Family Life
20 articles in this topic
More American Dads Are Taking Parental Leave — and It's Changing Families
In US states with paid family leave, fathers now take nearly as much bonding leave as mothers — in two states, more. The evidence says everyone wins: dads, mums, babies, even marriages.
Picky Eating Starts Before Birth — What Science Says About Fussy Eaters
Babies start learning flavours in the womb, most children need a dozen tries before accepting a new food, and pressure reliably backfires. A nutritional neuroscientist's explanation of picky eating — and what actually expands a child's palate.
Teen Loneliness: Why It's Rising and How Parents Can Help
Teenagers are now the loneliest age group in the world. Here's what clinicians say is driving it — and the most helpful things a parent can actually do, starting with what not to say.
Toddler Tantrums: Why They Happen and How to Respond
Tantrums aren't bad behaviour — they're a developmental stage colliding with a brain that can't yet put on the brakes. What the child-development evidence says about preventing meltdowns, and what to do mid-tantrum.
Co-operative Games: Where a Four-Year-Old and a Seven-Year-Old Can Really Play Together
Find It Together, Story Circle and Copy Cat Crew — three free games where everyone is on the same team, designed so mixed ages genuinely work rather than the little one being humoured.
Printable Game Cards: Our Games, On Paper
Print-and-play versions of our circle-time and co-operative games — for classrooms with a photocopier, screen-free afternoons, long car journeys and the bottom of the garden.
What the Word?!: Our Free Team Word Game for Classrooms and Family Gatherings
One screen hosts, teams join on their phones with a QR code, and pairs race to describe and guess words — from more than 800 hand-vetted words across 13 categories, or your own spelling list. How the game works, and how to run a brilliant session.
Working at the Farm: A Gentle 3D Tractor Game for Toddlers and Young Children
Our free 3D farm game lets little ones drive a tractor, a digger and a dump truck around a sunny farm — no timers, no failing, nothing scary, and everything stays on your own device. Here's what's in it and how to get the most out of playing together.
A Tour of the Games on yourkids.com — All Free, All Ad-Free
Circle-time games for classrooms, quiz packs, co-operative games, a multiplayer word game that runs across phones, and a gentle 3D farm for toddlers. Here's everything you can play on yourkids.com, and the thinking behind it.
Cooking Together
Cooking builds kids skills, confidence, and promotes an interest in healthy food.
Getting Active as a Family
Moving together as a family keeps kids active. Here are some ideas to make it work.
Outdoor Play
Enriched outdoor play spaces — natural elements, loose parts, varied terrain — supports kid's physical activity and wellbeing.
Sibs: Supporting Siblings of Disabled Children
A UK charity focused specifically on the needs of siblings of disabled children and adults — thoughtful guidance on support at different ages, the particular challenges siblings face, and how to find help.
Winston's Wish: Supporting Bereaved Children
A UK childhood bereavement charity we've found genuinely helpful — age-specific guidance, a helpline, and resources for families and schools.
The Problem With "Gentle Parenting" Discourse Online
The principles behind gentle parenting are sound. The online content ecosystem around it — the scripts, the perfectionism, the quiet shaming — is something else entirely.
How to Talk to Children About Death
Gentle, honest guidance on talking with children about death — before, during, and after a bereavement — drawn from the most helpful bereavement research and resources we could find.
Is "Screen Time" a Moral Failing?
Screen time has become a moral category for parents almost everywhere. The evidence is messier than the headlines — and the guilt isn't helping any of us think more clearly.
'I clicked on a button – and everything changed': a DNA test, a family secret, and what we tell our children
A moving personal essay from The Guardian explores what happens when a DNA test unravels decades of family silence — well worth a read for adoptive, donor-conceived, and blended families anywhere who are wondering how and when to share origin stories.
Why Therapeutic Parenting
A warm introduction to therapeutic parenting for children who have experienced trauma, attachment difficulties, or early adversity — wherever in the world you're parenting.
The PACE Model: Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy
A friendly look at the PACE approach developed by Dan Hughes, and how it can gently reshape your relationship with a child who has experienced trauma.