Reluctant dad creates hilarious ‘dog contract’ for his kids
The decision to get a family dog is never an easy one. So when these kids begged their father to get a family dog, he reluctantly agreed — but with …
Tesco to hand out free fruit to shoppers’ children at over 800 UK stores
Tesco has announced that they will be offering free fruit for children to munch on while their parents shop. The UK’s biggest supermarket tested the initiative in Scotland last year …
Magical sleep-inducing doll sends parents into a frenzy
Parents around the world are clamouring for a doll that promises to helps children sleep. The Lulla doll was created by an Icelandic psychologist, who wanted to find a children’s …
First ever CBeebies Hotel to open in 2017
Alton Towers has confirmed it is to open the first ever CBeebies Land Hotel. Due to open in summer 2017, the 76-room hotel will spread over four floors and will …
Move over James Bond! MI6 invites schoolchildren to play spymaster for the day
MI6 opened its doors to schoolchildren for the first time earlier this month, in a bid to dispel the perception that Secret Intelligence Service staff are only chosen via a …
Kensington Palace releases adorable photos of birthday boy Prince George – but not everyone is happy
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have released four new photographs marking Prince George’s third birthday. But not everyone is happy. In one picture, George appears to be offering Lupo, …
Syrian children hold Pokémon photos in hope that ‘world will find them’
Children in war-torn Syria have been photographed holding up pictures of Pokemon, in the hope that the world will “come to their rescue”. The pictures were shared by an online news …
Home-cooked food no healthier than infant ready meals, research finds
Only 16% of UK mothers cook from scratch every day, much to the dismay of healthy-eating advocates. However, according to new research published in the journal Archives of Disease in …
School bans clapping and encourages pupils to silent cheer or punch the air instead
A primary school in Sydney has banned clapping out of respect for children who are “sensitive to noise”. Instead, the school is asking its pupils to “silent cheer”, “pull excited …
Woman gives birth to three sets of twins in 26 months
A mother in the United States has given birth to three sets of twins in a little over two years. Danesha Couch, 20, from Kansas City, gave birth to daughters …
A simple DNA test could predict how well your child does in school
A person’s academic ability can be determined simply by looking at their DNA, research has found. Researchers at King’s College London have developed a new genetic scoring technique that explains …
Beach cafe introduces five minute warning for children having tantrums
A cafe owner is taking a stand against children having tantrums, saying they will step in if “parents are too scared to discipline their children”. South Kiosk in Felixstowe posted …
Brighton introduces two week half term to help parents keep holiday costs down
Schools in Brighton and Hove are extending the October half-term break to allow parents to access cheaper holidays. The city council said the new two-week October half-term, to begin in …
Mum takes over sons’ Tinder profiles to help them find love
Twins Luke and Adam Monastero, who came out publicly to their parents on camera back in 2014, are looking for love–and they’ve asked their mum to help! After approving their …
Over-40s outnumbering teens on maternity ward
Women over 40 are now more likely than teenagers to have a baby. It is the first time that this has been the case since the end of the Second …
Chardonnay Go: Pokemon for mums
The world has gone Pokemon mad. People of all ages can be seen roaming parks, museums and even cemeteries trying to “catch ’em all”. But if Pokémon Go isn’t your …
Mums not teaching kids to swim because of concerns over how they look in swimwear
More than half of British mums say they won’t teach their children how to swim because they worry about being seen in a swimming costume, a new survey claims. The …
How to talk to your children about terrorism
When terrible events happen, such as last night’s terror attack in France, parents’ immediate instinct is to shield their children from the news. While this is perfectly natural, it may not always …
Pokemon Go: a guide for the uninitiated
A guide for the uninitiated
Jennifer Aniston says she’s ‘fed up’ with pregnancy rumours in furious essay on motherhood
Jennifer Aniston has been pregnant for years. For almost a decade, tabloids and celebrity weeklies have been printing covers with headlines trumpeting the news of her impending motherhood. But now …
Victoria Beckham under fire for kissing her daughter on the lips
Victoria Beckham has received a barrage of negative comments after posting a photograph of her and daughter Harper kissing in a swimming pool. The former Spice Girl posted the mother-daughter …
Mother raises awareness of daughter’s debilitating PMS through horticultural art installation
A garden at the world’s largest annual flower show is helping raise awareness of a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Sometimes referred to as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), the …
6-year-old blogger receives $2000 from Facebook for ice-cream video
A 6-year-old food blogger from India has received $2,000 from Facebook for the rights to one of his cooking videos. Nihal Raj, who is better known by his pseudonym Kicha, …
New petition seeks to ban smoking from children’s playgrounds
A mum-of-one has launched a petition to ban smoking in park playgrounds after observing a woman smoking on a seesaw near her son at her local park. Singer-songwriter Annie Dressner …
British Prime Ministerial Candidates in ‘Mum’ Row
New audio footage has emerged in which prime ministerial candidate Andrea Leadsom has suggested that having children gives her an advantage over rival Theresa May in the race to Downing …
Do schools kill creativity?
Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity in this thought-provoking TED-talk.
Girls cost significantly more than boys to raise, even during the toddler years, research finds
As any parent can attest, children are a costly investment. But it would seem that daughters cost significantly more to raise than boys. According to new research by Sainsbury’s Bank, …
Identical twin sisters give birth to their first babies at exactly the same time on exactly the same day
It’s a well known fact that twins often have a special bond, but these two sisters have taken that connection to the next level. American identical twin sisters Sarah Mariuz …
The secret to a happy marriage lies in believing it will improve, say researchers
If you want your relationship to last, try focusing on your future happiness together. That’s the key finding from a series of studies from the University of Maryland. In a …
School fines and work commitments force parents to take solo vacations with kids
Nearly three-quarters of working parents plan to take a separate summer break from their partner in order to juggle looking after their children during the school holidays, a survey of …
The simple nappy mistake that many parents are making
Confusion over the sizing information provided on nappy packaging means many babies are wearing the wrong size of nappy. Many parents assume that the plus symbol on packs of nappies …
Ikea recall following shocking video showing how easily drawers can topple and crush a child
IKEA is facing growing pressure to withdraw a popular range of drawers from sale in the UK. Ikea has announced that it is recalling 29 million Malm chests of drawers …
School population rises by 121,000
The school population in England increased by 121,000 since last year, according to annual figures from the Department for Education. The number of children enrolled in schools in England has …
Artist buys vintage dress and discovers it belonged to her mum 20 years ago
An artist from Cornwall was astounded to discover that a vintage dress she bought in a Brighton shop once belonged to her mother. Lally Macbeth said that she was instantly …
Special Delivery: The new Bridget Jones’s Baby trailer is here!
Universal Pictures and Working Title have revealed the new Bridget Jones’s Baby trailer, which you can check out below! Oscar winners Renée Zellweger and Colin Firth are joined by Patrick …
Grieving mum moved to tears as Tesco staff make special delivery
A mother who suffered the tragedy of a stillborn birth just three weeks ago was moved to tears by a kind gesture from her local Tesco. Tamzyn Rollinson, from Hove, …
Headteacher tells parents to stop using social media to spy on their kids
Children no longer have independence because their parents are able to monitor their activities through social media, a headteacher has claimed. In a passionate plea to parents to stop their …
Teacher highlights the damaging effect of bullying using just 2 red apples
Using nothing but two shiny red apples, a teacher from Staffordshire has successfully managed to convey to her class the damaging effect of bullying. Before the class began, teacher Rosie …
JK Rowling wishes for magic to reverse EU referendum result
“I don’t think I’ve ever wanted magic more.” The author of the beloved Harry Potter series, JK Rowling, has expressed her dismay on Twitter after Britain voted to leave the …
Fashion makeover games shown to ‘significantly’ lower children’s body confidence
Ten minutes spent playing on a children’s internet game is enough to lower girls’ self-esteem, a study suggests. Research by the University of West London has shown that some popular online games …
Heartrbreaking photo of three-year-old practising mass shooting lockdown drill goes viral
