By Grace Olson, Author. Scheduling self-care is vital if we are to be capable of performing well as a parent, and looking back at my early experiences of parenting, it really was a ‘performance’. As a parent you have to keep your feelings in check and you have to demonstrate the type of behaviour you want from your children even if your emotions are exploding within you.

So how can we do this? How can we schedule any sort of self-care into our busy lives? Well, the easiest way is to allow yourself some time each day to read a book. This year (2026) the government has launched an initiative called The National Year of Reading. They want to encourage the nation to read more physical books because it has become clear that scrolling through social media and reading electronically is harming our brains. It disrupts sleep, increases anxiety, reduces attention span and can lower self-esteem as we look at the ‘perfect’ lives and success of other people (which are often fake).

Written by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant.  Early waking is a very common challenge for families, especially as mornings start to get lighter. For many babies and young children, this can signal that it’s time to start the day.

Some children, however, wake early all year round, and this can become an established pattern that feels difficult to change.

Written by Hannah. Sometimes I drive past the hospital where my first daughter was born, and I shudder. The experience was awful. The birth was traumatic. The care felt neglectful. Birth trauma is something I lived through and for a period of my life, it consumed me. It was exhausting. I was anxious and irritable. I became flaky with friends. Large groups of people felt overwhelming. I withdrew from relationships and developed separation anxiety from both my husband and my daughter. I poured every bit of energy I had into my daughter and into trying to be a good mother.

Written by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant.

When and how to start: readiness over age

The first thing to say is that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all age for toilet training. Instead, focus on your child’s developmental signs:

• Showing interest in the potty or toilet (you can have a potty available from baby stage)

• Staying dry for longer periods

• Communicating bodily needs (with words or gestures)

• Disliking dirty nappies

• Able to sit independently which can be from around 6-9 months

These signs suggest your child may be ready to begin introducing potty skills. It is important to emphasise that you don’t need to wait for perfect readiness — starting with gentle exposure can help your child understand the process gradually.