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 the experts at Trinity Healthcare. With life expectancy increasing, many families now find themselves caring for elderly parents / relatives well into their own adulthood. While caring for a loved one can be incredibly rewarding, it also brings significant challenges, especially for those balancing the demands of a young family, work and personal well-being. To support you on this journey, the professional carers at Trinity Homecare have compiled some practical tips and resources to help you achieve a healthier balance between caregiving, family life and personal wellbeing.

Written by Natasha Kitson, Maternity Mentor. Returning to work after having a baby is a journey marked by challenges, adjustments and a whole new perspective on what work-life balance truly means. I don’t believe it truly gets the recognition it deserves, and employers often expect us to work as if we haven’t just had time out to birth and raise a small human.  For many new mums, this period involves navigating a complex mix of excitement and apprehension as they step back into the professional world while balancing the (often wholly demanding) needs of their new family.

Written by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. Resilience is the skill of ‘bouncing back’ when you come up against tricky times, challenges, or stress. It is not something that you do or don’t have, it is something which is learnt, practiced, and strengthened over time. Our children have to learn resilience starting from a very young age and this is often developed (and experienced) through their play.