A mother has described how she broke down in tears after taking a picture of her three-year-old daughter standing on a toilet ‒ only to discover that she was practicing …
Watch: Dad saves kids from fire by throwing them out of 5th floor window
A family from Russia had a lucky escape after a fire in their home forced them to take drastic measures to exit the burning building. Parents Elena and Vitaly …
British children favour staying in the EU, a new poll suggests
They may be too young to vote in Thursday’s European Union referendum, but that isn’t stopping Britain’s kids from weighing in with their views on the subject. According to a …
Pregnant teens are smoking cigarettes in a bid to have smaller babies, study finds
Pregnant teens in Australia are deliberately taking up smoking to help them reduce the birth weight of their unborn babies, shocking new research has found. The finding comes from a …
Astronaut Tim Peake’s hidden LEGO cargo has a heartwarming Father’s Day twist
British astronaut Tim Peake has returned safely to Earth, just in time for Father’s Day. But what many people don’t know, is that accompanying him on his journey was a …
Sainsbury’s unusual Father’s Day breakfast suggestion is sending Twitter into overdrive
It’s Father’s Day tomorrow, and Sainsbury’s have come up with an unusual suggestion for anyone looking for something ‘special’ to cook for breakfast. Introducing another one of their “little twists” …
Dancing helps children form friendships, even when there is a history of ill-feeling, study finds
As every disco-lover knows, dancing can be a great way to break the ice. But now Oxford University academics have discovered that dancing can help children form friendships too. The …
2-year-old boy dragged into water by an alligator at a Disney resort in Florida
A 2-year-old boy from Nebraska has been attacked and dragged into the water by an alligator at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. The boy was with his family near …
Health chief calls for state-run parenting classes
Parents should receive lessons from the government on how to raise their children, Britain’s top public health expert has said. Professor John Ashton, the outgoing president of the Faculty of …
NSPCC warns porn is stripping children of their childhoods
They’re growing up in a much more X-rated universe than their parents did. A new study conducted on behalf of children’s charity the NSPCC, says the majority of children are …
Experts say nudity in the home is key to promoting positive body image in children
Internet forums are full of mums asking at what point should we stop being naked in front of our kids. But according to a newly published report, parents should embrace …
Full-time parents enjoy better job satisfaction than many workers, survey finds
It is confirmation of what many weary commuters have secretly suspected. Research has found that stay-at-home parents are happier than those who go out to work. A study carried out …
Is your child getting enough sleep? New guidelines reveal optimum amount of sleep for babies, kids and teens
New guidelines have been published outlining how much sleep children should be getting per night. The recommended amount of sleep varies by age, ranging from 8 hours for teens, up …
4 year old boy destroys £10,000 Zootropolis LEGO sculpture hours after exhibit opens
Boys will be boys. And unfortunately, they can sometimes be a little destructive if you aren’t watching them carefully. A young Chinese boy has accidentally knocked over a £10,000 Lego …
Man receives anti-Semitic abuse for reading ‘gay’ book to nieces
When Marc Shoffman’s brother-in-law turned up with a copy of an LGBT-themed nursery book, the writer was curious to see what his daughters aged 3 and 1 would make of …
Can you answer this ‘impossible’ maths question aimed at 10-year-olds?
