Dutch children are unusually happy and healthy. Is it because of this walking ritual?

Once a year, Dutch kids, parents and teachers take part in a walking festival, heading out for four nights in a single week to explore their neighbourhoods, exercise and make friends. It’s a tradition that seems to be genuinely transformative

My partner sleeps at least 10 hours a night. Should I accept this situation won’t change?

There are so many causes here that aren’t up to him, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith. Rather than trying to change him, change the goal

My egg, my wife’s womb, our baby: how we found our way to lesbian motherhood

When Leah and I planned a family, we wanted to be as mutual as possible. Could reciprocal IVF – Leah carrying an embryo made from my egg – be the way forward?

I made my husband ill with a few words – nobody is immune to the power of the nocebo effect

My prank demonstrated how our minds can adversely affect our health, and scientists are increasingly showing that negative thoughts can produce very real symptoms, says science writer Helen Pilcher

A moment that changed me: I was wary of men – then I found out I was having a baby boy

When I became pregnant, all I wanted was a healthy baby. Discovering I would be having a son gave me a new perspective on the narratives around masculinity

‘I was mortally offended’: writers on the throwaway comments that changed their lives

Can a sentence affect the course of your life? Five authors reveal the interactions that transformed the way they saw themselves – and the world

My mother is addicted to gaming and emotionally unavailable. What should I do?

Her actions may be numbing pain she feels in other areas of her life, so you must approach the issue thoughtfully

I yearned to be a mother. Why did I feel nothing when my daughter was finally born?

I had presumed I would love her instantly – but a traumatic birth led to devastating numbness

Why aren’t Republicans thrilled by the fall in teen pregnancies?

In the US, the birth rate for 15- to 19-year-olds dropped 7% last year. But what seems like good news for society has been lamented by some leading Maga figures, writes Arwa Mahdawi

Socialising, work, exercise: what makes a good day and is there a ‘formula’ for making it better?

Researchers have figured out which activities, and in what volume, are linked to people reporting having a good day. We challenge three writers to follow the blueprint for improving their daily grind

My teenage daughter’s OCD keeps getting worse. What can I do?

Cognitive behavioural therapy may help her to cope with her anxiety and learn that she doesn’t need to respond to intrusive thoughts

Marriage over, €100,000 down the drain: the AI users whose lives were wrecked by delusion

One minute, Dennis Biesma was playing with a chatbot; the next, he was convinced his sentient friend would make him a fortune. He’s just one of many people who lost control after an AI encounter

My mother’s best advice: learn to raise one eyebrow at the world

It took almost a year of practice and then I was too embarrassed to show off my talent. But finally, during a stage performance, I elevated a solitary brow and the crowd went wild

I went into motherhood an oblivious idiot – and I don’t regret it

All the information about pregnancy and parenting can be understandably off-putting. It’s best to look at it clear-sightedly and, if you do decide to give it a go, accept that the path ahead is unpredictable, writes Emma Beddington

‘Children see magic in the smallest adventures’: exploring Scotland with my four-year-old

On a tight budget, we stayed in a bothy, climbed a mountain, looked for Nessie and – best of all – made memories that money can’t buy