As a new survey reveals that a quarter of 11 To 16-Year-Olds would have cosmetic surgery to improve their body image, what can YOU do to teach your kids to have a positive and healthy body image and body attitude? Half of girls and a third of boys are willing to take drastic measures to […]
I read with horror Katie Hopkins from ( The Apprentice) admission that she won’t let her children play with friends that she deems beneath them… & I quote ‘that’s what caring mothers do’ As The Apprentice star admits she targets playmates who are a good influence. Well – good luck with that overly controlling strategy […]
As a former Deputy Head and class teacher for 22 years I read with interest the article in the Daily Telegraph about 15,000 teachers being off sick from school every day. I often coach teachers and Senior Management Teams on leadership skills and I see many highly stressed teachers battling paperwork, insolent kids, disaffected parents […]
I’ve recently had two children referred to me who have a fear of being shot by a terrorist after watching the news about the terrible attack on Ukraine The problem with 24/7 News coverage is that it blows out of proportion the amount of bad things that can happen and children are very sensitive […]
I receive many questions for my The Sue Atkins Parenting Show Podcast about babies & sleep: Is letting your baby cry itself to sleep at night cruel and unnatural or no big deal? What is best for your baby: crying itself to sleep, controlled crying or being soothed on demand? I find almost nothing […]
When my son was 19 and went to Brunel University to study journalism. I used to feel exasperated about his morning routine! But if you, like me, have had arguments about getting your teenager out of bed before midday you are not alone ! It’s a familiar battle against biology and habit, after a […]
Kids approaching their 30s are still dependent on their parents for financial support – and even the ironing, a report warns out today! The apparent ease with which young people once seemed to land well-paid jobs and get on the housing ladder meant that those who are now in their 20s grew up with a […]
I was on The Vanessa Feltz Show on BBC Radio London talking about the two mothers were refused alcoholic drinks in a pub because the barman said it would “inappropriate” for them to drink in front of their children. You can read the story here in The Sunday Telegraph But how DO you teach your […]
SHORT of hearing your child say they want to grow up to be the next Katie Price or a professional drug-runner there can be fewer dread statements than: “Can I go on a sleepover?” As a parent of two teenagers I’ve been through this experience of being asked to stay over. It needn’t be a […]
Today the most popular list of baby names has been revealed with Harry and Amelia topping the list this year. I’ve just been head to head with Katie Hopkins from The Apprentice live on BBC Radio Sheffield who believes that you can apparently judge whether children are suitable friends for your kids by their […]
I read an interesting article by John Rosemond in The Lacrosse Tribune about bringing up kids. What do you think of John’s thoughts? “The so-called “good old days” really were better. For example, if the data is correct, then the state of parenting in America has been in slow but steady decline since the 1960s. Child mental […]
I was recently talking on LBC Radio about young people’s expectations and their hopes for owning their own property as today’s young face, including my own two kids, high unemployment, expensive education, and a lifetime of renting, whereas when I was in my twenties we had rising wages, low house prices & plenty of job opportunities. […]
Young teenagers are becoming increasingly unhappy, with growing concerns about school, their appearance and the amount of choice and freedom they have, a report has warned. The study, published by the Children’s Society following interviews with 42,000 children aged between eight and 17, found that after a long period of gradual increase, children’s happiness began […]
What was it the Jesuits always said, “Give me a child until the age of 7 and I will show you the man?” Well here’s some research along the same lines as the government-backed Money Advice Service has warned parents “not to underestimate the effect of their own bad money habits” on their kids which […]
There is a four-letter word that seems to dominate primary school policy these days. Data. And there is going to be even more of it if the latest proposals for measuring pupil performance in England are implemented. Parents could be told where their children fit into 10 ability bands, measured against a yardstick of the […]