Can you solve this maths question that has left kids and parents stumped after it was given to primary school pupils as homework. Year 5 students at a school in …
Four children a day get stuck in objects like railings, potties and toilet seats, say London Fire Brigade
Fire chiefs are warning parents to keep a keen eye on children as new figures reveal that crews receive an average of four call outs a day to rescue youngsters from …
Wanted: British mums to work as spies (flexible hours available)
It is a long way from the James Bond stereotype of the ruthlessly charming, testosterone-driven spy. But Britain’s security and intelligence agencies are targeting middle-aged women, mothers and “mid-career women” …
Children are three times more likely to get hurt falling out of bed than out of a tree
A leading academic has warned that today’s children are suffering from a “nature deficit”, deprived of the freedom to run around and play outside. Dame Fiona Reynolds, Master of Emmanuel …
Upmarket restaurant releases behavioural guidelines for child diners
Tasty grub isn’t the only thing on the menu of popular restaurant Prego. A fine Italian restaurant in New Zealand has been praised after publishing a number of strict behavioural …
Pocket money gender pay gap: Boys receive 12% more
A gender pay gap is emerging in the amount of pocket money British parents give their children. Even at the tender age of under 15, it seems boys receive significantly …
This stranger had the best response to a new mother breastfeeding in public
As any parent knows, eating out with kids can be a struggle. And even more so when you are by yourself and your newborn needs a feed. Earlier this week, …
US zoo shoots gorilla dead to save child who fell into enclosure
A 180 kilogram male gorilla in a US zoo has been shot dead after grabbing a four-year-old boy who fell into a moat. Authorities said the boy, who fell three …
More than a third of British parents let their kids drive a car underage, survey finds
A recent study has found that over a third of parents let their kids drive a car before they turn 17 years old and in most cases they even drive …
Lose the shoes: schoolchildren with no shoes on ‘do better and behave better in the classroom’, research shows
Schoolchildren who take their shoes off during lessons are likely to obtain better grades and behave better than those who wear them, academic research has revealed. According to research by …
Old Toys Receive New Limbs To Educate Kids About Organ Donation
Organ donation is a difficult topic to discuss, especially when it comes to child donors. But a social project in Japan called Second Life Toys aims to change that. The …
Parents Can Become Big Babies In This Adult-Sized Stroller
Kolcraft, maker of the Countours baby stroller, has come up with a novel way to give parents a glimpse into their baby’s stroller experience. The adult-sized stroller is an exact …
Primary school extends school day to help parents afford cheaper holidays
A primary school in Kent has lengthened its school day by 20 minutes in order to help parents plan cheaper, off-peak holidays. Chiddingstone Primary School near Tunbridge Wells has extended …
Contraception at the flick of a switch
A German carpenter has invented a device that he claims will revolutionise contraception, by allowing a man to turn the flow of sperm from his testicles on and off at …
Padded bras being marketed to children as young as seven
A new trend in young girls’ fashion is raising some eyebrows: padded bras in sizes so small that would fit some preschool children. They’re mini versions of something one may …
Footage shows how a baby’s pram can turn into 37C death trap in just 20 minutes
Parents are being urged not to drape blankets over their baby’s pram after an experiment showed how rapidly the buggy can heat up. The experiment, which was captured on film, …
Young mum ordered to stop ‘sexual’ breastfeeding in hospital
A young mother from Blackburn has claimed she was asked to go behind a curtain to breastfeed her baby because it was ‘too sexual’. Darcie Pennington, 18, was visiting her …
High Court rules in favour of father who refused to pay fine for term-time holiday
A father who refused to pay a fine for taking his six-year-old daughter out of school for a family trip to Florida, has won a ruling in his favour at …
Headteacher claims ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’ are damaging children’s brains
A headteacher is urging parents not to let their children read or watch ‘Harry Potter’, claiming the books contribute to mental illness in kids. Graeme Whiting, head of the independent Acorn …
Magazine under fire for offering swimsuit tips to pre-teen girls
The publisher of a US magazine aimed at 8- to 12-year-old girls has apologised for a recent swimsuit spread offering tips on selecing the right bathing suit based on body …
Maths question for six-year-olds is leaving adults scratching their heads. Can you solve it?
A maths question aimed at 6 and 7 year old pupils in Year 2 is leaving parents scratching their heads. The question reads: ‘There were some people on a train. …
Nearly three quarters of car seats are incorrectly fitted. These are the most common mistakes…
According to a research by leading child car seat initiative Good Egg Safety, nearly three quarters of UK car seats are fitted incorrectly. The company recently tested 3353 child car …
Politicans who have failed to meet their own school standards
Last week, education minister Nick Gibb came unstuck after he tried to answer a grammar question for 11-year-olds. The schools minister was asked on BBC Radio 4’s World at One …
Shocking number of parents admit to raiding their kids’ savings
Nearly half of parents admit to raiding their children’s piggy bank to cover costs such as parking, takeaways, taxis, school trips, paying the window cleaner, and for the tooth fairy, …
Incredible video shows an unborn baby turning inside her mother’s womb
YouTube user John Deadman has shared a video capturing rare footage of a baby turning in her mother’s womb. The mum-to-be, who was 39 weeks pregnant when the clip was …
Thief steals car with two children in the back after M25 police chase
Two young children have endured a terrifying ordeal after the car they were in was stolen by a suspect on the run from police. Officers had tried to stop a …
Parents and children strike against SATs tests
Parents and children around the UK went on strike on Tuesday in protest at compulsory SATs tests that the government has introduced to gauge the academic progress of six and …
Parents and grandparents putting children at risk by ditching booster seats too soon, finds research
Over a third of 8 to 11 year olds in the UK are not using a booster seat on car journeys when one is required, according to a new report …
Would you pass the new SATs tests for 11-year-olds?
