family.

Coleen Nolan on how to make blended families work

Parenting is tough at the best of times, but it can be even harder when you’re trying to blend two families, as Loose Women’s Coleen Nolan found out during her second marriage.

Nolan shares her 19-year-old daughter Ciara with ex-husband Ray Fensome, who she was divorced from in 2018, and sons Shane, 31, and Jake, 27, from her marriage to Shane Richie, which came to an end in 1997....

Young girl preparing to cook for her family with eggs.

How to cook with your kids during the lockdown

Getting children involved in cooking from an early age can help them to develop the skills they need to plan and cook healthy meals throughout their lives as well as overcoming picky-eating.

With most children being schooled at home during the Coronavirus pandemic, now could be a good opportunity to teach them some healthy cooking skills.

With fast food outlet closures, it...

Woman working at home on her Apple Mac computer. Family.

More than a third of people finding it more difficult to work from home during the C-19 lockdown

With news of the three-week lockdown extension, a new national survey of 2,000 people into the experience of home working shows that 37% are finding it more and more difficult to work from home, but are prepared to carry on.

The survey commissioned by www.moneypenny.com , the leading outsourced communications company, showed that a further 6% said they don’t feel they can work from...

Couple checking laptop. Coronavirus scam. Fraudsters.

How to avoid falling for a Coronavirus con

The coronavirus crisis is providing fresh opportunities for fraudsters to strike, particularly as people are now spending more time at home.

Whether it’s con artists appearing on the doorstep and posing as good samaritans, or bogus emails and phone calls received while people work at home from laptops, criminals are cynically trying to cash in.

“Scams are among the most...

Happy funny child draws laughing shows hands dirty with paint. Family.

How to get kids off their screens during lockdown

Dawn Isaac, author of 101 Things for Kids to Do Screen-Free, suggests kids should have designated daily screen-free time, and shares activity ideas.

Confined within four walls for the forseeable future, countless children are becoming even more dependent on screens to stave off the boredom of lockdown.

And while many parents will welcome the social interaction and...

Family group. Mum, dad, daughter son

Covid-19: How it affects child contact if you are a separated parent

Specialist family lawyer Hannah Porter from The Family Law Company explains what government recommendations about social distancing mean for separated parents deciding whether contact between children and the non-resident parent should go ahead.

Associate Solicitor Hannah says, “We are all now aware of advice regarding staying at home, social distancing. and avoiding any gatherings...

Family. A girl draws a planet of the world with colored chalk on the asphalt. Children’s drawings, paintings and concepts. Education and art, be creative when you return to school. earth, Peace day. jpg  PICTURE: Getty Images/iStockphoto

How can I stop my child feeling so scared about the future of our planet?

My seven-year-old child is really scared about climate change and what’s going to happen to our planet. What’s the best way to talk to her about it, and help her feel less anxious?

Scientist and environmentalist Matthew Shribman says: “It’s understandable that your daughter is worried, but she’s not alone. A recent report by McCain entitled Nation’s Conversations found children were...

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