Babies rarely choose their friends – maybe that’s true for us, too
Our baby son is enjoying the friendships we are forcing on him – but what choice do adults have?After a few months of somewhat patchy interactions with other babies, it’s a surprise to find my son is now something of a social butterfly. In fact, given the demands of parenting and my fondness...
What Experts Say — Good and Bad — About Attachment Parenting
Attachment parenting is a parenting style that emphasizes a strong bond between parents and children, with parents being highly attuned and receptive to their child's needs.It's most often associated with things that keep parents and children close, like breastfeeding on-demand, baby-wearing, and responding right away to a baby who cries out during sleep or play.Attachment parenting is not one...
Outsourcing education to Clarks shoes: only a Tory could think of that
The government’s proposal that shop workers should help kickstart children’s early development is laughableParents, we’ve all been there: a high-street shoe shop in early September. Everyone with a school-aged child has simultaneously realised that if they don’t get around to buying shoes today, the kids are going to have to start the year wearing...
I’ve left my damaging childhood behind me, but why do I feel guilty?
You must delve into your own past, Mariella Frostrup tells a social worker who has no contact with her own familyThe dilemma I’m 28 and was born and raised in a northern mining town. I went to university quite late in life, trained to be a social worker and now work in child protection,...
My husband left me and our kids and is now with another woman
A new relationship will long outlive – and swiftly obscure – the heartache you’ve been through, says Mariella FrostrupThe dilemma Eighteen months ago, my husband left me and our children, who were both under five. We had been through a rocky period, drifting apart a little. I put this down in part to the...
Tim Dowling: Why is an angry skier offloading on me?
‘I’ll tell you what’s just happened,’ he says. ‘Someone’s taken my wife’s skis’It is Wednesday afternoon, and I am skiing through some trees in the French Alps. Because I am one of a group of nine friends staying in two adjacent flats, I am relishing this moment alone. The snow is pristine, the...
Why You Should Never Be Ashamed to Get a Divorce
As a child of divorce, I grew up wanting a different life. I swore I would never have a family and put them through that mess. I would do whatever it took to stay with my spouse for my children.One day, when I was running errands with my kids during a particularly horrible rough patch with...
The Difference Between Mom Brain and Man Brain
About a week ago, I plopped myself down on the couch next to my seemingly lounging husband. The kids were playing nicely for once and I began chitchatting about a TV show that was on. He politely, but emphatically, shushed me and said, “Hold on, I’m thinking,” and proceeded to continue sitting in silence...
Why Is My Family So Mean to My Daughter?
Care and Feeding is Slate’s parenting advice column. Dear Care and Feeding,I’m a single mom and my daughter is 4. She’s bright, funny, generous, and headstrong. Like most 4-year-olds, she occasionally cops some attitude, like shouting, “Everyone stop talking!” when she wants to say something. Sometimes she melts down into a sobbing mess in response...
I Don’t Want My Peanut-Allergic Son to Attend This Birthday Party
Care and Feeding is Slate’s parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Email careandfeeding@slate.com or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group.Dear Care and Feeding,My 3-year-old was just invited to his first school friend birthday party. This will be the first party where I don’t know the parent. He has a severe peanut...