Next month will see the introduction of new SATs tests, which the government is introducing as part of reforms designed to ensure that every child gets a “solid grounding” in …
Full-time working dads earn 21% more than their childless peers, while working mums earn 11% less
Full-time working fathers out-earn their childless counterparts by more than a fifth, research has found. A study of 17,000 workers commissioned by the TUC has found than full time working …
Primary school spelling test scrapped after paper was leaked online
A primary school spelling test due to be taken by hundreds of thousands of seven year-olds this summer has been scrapped after it was accidentally published online. The test, which …
Rewarding children’s good behaviour with sweets and junk food may lead to emotional eating, finds research
Do you use sweets or chocolate as a reward for good behaviour? If so, you may unintentionally be teaching your kids to rely on food to deal with their emotions. …
Research says children of older mothers are smarter, taller, and stronger
The risks of having children later in life are well documented: there’s a higher chance the baby will have issues at birth such as Down’s syndrome, or be more likely …
Research shows most parents have a favourite child, and it’s usually the eldest
Do you have a favourite child? The taboo question often receives a firm answer: no. But research suggests that most parents do have a favourite child, and it’s probably the …
BBC launches new iPlayer Kids app
The BBC has created an app aimed exclusively at children – BBC iPlayer Kids. Available to download today on tablets and smartphones, the name basically says it all: it’s iPlayer, …
Photographer captures the hilarious and infinitely more relatable side of pregnancy
Photographer Danielle Guenther’s shots shine a light on the less glamorous side of pregnancy. Pregnancy can be a beautiful time in a woman’s life, but it can also be a …
British mum of triplets hits back at critics who called her ‘selfish’
A 55 year old grandmother who gave birth to triplets last month has hit back at critics who have called her “selfish”. Sharon Cutts and her 40-year-old boyfriend Stuart Reynolds …
Champagne, caesareans and oysters on demand: Inside the Portland Hospital
Imagine giving birth while chomping on lobster washed down with vintage Dom Perignon and knowing the moment your baby arrives someone else will be on hand to look after him. …
Parents do not recognise the importance of learning in pre-school years, claims charity Save the Children
Too many parents are underestimating their children’s ability to learn language, according to a report. A survey of parents by charity Save the Children found that far from the popular …
White British children are among the highest achievers at age 5, but fall behind in secondary school, study finds
In the Early Years, White British children are among the highest achievers but, by the time they finish secondary school, they fall ten places in the rankings to just below average.
Woman goes into premature labour thinking she’s having one baby – and gives birth to FIVE
When Manita Singh began to feel labour pains at just 26 weeks pregnant, she was understandably worried about the health of her unborn baby. The 25-year-old Indian woman had given …
Children take over their mums’ styling for charity
Friday 29 April is Oxfam’s Dressed by the Kids day, with several celebrities getting behind the campaign and encouraging others to take part. On that day, Oxfam dares parents to …
Half of parents prepared to pay £60 fines to take their children on holiday during term time, reveals survey
Almost half of British parents are either prepared to risk being fined, or already have been, for taking their children out of school during term time to go on holiday, …
Thomas the Tank Engine is given some multicultural friends
Thomas’s friends are finally getting a little more diverse. Since its creation in 1946 by British clergyman Wilbert Audry, Thomas the Tank Engine has charmed generations of children, imparting gentle …
Schools are charging up to £1.80 for children to eat homemade packed lunches
Parents are being charged for children to eat their own packed lunches in schools, it has been reported. A survey carried out by the Teachers’ Union NASUWT and reported in …