The rise of Arfid: the truth about the eating disorder that made a teenager go blind

People with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder will eat only a very limited range of foods and may have significant phobias. It’s a long way from simply being a picky eater

Barely any UK teens meeting exercise and screen time guidelines

Canadian researchers developed guidelines relating to exercise, screen time and sleep

‘No food should be taboo’: how to tackle your child’s weight – without giving them a complex

A third of children are overweight or obese by the time they leave primary school. Here’s how parents can help them forge good habits and avoid creating lifelong insecurities

From ball pits to water slides: the designer who changed children’s playgrounds for ever

The long read: Eric McMillan revolutionised playground design in the 1970s. Why has the spirit of experimental play that he championed been lost? By Nicholas Hune-Brown

Lessons in love from my new teenage foster daughter

As well as joys, challenges and unusual pets she brought fresh insights to our home. By Jill Dawson

Foreskin reclaimers: the ‘intactivists’ fighting infant male circumcision

Emboldened by the body-positive movement and a sense of rage, a growing chorus is pushing back against a common custom

HPV vaccine to be given to boys in effort to slash cancer rates

Move by NHS could prevent more than 100,000 cancers across UK by 2058

Majority of parents don’t know how much exercise children need

Survey shows that 68% of adults are unaware of recommended exercise time

UK among least family-friendly countries in OECD, survey finds

League table compiled based on parental leave and childcare levels puts UK in bottom third

‘A mother is scared to hold her baby in case he dies in her arms’: my job as a health visitor

When I visit mothers living with postnatal depression and families struggling to buy food, it reminds me how hard parenthood is

I know what drives young people to self-harm – I did it for years

Self-harm can feel like the only way to get a handle on a world that seems out of control, says journalist and mental health activist, Harriet Williamson

Why parents are addicted to Calpol

The long read: It is the one medicine we reach for whenever our babies are feverish or in pain. What’s the secret of its success?

Mother Ship by Francesca Segal review – a moving story about motherhood

A remarkable memoir-diary about giving birth to premature twins is also a love letter to solidarity

How Stockholm became the city of work-life balance

With flexible hours the norm, and almost two years’ parental leave for every child, Sweden’s capital boasts a happy and efficient workforce. What can other cities learn?

Children are stuck inside more than ever – how can we give them back their freedom?

British children spend half the time their parents did playing in the street. But some campaigners are fighting back against a culture that is keeping kids from exercising their right to play