Kindness is strength. But try telling that to children
The belief is rife in our culture that this great virtue is essentially a consolation prize indistinguishable from weakness, says Guardian columnist Emma Brockes
‘My son cowers when a shopkeeper says hello’ – are the toddlers of Covid all right?
Babies born in the first lockdown are now turning two, and have only ever known a world of masks and isolation. What will be the long-term impact?
‘I thought: “Everyone knows you’re not a real mum”’ – the pain of parental impostor syndrome
Feeling like a fraud is bad enough at work but even more corrosive when it comes to raising a family. How can parents overcome damaging self-doubt?
Global heating linked to early birth and damage to babies’ health, scientists find
Exclusive: Impacts include premature births and birth defects and affect everybody, everywhere, say researchers
‘A lot fell into place’: the adults who discovered they were autistic – after their child was diagnosed
The recorded incidence of autism has increased 787% in 20 years. For many parents, getting help for an autistic child alerted them to their own traits
Distraction disaster! Notifications are ruining our concentration – here’s how to escape them
Whether socialising with friends or completing a difficult task, a ping on your phone can destroy the moment. It is time to address the constant stream of interruptions
You be the judge: should my husband spend more time with our baby?
We air both sides of a domestic disagreement – and ask you to deliver a verdict
Five a day: UK children with healthy diet have best mental health
Study prompts experts to call for nutrition to be included in public health strategies
Facebook pauses work on Instagram Kids after teen mental health concerns
Move follows WSJ revelations that Facebook-commissioned research showed Instagram could affect girls’ mental health
‘I felt my body wasn’t good enough’: teenage troubles with Instagram
As research emerges on the harmful effect of the app, three people discuss its impact on eating disorders
Teenage girls, body image and Instagram’s ‘perfect storm’
The suffering of the photo-sharing app’s users came into focus this week with the leak of Facebook’s internal research
The Taliban are not the only threat to Afghanistan. Aid cuts could undo 20 years of progress
The most vulnerable people will bear the cost of sanctions, as services and the economy collapse
‘I was losing my mind’: can baby sleep gurus really help exhausted parents?
Growing numbers of frazzled parents are paying a fortune to people who claim they can help them get a good night’s rest. Are they being taken for a ride? Plus a doctor’s top tips for children of all ages
Asthma in toddlers linked to in-utero exposure to air pollution, study finds
Developing foetuses ‘exquisitely sensitive’ to harm from tiny particles, scientists say
Parent trap: why the cult of the perfect mother has to end
Worldwide, mothers are overworked, underpaid, often lonely and made to feel guilty about everything from epidurals to bottle feeding. Fixing this is the unfinished work of feminism