It affects up to 20% of women and can be as complex as depression at any stage of life. But support is thereThe modern mind is a column where experts discuss mental health issues they are seeing in their work“I want to be a good mother but I’m afraid. …
In a society that fetishises female self-sacrifice, saying ‘no’ saved me | Grace Jennings-Edquist
Women continue to take on a disproportionate amount of unpaid household labour and the ‘mental load’. But the road to ‘no’ can be a long oneAs a working mother, one word has saved me as the pandemic has worn on: “No.” I’ve learned to say “no” to being …
‘Loving ourselves is an act of defiance’: tender and heartbreaking letters to fathers and sons
The historical oppression of Indigenous men has shaped perceptions of First Nations masculinity. A lovingly curated book of letters challenges stereotypesWhen Wiradjuri woman and Miles Franklin-winning novelist Tara June Winch met Torres Strait Islande…
‘A kick in the teeth’: British mothers and pregnant women fear return to workplace
Companies recalling staff this month have been accused of not offering flexitime and failing to protect employeesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBefore the pandemic, every morning and night was a cycle of stress and rushing …
A little bird told me: how a magpie taught me I could be a father
Charlie Gilmour never wanted to have children – his father had abandoned him at six months and he feared he’d do the same. But then a magpie came into his life and changed everythingIt wasn’t long after our wedding – on our New Forest honeymoon, in fac…
This is what I tell friends who are torn about having children | Hadley Freeman
That your life becomes entirely about your kids once you have them is not proof that’s how life should beI am of an age when most of my social group is in their late 30s and early 40s, and, as has always been the case, the majority of my friends are wo…
My dad scorns my career goals. How do I keep us from falling out? | Annalisa Barbieri
You need to talk to him, but set the scene so that your father is more receptive to your point of view, says Annalisa BarbieriI have just turned 17 and will soon go to college. I have always done well at school; I don’t drink, use drugs or even have a …
The chronic stress survival guide: how to live with the anxiety and grief you can’t escape
Stress can feel like a baseline condition for many of us – especially during a pandemic. But there are ways to help alleviate the very worst of it, whether through support, sleep or radical self-careAt a time when all life’s challenges have been amplif…
Vulnerable children at risk as England faces shortfall of 25,000 foster families
No support, a broken system and increasing poverty are hampering the recruitment of carers, charities warnEngland faces a 25,000 shortfall in foster families over the next five years, amid complaints of a lack of support for existing carers and a broke…
Paloma Faith: ‘If anyone can do it, it’s me’
Despite the balancing act – home schooling, a second baby, a fifth album and a nationwide tour – Paloma Faith always comes out fighting… and full of storiesHere’s a nice little exclusive for you,” Paloma Faith leans into my voice recorder generously, g…