Health

For health's sake, ditch your doona

Caroline Marcus It's the eve of winter: time to lose the doona. An Australian doctor with almost 50 years' medical experience says doonas were invented for the northern hemisphere and warns that overheating at...

Christmas tips for step families

Dolla S Merrillees Christmas Day for many families is an exercise in controlled chaos, for stepfamilies the demands of the holiday season can be doubled or tripled.

Preparing for a babysitter

When you hire a new babysitter, you'll want to make sure you give them all the information they need to care for your children. The more prepared you are, the more at ease you'll feel about going out.

Girls around the world born into inequality

David Cook For the past 10 weeks I have spent nearly every waking hour thinking about the baby girl who has brought so much joy to my wife and me.

Tips for work-life balance

In Australia, we have a reputation for being laidback and carefree, but when it comes to hard yakka, our deeply ingrained preference is for a culture of long hours.

T'keyah, To The Moon and Back - Dandy Walker syndrome

Anni Taylor Kerry, a homeschooling mum of six, tells the story of her fifth child, T'keyah, born with Dandy Walker syndrome.

Dads in Australia: Their changing role

Neil Jameson Not too long after man first walked on the Moon, I thumbed a ride with a tile salesman who couldn't wait to get home to spend time with his kid.

Kids belong in high rises (and everywhere else)

Carolyn Whitzman From Melbourne to Darwin, apartment buildings have sprung up in central cities. High rise living is assumed to be bad for children, despite – or because of – the fact that public...

Navigating Christmas as a step-family

Dolla S Merrillees For stepfamilies and blended families, Christmas can often bring a mixed bag of complications as they juggle ex-spouses, multiple sets of grandparents, joint custody arrangements and children with...

Thrifty Christmas might be the magic pudding

Maggie Dent A survey released by the Australian National Retailers Association reported that 34% of people intend to spend less on gifts this Christmas than they did last year.

Support for Mum when Dad works away

Department of Communities (WA) Does your partner spend time away for work? More and more families are developing their own strategies to deal with the challenges of the home and away lifestyle and are making it work for them.

Lighten your load, win back your life

Kath Lockett Fathers can find better ways to balance their careers and home duties. Kath Lockett reports.

Technology keeps busy families in touch

Ann-Maree Moodie Technology can keep busy families in touch, writes Ann-Maree Moodie.

Parents feel caught in children trap

Rachel Browne Almost one in four parents feels "terrified" or "overwhelmed" by the challenge of raising children, a study has found.

Parents need whooping cough jab, too

Medical experts are recommending the vaccination of adults, including expectant parents, to combat a surge in cases of whooping cough in NSW.

The family that eats together ...

Nick Galvin Just as out parents always told us, sitting down and eating together as a family is a good thing to do for a whole range of reasons.

When is Daddy coming home?

Kath Lockett Fathers are finding smarter ways to mix work and family life, writes Kath Lockett.

How cash crunch can impact on child abuse

Arjun Ramachandran The financial downturn has created a "recipe for a crisis" for Australian children, who face greater risk of abuse just as child protection groups face cuts to services, a child welfare expert says.