Parents and parenting

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What does new guidance in the UK say about screen time for children?

Experts recommend extremely limited use for children under-two amid ‘mounting evidence’ of harmful impactThe government has issued new guidance on how much time children below the age of five should spend on screens.Children’s relationships with screens have become one of the key struggles of 21st-century parenting, along with the impact of the content that appears […]

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Child’s play: blame it all on the dog | Brief letters

Baby lies | Fuel price fairness | Gut feelings | Fifa fiasco | Human connection | Cooking instructionsWhen gently asked about a pen scribble in a picture book “Goodness, I wonder who did that?”, 27-month-old Emily confidently retorted “Nancy!” – our miniature dachshund (Little liars: babies younger than one practise deceit, study suggests, 16 March).Dianne

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‘The right has won the family’: why are there so few lefty momfluencers?

The most popular mom content tends to be rightwing tradwife propaganda or just apolitical – pushing progressive creators out of the algorithmFor someone who doesn’t have a marble island in their kitchen I spend a disproportionate amount of time staring at marble kitchen islands, slack-jawed, brain turned half off. That’s because I consume a lot

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The dump dinner: spaghetti is now being served straight on to the table – but why?

A raft of online videos show parents serving up dinner without a single plate in sight, to the amazement of their familiesName: Dump dinners.Age: Horribly new. Continue reading…

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Six great reads: ‘Fafo’ parenting, what tech does to us, and Patrick Bateman’s legacy

Need something brilliant to read this weekend? Here are six of our favourite pieces from the last seven days Continue reading…

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Schools in England should be phone-free all day, education secretary says

Bridget Phillipson says pupils should not use mobiles at any point, as Ofsted prepares to inspect complianceUK politics live – latest updatesSchools should be phone-free throughout the entire day, the education secretary has told headteachers in England, stressing that pupils should not use the devices even as calculators or for research.Bridget Phillipson wrote to schools

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The Guardian view on toddlers and screens: more reasons to be fearful of big tech | Editorial

Growing concerns about the impact of smartphones on the youngest children must be addressedThe first UK government guidance on young children’s use of tablets, smartphones and other screens, expected in April, cannot come soon enough. The laissez-faire approach to the boom in social media, handheld devices and other digital technology was arguably nowhere less suitable

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Children need protecting from social media – and generative AI | Letters

Dr Madeline G Reinecke says any policy focused on protecting children must broaden its scope beyond traditional social media platforms, while Alexandra Cocksworth says real connections are crucial. Plus a letter from Ali OliverThe government’s consultation surrounding whether to ban social media for under-16s responds to widespread concern about digital harms (UK ministers launch consultation

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ChatGPT, cooking and Christopher Walken: how parents got their kids to love reading in 2025

Fewer children are reading for fun – but parents are trying everything from AI to dramatic voices to keep them engagedIt’s been a tough year for our brains. Merriam-Webster dictionary editors chose “slop” as 2025’s word of the year. New York Magazine recently dropped its “Stupid Issue”, with a cover story exploring America’s collective “cognitive

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The best of the long read in 2025

Our 20 favourite pieces of in-depth reporting, essays and profiles from the yearVictor Pelevin made his name in 90s Russia with scathing satires of authoritarianism. But while his literary peers have faced censorship and fled the country, he still sells millions. Has he become a Kremlin apologist? Continue reading…

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