Postpartum is more than recovery — it’s a full-family adjustment. When partners step up with practical, everyday support, mums feel less overwhelmed and those early weeks run more smoothly. It’s not just mum’s job The early weeks with a newborn can feel intense. Alongside physical recovery, mums...
Australia is weighing a potential ban on infant formula advertising, amid concerns about how these products are promoted online. A closer look at the ads reveals the messages and marketing tactics shaping how parents make feeding decisions. Madeleine Stirling, Christine Parker and Daniel Angus...
Babies learn a lot in their first year, writes researcher Eylem Altuntas. But their behaviour doesn’t always tell the full story Anyone who has spent time with a baby knows how unpredictable the first year can feel. One week a baby suddenly seems to “get” something new....
Annoyance gradually becomes enjoyment, as Fiona Adams finds herself at home from work for the day with her sick child. “Don’t tell me you can’t go to school. You have to go to school,” I told my six-year-old daughter as she stared at me with her...
Kathy Sena finds a little self-realisation — and a lot of laughter — through improvisation. …we weren’t so much looking to run away from something as we were looking to embrace something else – our true selves; the kid inside who once rolled around on the...
Maria Koromilas reflects on the friendships she has made at her daughter’s school and wonders how meeting more mothers when her son starts school will affect her social life. This year, my son, the second of my three children, will start school. There will be no...
When the school gate finally closes behind your youngest child, the emotions can be surprisingly complicated. Chaley Scott reflects on the quiet ache, shifting identity and unexpected question many parents face: what happens now? Everyone said it. “You’ll be fine.” “You won’t have enough hours in...
If you’re anything like me, parenting (and pregnancy) has a habit of sending you down some very specific Google rabbit holes, writes Susie Williams From sleep and behaviour to screens and pregnancy worries, parents’ search histories offer a revealing snapshot of what’s really weighing on families...
Kate Wattus ponders the nature of her relationships with her two girls. “But I don’t want my hair done today!” harrumphs my seven-year-old princess, arms folded and eyebrows pushed so low as to almost completely cover her eyes as well as half her face. “Well I want...
Deciding whether your children should be present during the birth of a new sibling is a deeply personal choice. Some families find it beautiful and bonding; others discover that labour is simply too intense for young kids. Author Gabrielle Targett shares her real-life experiences and...
