A daughter’s probing questions cause Karen Baumgart to ponder the nature of nudity in the home. It began with an all-too-tactile query from our two-year-old daughter: “What’s that?” she chirped merrily, making a grab for that part of my husband as he emerged from the shower....
Stephanie Brown and Deirdre Gartland look at how intimate partner violence affects children’s health Childhood should be a happy and carefree time, but often it doesn’t work out that way. Children are exposed to all the stresses and strains that affect the families and communities in...
Lara Cain Gray recounts a hairy moment involving her son. My 10-month-old son ate a spider. Let’s not sugar-coat it (although I’m sure that it's a delicacy somewhere) – it was frightening and revolting in equal measure. We’d had a typically hectic morning trying to get our...
When her daughter was eventually diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, Sue McLachlan finally understood the reason for her daughter’s many rituals. When my daughter was about four years old, I was impressed that she had a genuine concern for hygiene. She loved to have her bath each...
Susan Biggar finds herself tested by the demands of school life. School is much harder the second time around. Back when I was in primary school I didn’t worry about my lunch – except if I got an egg-salad sandwich, which was very bad news indeed. ...
There is a major issue not addressed before the birth of a child, writes Barry Cail. When my wife and I went to our first prenatal class, the midwife discussed everything from changing nappies, lack of sleep and the partner’s support role, to not having enough...
Adele Wessell suggests that this is an ideal time to try turning an old 'Keep Fit' regime into a serious workout. The washing, drying, ironing, airing, pushing baby in his pram – these can all take on a different aspect if done with figure consciousness …...
Michelle Mitchell looks at self-harm, why teens do it, and what you can do to help. Self-harm is probably a lot more common than most research suggests The 2015 Mental Health Child and Adolescent Report tells us that approximately 10% of young people consciously experiment with self-harm...
Chickenpox is a mild and common childhood illness. However, pregnant women, newborn babies and people with a weakened immune system may also be at risk. Chickenpox is highly contagious to people who have never had chickenpox before, or who have not been vaccinated. You can also...
This is the easiest cake because you don’t even need to turn on the oven, just your handy thermomix. Try this no-bake carrot cake recipe....
