Recent Articles in Dilemmas & solutions

Brother behaving badly - strops at nine!
Mar 18, 2008

My son aged nine has started throwing strops and is taking much longer to come out of them than ever before. He wouldn't play with his four-year-old sister at her party and when I told him he was being selfish, he took a huge huff and stayed in it for nearly an hour. I got angry with him, threatened sanctions, tried being nice - pretty much everything - but all to no avail? Any ideas?

My child’s teacher doesn’t like him
Feb 12, 2008

A clash of personalities or a misunderstanding? Most teachers are far too professional to allow personal feelings to show in the classroom but what if your child is being picked on unfairly and it's making him unhappy?

Finding and using babysitters - guidelines and top ten tips
Feb 4, 2008

Whenever you use a babysitter you should feel confident that your children are being well cared for in your absence. If you’re worried about the situation you won’t be able to enjoy a night out. So it makes sense to find a competent babysitter you can rely on. A few simple guidelines can make the babysitter/parent relationship more rewarding.

Are you too nice? asks Georgina Walsh, founder of NannySuccess.com
Dec 16, 2007

While your friends and family think you are great, have you ever stopped to think that you may be too nice? To find out, take this quick quiz from NannySuccess.com, an affordable web-based service which helps you to find the right nanny, au pair or housekeeper and then helps you to manage them well.

Bilingual children - top tips for bilingual families
Nov 10, 2007

Research suggests babies are born with perfect pitch, an attribute which makes learning language much easier. So if  two languages (or more!) are spoken in your family, these top tips will ensure children get a distinct advantage.

A book at bedtime – why reading to your child is so important
Oct 25, 2007

Sadly one in ten children is never read a bedtime story and many others are only read to sporadically and yet just a few minutes of your time can make all the difference to your child’s future, says Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools & Families.

Are our children safe online? Do we know what they are actually doing in front of that computer screen?
Oct 4, 2007

The Internet is a wonderful resource but are we doing enough to keep our children as safe in the virtual world as we would hope they are in the real world?

Drug abuse - would you know if your child was taking drugs?
Jul 25, 2007

Headline news stories about children and drug abuse are enough to make parents want to lock up their offspring for their own protection. It’s just as easy to assume that drug abuse is rife everywhere as it is to think it won’t happen to my kids. Neither case is true and recent research has shown that there really is no stereotypical child or teenager who takes drugs.

Children sharing holidays
Jul 20, 2007

Whether you are inviting another child on your weekend away/holiday or your son or daughter is  joining another family for a break a bit of pre-planning  can make it a much more enjoyable experience for everyone.

Only but not lonely – the fate of the single child in a family
Jul 10, 2007

In spite of the fact that nearly one fifth of families in the UK has just one child, only children are still regarded as a bit of an oddity.

How to help your child develop good social skills
Jul 8, 2007

The Government has recognised the importance of of children developing good social skills with the inclusion of the SEAL - social and emotional aspects of learning - programme in secondary schools after it has been running in two thirds of primary schools through classes such as PE and drama. But to improve your child's chances of success in later life, there are simple strategies parents can follow at home.

Sporty kids - what parents should be aware of when their children take part in sports activities
Jun 29, 2007

Exercise, as we all know, is good for you and we should encourage our children to lead physically active lives so that they don’t store up problems in later life - obese children are more likely to die in adulthood from heart disease. However while on the one hand we don’t want our children to become couch potatoes, we should ensure that they aren’t overdoing it and that coaches in gymnastics or specific sports are not pushing children too hard.