Now more than ever, children are cooped up indoors and monitored 24/7. But how can they build confidence and social skills if adults never let them out of their sight?She describes herself as having been a “fairly cautious” parent before the pandemic, …
Rhik Samadder tries … silent disco meditation: ‘A man in socks and a bandana is romancing a tree’
A dance-based ‘soul journey’ – in the middle of Clapham Common? While I stream with sweat and onlookers laugh, I can’t stop worrying about what I’m having for dinnerI’m shaking my pelvis with brio, when a goldendoodle ambles up. Don’t you poo, I think….
The last nomad hippies – a photo essay
The hippy movement may have been in decline since its 1960s heyday, but there are still Europeans who choose an alternative lifestyle. During the pandemic, when many people are considering whether there might be a different way to live rather than retu…
‘Hidden pandemic’: Peruvian children in crisis as carers die
With 93,000 children in Peru losing a parent to Covid, many face depression, anxiety and povertyWhen Covid-19 began shutting down Nilda López’s vital organs, doctors decided that the best chance of saving her and her unborn baby was to put her into a c…
‘I’m not a news robot reading an Autocue’: Clive Myrie on politics, personality and Mastermind
The BBC newsreader takes over the venerable quiz show next week. He discusses fighting for viewers, dealing with online abuse – and making his parents proudThere is one correct way to start an interview with the new host of Mastermind: turn the tables …
Anti-vaxxers using pro-choice slogans make me so angry | Eva Wiseman
Slinging around phrases about body autonomy belittles the pro-choice debate and overlooks issues surrounding pregnancy and fertilityI am not an angry person, I get headaches instead. Rage is swallowed like a meatball and spreads fattily around my body,…
How to make the most of gardening’s therapy bonus
If you’re finding gardening stressful, simplify your collection and stop worrying about neatnessIt seems you can’t pick up a gardening magazine these days without reading about the measurable benefits that horticulture can have on both mental and physi…
Celebrities join billboard drive to end taboo around the menopause
Poster campaign tells women they no longer need to ‘keep calm and carry on’The common symptoms that herald the menopause are regularly dismissed with a joke. A little discomfort? A slight embarrassment? On Monday, a new poster campaign and online chari…
Cashed out: a fond farewell to coins and notes
If you’re struggling to recall the last time you handled cash, you’re not alone. As we click and tap our way to a digital world, Emma Beddington asks if we’ll miss the pound in our pocket when it’s goneWhat’s in your wallet? Do you even know where it i…
How can I win round my frosty future mother-in-law?
Look at her actions in a positive light and swap the small talk for more meaningful conversationThe question I’m due to marry later this year and would like advice regarding my mother-in-law to be. My relationship with her tends to be strained. She los…