Lessons in love from my new teenage foster daughter

As well as joys, challenges and unusual pets she brought fresh insights to our home. By Jill Dawson

Foreskin reclaimers: the ‘intactivists’ fighting infant male circumcision

Emboldened by the body-positive movement and a sense of rage, a growing chorus is pushing back against a common custom

HPV vaccine to be given to boys in effort to slash cancer rates

Move by NHS could prevent more than 100,000 cancers across UK by 2058

Majority of parents don’t know how much exercise children need

Survey shows that 68% of adults are unaware of recommended exercise time

UK among least family-friendly countries in OECD, survey finds

League table compiled based on parental leave and childcare levels puts UK in bottom third

‘A mother is scared to hold her baby in case he dies in her arms’: my job as a health visitor

When I visit mothers living with postnatal depression and families struggling to buy food, it reminds me how hard parenthood is

I know what drives young people to self-harm – I did it for years

Self-harm can feel like the only way to get a handle on a world that seems out of control, says journalist and mental health activist, Harriet Williamson

Why parents are addicted to Calpol

The long read: It is the one medicine we reach for whenever our babies are feverish or in pain. What’s the secret of its success?

Mother Ship by Francesca Segal review – a moving story about motherhood

A remarkable memoir-diary about giving birth to premature twins is also a love letter to solidarity

How Stockholm became the city of work-life balance

With flexible hours the norm, and almost two years’ parental leave for every child, Sweden’s capital boasts a happy and efficient workforce. What can other cities learn?

Children are stuck inside more than ever – how can we give them back their freedom?

British children spend half the time their parents did playing in the street. But some campaigners are fighting back against a culture that is keeping kids from exercising their right to play

Limiting screen use for one week may improve teenagers’ sleep – study

Reducing blue light exposure at night may decrease fatigue and mood swings, researchers find

Schools of thought: can mindfulness lessons boost child mental health?

Children are under increasing pressure. Investing in their mental wellbeing could could help them now and in the future

‘My tutor said it wasn’t a job for a man’: my journey from roofer to midwife

I’ve encountered sexism, but it’s an amazing job and an honour to support women giving birth

Louis Theroux: ‘I worried I might be mansplaining motherhood’

As he tackles one of his most harrowing subjects yet, the documentary-maker talks about parenting, psychosis – and his secret beard