Handling ‘The News’ With Children.

  I’ve recently had two children referred to me who have a fear of being shot by a terrorist after watching the news about the terrible attack on Ukraine The problem with 24/7 News coverage is that it blows out of proportion the amount of bad things that can happen and children are very sensitive […]

Make it Count: A Guide for Parents and Carers on Children’s Mental Health

A rather grim & growing report from Sky News has suggested that COVID-19 has created a crisis for ‘years to come’ – as  lockdowns have put children under ‘unprecedented’ levels of distress Sky News is given unique access to a child and adolescent mental health trust to see first hand the crises children are facing. […]

Parents should be encouraging their children to spend more time online so that they can "save the country", the former head of GCHQ has said.

What do you make of this? Let your kids spend more time online to ‘save the country’, says ex-GCHQ chief Britain lacks cyber skills and is “desperately” short of computer scientists and engineers, warns a former cyberespionage chief. Mr Hannigan, who stood down as the director of Britain’s electronic surveillance agency in January, was responding […]

After the terrorist attacks – what to say to your kids.

Violence, such as the terrorist attacks in Paris on the innocent people on Friday night, can leave lasting impressions on children, even if they only witness it through news reports and social media. But you as parents can help your children process these and other senseless tragedies. It’s important to talk about terrible events, and […]

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin. A new study from Harvard University in the USA reveals that children benefit more from their father reading them bedtime stories

  Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin. A new study from Harvard University in the USA reveals that children benefit more from their father reading them bedtime stories.e Dads, the research revealed, spark more “imaginative discussions” and are more instrumental to their children’s language development because of the way they read to their kids. […]

Extra screen time ‘hits GCSE grades’ according to a new survey

I’m on Sky News today talking about a new study conducted by a Cambridge University  that suggested that an extra hour a day of television, internet or computer game time in Year 10 is linked to poorer grades at GCSE. Read more here -> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-34139196  

Children in England are unhappier with their lives than those in 13 other countries

  I’m appearing on Sky News today discussing this: Children in England are unhappier with their lives than those in 13 other countries including Israel and South Africa, with only South Korea lagging behind according to a comprehensive international piece of research based on a survey of 53,000 children aged 10 and 12 in England, […]

If you’re slim you’ll be successful and win X Factor in one fell swoop – or marry a footballer

Following on from my being on Sky News discussing airbrushing and the power of media images The danger of airbrushing. Start talking to your kids before the beauty industry does ! Here are my comments about eating disorders, bullying and fashion in http://www.publicsector.net/lifestyle/article.asp?CategoryId=32&ArticleId=11754 “Is fashion more ‘killer meals’ than ‘killer heels’, Joanna Lowy asks, following […]