Family

By Jasmine Stephens, family editor When I was a child, our school summer holidays revolved around one thing: the Calendar.  This wasn't your ordinary everyday variety, but something we made out of a huge piece of lining paper left over from the time my dad attempted to decorate the hall which we hung on the back of the kitchen door.  We would draw up a grid and - with elaborate colour-coordination - would detail all our plans for the whole...

By Jasmine Stephens, family editor It is a truth universally acknowledged that a grown adult in possession of small children, must be in want of a spa day. Universally, it transpired, with the exception of my husband, who only as we drove through the stunning Yorkshire Pennines, announced that he wasn’t sure he was going to enjoy ‘this spa thing’. I won’t deny that spas do appeal more to the female market, with mother-daughter days, hen parties and groups of...

By Jasmine Stephens, family editor We've all been there; your baby is 12 months old, you made carefully considered decisions about baby-led weaning versus purées versus 'a bit of both and let's see how we go'. Whatever you chose, after a couple of small blips, it went swimmingly and your one-year old eats like a horse. A very messy horse. Then around six months later, things start to change. Your toddler realises they are able to exercise some control over...

Those with considerable personal wealth, whether it has accumulated over time due to business interests, is linked to family assets, or has been gifted to them as an inheritance, should not feel uncomfortable about taking the necessary steps to protect it before entering into a marriage. Pre-nuptial agreements can certainly be difficult to talk about in the context of a happy relationship that neither party can see going wrong, but when it comes to the protection of sizeable assets, they...

By Jasmine Stephens, family editor As TLE’s family editor, I get sent information about all kinds of child related products, toys and events, but it’s rare that I see something that I think will be a sure fire success. I’m always on the look-out for products that encourage parents and their children to spend more quality time together as opposed to toys that keep kids quiet and distracted and if they get everyone outside in the fresh air, then all...

By Jasmine Stephens, Family Editor Since I've had my own children, Father's Day has taken on a completely different focus. It's a day for my children to tell their dad how much they love and appreciate him, to give him homemade cards with a wobbly attempt at signing their own name and - if he's lucky - he might even get a lie-in until 8am followed by breakfast in bed. With a jolt I realise that I've forgotten about my...

Between checking everybody’s passport is in date, stocking up on suncream, arranging airport transfers and washing and ironing countless pairs of shorts and t-shirts, there is little time when planning a family holiday to consider what may happen should something go wrong, either before the trip or during. What happens if your youngest falls ill the morning of the flight and no-one can travel? If you arrive at your hotel and it is totally different to the one in the...

By Jasmine Stephens, Family Editor Lower back pain is often seen as part and parcel of pregnancy with nearly 70% of pregnant women suffering at some point. Unfortunately, unlike many other pregnancy-related complaints, it often doesn’t end with labour and many women continue to experience lower back pain long after their babies are born due to weakened abdominal and back muscles and poor posture while breastfeeding and carrying their children. My own lower back problems have certainly been made considerably...

By Jasmine Stephens, Family Editor  Play is essential for children's development. It sounds obvious when you put it like that, but opportunities for kids to play are being lost all the time by everything from cuts to local services such as Children's Centres and playgrounds, to a more risk-averse society, to an increase in traffic, to the change in the socially-accepted level of parental supervision. You simply cannot have a fulfilling childhood without play.  A child cannot achieve their potential...