Soft spaces out, stick-fighting in: Dutch call for the return of risky play

Encouraging kids to play with fire? Hear us out, says party worried by the Netherlands’ increasingly sedentary ways

Stuck in the middle: advice on bringing up babies and caring for your parents

Believe it or not, you know more about babies than you think – and try to have fun with your mum and dad. Advice from the experts for the ‘sandwich generation’

My daughter could have died. I blame US insurance companies

I asked my doctor for a shot to protect my premature daughter against RSV. Then we realized we didn’t qualify for insurance

‘Fear of missing out’ keeping girls and young women online despite sexism

Almost half of girls aged 11 to 21 in Girlguiding survey say sexism and misogyny makes them feel less safe

I’ve pushed it up hills, on to trams and around possum poo – but now I must farewell our faithful pram

I’ve been preparing my daughter for the fact she’ll have to use an alternate mode of transport: her legs

Do you strive to be in control of your life? It might be holding you back …

Beyond being in or out of control, there is an alternative – and it’s one of the building blocks to living well

Breakfast clubs must be for all children in England, say disability charities

Campaigners want Labour’s key education policy to provide food for primary aged pupils rather than just in schools

My report on the NHS diagnosed its dire condition. Now here’s the cure

Making healthy life expectancy central to all government policy is the surest way of stemming demand on the health service, says surgeon and former health minister Lord Darzi

The Guardian view on children and smartphones: setting some limits is a good idea

Editorial: Mobile phone use is not the biggest issue facing schools – or society. But device-free time is important

‘It felt shameful’: the profound loneliness of modern motherhood

The mothers of babies and young children often experience extreme isolation – and all the health problems that accompany it

Birthrates are plummeting worldwide. Can governments turn the tide?

Nations are deploying baby bonuses, subsidised childcare and parental leave to try to reverse a rapidly declining fertility rate – largely to no avail

Coming of Age by Lucy Foulkes review – the truth about teenagers

From being popular to taking risks, this wise and revelatory study overturns received wisdom about adolescence

I’m an expert on adolescence: here’s why a smartphone ban isn’t the answer, and what we should do instead

Jonathan Haidt’s bestselling book blames social media for a decline in teenage mental health. But is he right?

‘A full tummy means pupils can concentrate.’ But is Labour’s school breakfast plan bold enough?

A Midlands school outlines its flexible approach to running its daily club and reacts to Labour’s £365m free breakfast policy

The Guardian view on maternity care failures: birth trauma can and should be reduced

Editorial: A pioneering report from MPs should lead to much-needed improvements in the treatment of new mothers by the NHS