11 questions to ask yourself before going no contact with a family member
In the UK, one in five families are affected by permanent estrangement – it’s not a decision to be taken lightly. These are the questions experts suggest you ask yourself before cutting a relative out of your lifeIt’s important to be certain you aren’t…
Contact review – Jonny Donahoe delivers a heated reunion at a bonfire of family photos
Òran Mór, GlasgowBlythe Duff and Mark Barrett are excellent as two people helplessly bound to each other in this bitter two-handerThe arrival of a first baby changes everything. It is not just the upheaval of fitting the child into your life: the shift…
Esther Rantzen’s Mama was a lifeline for new mums | Letters
Fiona Lindop says she will always be grateful to the TV presenter for establishing the Meet-a-Mum Association Esther Rantzen (Obituary, 1 October) is rightly remembered and honoured for her wide-ranging charity work, including establishing Childline and…
Why do billionaires have so many children if they’re not prepared to parent them? | Arwa Mahdawi
Kim Kardashian’s revelation that she has five nannies for four children caused a ruckus. But the world of the ultra-wealthy throws up far more extreme approaches to childcare“I have the best advice for women in business,” Kim Kardashian told Variety in…
The Guardian view on sexual abuse in schools: teachers cannot deal with this alone | Editorial
Politicians must redouble their efforts to tackle a disturbing pattern of pupils assaulting classmatesThe Guardian’s findings about the extent of sexual abuse in schools require an urgent, calibrated response. Data revealing multiple rapes committed each…
Play School is back – and with it the promise of TV I’m actually happy for my toddler to watch | Natalie Morris
Thank goodness for this antidote to today’s frantic shows that aim to grab our kids’ attentions the same way our phones grab oursAs a mum to a two-year-old in 2026 there is no shortage of things to make me feel bad about my capabilities as a parent. His…
The pain of letting go of a loved one’s belongings | Letters
Readers respond to Polly Hudson’s article about disposing of her late mother’s possessionsReading Polly Hudson’s account of clearing her mother’s house (My mum has died – and every decision I make about her belongings feels wrong, 20 September) made…
My holiday was full of tantrums and hangry meltdowns. And it wasn’t the kids who were to blame | Emma Beddington
For 20 years I have made sure everyone gets where they need to be, with the least possible drama. Now suddenly I’m the one who needs looking afterWe’re just back from a family holiday to Japan and after two decades, I’ve developed clear ideas about who…
‘I’d like to explain why I was such a monster back then’: six writers on the apologies they wish they’d made
From making life hell for a young teacher to doubting the motives of a caring foster mother, Olivia Petter, Derek Owusu, Annie Lord and other writers repent for past bad behaviourAt school, I was not a good girl. Actually, that’s putting it mildly:…
I hoped my children would have epiphanies while visiting my homeland; my father suggested we go swimming instead
I brought my children to Penang to immerse them in the places of their grandparents’ stories. When I stopped lecturing them about gratitude and privilege, we enjoyed our final days doing as locals doAs I stepped out of Penang international airport, the…