Home and Family Archive

Calls to ban doll that ‘spies’ on children
- Sasha Alison
- 0 Comments
- December 15, 2016
She is the smart, talking doll that “you can talk to like a real friend”. According to child safety campaigners, however, My Friend Cayla may also be

Teenage girls need “other mothers” as mentors
- Sasha Alison
- 0 Comments
- November 20, 2016
Daughters can be deaf to maternal wisdom — so we need female mentors to help raise them

It’s a protective instinct to snoop on our kids, but we risk losing their trust
- Sasha Alison
- 0 Comments
- November 5, 2016
Time to confess my guilty maternal secret: I am a sneaky snoop. I’m so desperate to know what is going on in my teens’ lives that I

Britain is a nation full of cry-babies, scientists reveal
- Sasha Alison
- 0 Comments
- October 25, 2016
Babies cry more in Britain than almost anywhere else in the industrialised world, research has shown. Newborn children in Canada, the UK and Italy topped a survey

Paternity leave — use it or lose it
- Sasha Alison
- 0 Comments
- October 10, 2016
Men should be offered “use it or lose it” father’s leave, paid at a generous rate, to ensure they take off a substantial amount of time with

Telling mothers-to-be not to drink ‘is wrong’
- Sasha Alison
- 0 Comments
- September 30, 2016
Official advice to abstain from alcohol during pregnancy is overly cautious and sexist, academics claim.

Pregnant women still denied scans
- Sasha Alison
- 0 Comments
- September 15, 2016
A lack of access to crucial ultrasound scans for pregnant women across Ireland has not improved in more than a decade, a study has found.

Toddlers in juice ban as nurseries tackle obesity
- Sasha Alison
- 0 Comments
- September 1, 2016
Fruit juice will be banned as a routine drink for children in nurseries under new guidelines. Recommended menus will aim to cut the sugar consumption of toddlers

Pussy power! How to make your cat do what you want
- Sasha Alison
- 0 Comments
- August 20, 2016
Scientists concluded this week that cats are as clever as dogs. Behaviour expert Dr Sarah Ellis explains how to use their intelligence to fix common feline problems

Smugglers wrap newborn puppies in clingfilm for 30‑hour journey
- Sasha Alison
- 0 Comments
- August 5, 2016
Under-age puppies are being brought into Britain without proper vaccinations and health treatment because of the demand for fashionable breeds.