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 […]
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 […]
Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin. A new study from Harvard University in the USA reveals that children benefit more from their father reading them bedtime stories.e Dads, the research revealed, spark more “imaginative discussions” and are more instrumental to their children’s language development because of the way they read to their kids. […]
I totally agree with pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith when he says businesses must be better at identifying people struggling with ‘family break up’ so they do not end up leaving work. Companies should intervene and help employees going through marital break ups to prevent them ‘crashing out’ of work and ending up on benefits, Iain Duncan […]
I’m being interviewed on BBC Radio Leeds today about an Ofsted Report that says how chatter, calling out without permission, swinging on chairs, play fighting, throwing paper planes, using mobile phones and quietly humming was “very common” in schools. As regular readers of my blog know – I used to be a Deputy Head and Class […]
Shiny new shoes – how to prepare yourself (and your child) for their new school! From the moment you play peek-a-boo with your baby, you are preparing them for the process of moving away from you and learning about independence. Separation can be a difficult emotion not only for you as a parent but also […]
I used to be a Deputy Head and Class teacher and I know first hand about teaching in a Reception Class where children first start school at 5 here in the UK. I’ve also watched as education has become obsessed with data – stressing over whether 5 year olds have gone up 2 sub levels and then watching […]
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 […]
I’ve been invited to chat on LBC Radio this morning about Judy Murray – Andy Murray’s Mum discussing whether she is a pushy Mum. I’ve met my share of Pushy Parents as a former Deputy Head in a Prep School but there’s a line I think between encouraging your child to fulfill their true potential […]
Nick Clegg has been attacked on live radio by a full-time mother who was angry at the government’s childcare reforms. What do you think of the reforms – do you feel penalised because you have chosen to stay at home and give your children your time, committment and attention? The Deputy Prime Minister was […]
I see smacking is in the news again today with Justice Secretary Chris Grayling saying that he smacked his own children when they were young and has defended the right of parents to smack. The Conservative minister, who has two grown-up children, told the Mail on Sunday smacking young children sometimes “sends a message”. He […]
Well I suppose I’m going through it as my kids are 20 and 18 but a new study suggests that “Empty nest syndrome” is becoming a thing of the past as increasing numbers of households have three generations living under the same roof. For many couples in late middle age the challenge is not how […]
Parents should snoop on their child’s texts and social media messages, David Cameron’s new advisor on childhood has claimed – but what do YOU think ? How do you monitor your child’s social media activity and keep an eye on what they’re saying, and who they are saying it to, and what they are posting […]
David Cameron has said there will be no turning back on the decision to remove child benefit from better-off families. Speaking a day before the coalition publishes a review of its progress since 2010, the prime minister told the Sunday Telegraph the government had taken some “difficult” choices. What are your thoughts – how will […]
I’m speaking on BBC Radio London on The Vanessa Feltz Show about the horrific story of the woman who gave out bottles of bleach to babies outside McDonalds in Eltham. Read the full story here in The Daily Telegraph
