This poem brought a little lump to my throat, but a big smile to my face when I found it recently: WHOSE CHILD IS THIS? Author Unknown “Whose child is this?” I asked one day Seeing a little one out at play “Mine”, said the parent with a tender smile “Mine to keep a little …
Category: STEM
Aug 24
The deep horrors of motherhood. We Need to Talk About Kevin
I recently read – in one intensive, all-encompassing go – We Need to Talk About Kevin. I know that Lionel Shriver wrote it in 2003, and we are now almost a decade on, in 2012; I know too that it was made into a film last year, so I am well aware that I am …
Jun 16
Madwomen or mothers of invention?
My eye alighted on this letter in last week’s Sunday Times, addressed to the Editor from Lynnea Shrief, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire: “Your article “When mums go mad†(Style, last week) contained out-of-date information about me and my children. Furthermore, I understood it would be about my placenta encapsulation business, not about my mothering skills or preferences. …
Jan 28
Communicating with young people: the work of Jean Gross
Jean Gross, the Government’s Communications Champion, – awarded a CBE in the New Year’s Honours List – came to talk at the GSA conference which I hosted as GSA President in Bristol in November, and she speaks out tirelessly about the need for us to communicate effectively with children. Her goal is simple: she wants …
Jan 23
Parent power at work: ensuring excellence in independent schools
A great article on independent schools appeared in last week’s Times newspaper. Written by the thoughtful and insightful Greg Hurst, Education Editor of the Times, it posed the question ‘Just how good are independent schools?’ and proceeded to look at the evidence. The article quite rightly acknowledged that independent schools come in many shapes and …
Dec 06
The dangers of pole-dancing …
I am perplexed by the apparent craze for pole-dancing. It may not in fact be a craze, but we certainly seem to be hearing more about it these days. Marketed as ‘pole fitness’, its proponents are quick to stress the physical benefits of the classes, as well as the fact that they are ‘fun’. Quite …
Oct 20
ParentPort: a way forward to protect our children
It was fantastic last week to see clear action being taken by the Government – as promised – to implement some of the major recommendations of the Bailey Report, ‘Letting Children be Children’, which was published in June. The report described a landscape in which our children are bombarded by sexualised imagery, and content designed …
Sep 15
It is natural to feel conflicting emotions about your children going to university
With the new university term now fast approaching – and just started for some – it is natural for parents of first-time university students to feel very strange. Such a conflict of emotions – pride in your child for gaining a place and hope for the future, for new relationships and new horizons, balanced against …
Sep 11
The valuing of fatherhood
Fathers who would like an uplifting read should take a look at Dylan Jones’ comment piece on The Times website. Entitled ‘Men who juggle: School runs, nappies, long hours at work’, the article is in effect a piece in praise of fatherhood, recognising the value that fathers have in their children’s lives, and celebrating the …
Sep 06
Are we placing too much pressure on parents?
By a curious coincidence – or perhaps it was a deliberate act – page 10 of yesterday’s Telegraph drew attention to a central truth of our society that was not explicitly referred to in either of the two articles which appeared solely on that page. The first article, ‘Peer pressure makes mothers push children to …