As Vicki Englund lurks in the shadows of parties past, she bows to peer pressure and procures a performer for the party present. Pre-birthday-party tension. Every year, a couple of months before my daughter’s birthday, it starts. Most mothers and some fathers are familiar with it,...
Childcare and Common Illnesses: What Parents Need to Know When your child starts attending childcare, it's common to encounter a range of illnesses. From respiratory infections to skin conditions, these illnesses spread quickly among children, who are often in close contact with one another. While it’s...
Martha Wegner gives into the contemplation of temptation. “Mum, I have something to show you.” Grim words spoken with a sombre expression. A slight look of panic around the eyes nearly gives him away. My son has something to show me all right, and it isn’t...
Susan White writes about the strain having kids can place upon relationships. James and Anna have been together for eight years. For six years, they both had successful careers in business and travelled overseas at least annually. Two years ago, Anna decided she wanted a child....
It’s more diverse than you think, report researchers Yuvisthi Naidoo, Ilan Katz and Megan Blaxland When we think of the concept of the family, a specific version often springs to mind: a mother, a father and children, usually two or three. It’s the version of society...
I didn’t really care for stuffings until I cooked this snapper with herb stuffing, writes Roberta Muir. Inspired by a dish Sardinian chef Giovanni Pilu served me. Herbs, including rosemary, thyme and oregano, grow wild throughout Sardinia and are known as ‘erbette di campo’, herbs of...
Kylie Ladd writes about family responses to chronic illness in grandparents. When Julie Anderson’s mother was diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s disease, one of Julie’s first thoughts was of her own daughter. “Mum had been forgetting things and getting a bit muddled for a while, so the...
We know parents shape their children’s reading, writes Emily Grace Baulch, but so can aunts, uncles and grandparents by sharing beloved books Over 80% of Australians with children encourage them to read. Children whose parents enjoy reading are 20% more likely to enjoy it too. My research...
Karen Eriksen was not prepared for the train of events set in motion by her son’s school report. It was Year 2 school report time. Our son had never been an easy child, but we were relaxed. We’d had frequent positive updates from his teacher and...
We hear a lot about women’s biological clock and how age affects the chance of pregnancy, writes Karin Hammarberg. Here’s what’s more likely when dads are over 50 New research shows men’s fertility is also affected by age. When dads are over 50, the risk of...
