Understanding Childhood

Pregnancy and the birth of a new baby is a new step in your life, and may stir up hidden feelings, hopes and fears for mothers, fathers and other members of the family

Crying and sleeping problems are two of the most common difficulties for parents of babies under one. Nearly all parents will experience difficulties with their baby’s crying or and interrupted sleep in the early months

Having a baby is supposed to be one of the most exciting and joyful experiences you’ll ever have. But often the reality feels quite different

If you have more than one young child you are probably all too familiar with some of the problems of sibling rivalry. Sometimes parents who have made a relatively smooth adjustment to their first baby are completely bowled over by the experience of a second

Dads really do matter. Children need fathers – just as they need mothers – to love them, to be interested in them and to respond to their needs, making them feel valued and understood 

Becoming a grandparent is an important step in adult life. For many people it is a joyful one, opening up possibilities for the grandparents themselves, for the grandchildren and for the parents

How best can you help your child when someone close to them dies? What if you are grieving too? Do children grieve in the same way as adults? 

When babies are born they leave the warm and comfortable world of the womb and enter an unknown world. It is their first experience of separation and the beginning of a lifelong series of steps and challenges 

It’s a long way from being a helpless baby to becoming a relatively independent three or four-year-old, ready to go to playgroup or nursery

Families lay the foundations for a feeling of security. At its best, the family is the base from which the child learns to face and cope with the anxieties of life

Living with teenagers can be one of the most exciting periods in a parent’s life.  It’s great to see your children growing into young people with separate views, hopes and ambitions

As parents, we all hope to build a safe familiar world for our children to grow up in. When your children experience the ordinary losses and disappointments of life, as an adult you can stand back a bit from their distress and offer them your sympathy and support