China limited families to one child from 1980 to 2015 to curb population growth. The policy paid off economically for the country, but it left couples whose only child died grieving and impoverished.
While there have been calls to increase support for women, particularly mothers, it would seem that no one is asking fathers to step up.
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Despite the disproportionate burden mothers have faced during lockdown, encouraging parents to share child care and housework more equally is almost never suggested as part of the solution.
Despite claims to the contrary, the real thing cannot be replicated.
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Cecília Tomori, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
Around the globe, 823,000 child deaths could be prevented annually with appropriate breastfeeding. Formula makers continue to defy a 40-year-old international code on marketing their product.
Some children with autism have learned to express themselves emotionally through music.
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Flexible arrangements might help women maintain a work-life balance, but can also weaken their position in the labour market and lose them earnings in the long term.
Giving new dads ‘fathers-only’ leave is one way to support women’s equality.
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A study of child sexual abuse material survivors found 42% were abused by their father or stepfather, meaning abuse prevention and education services can’t assume all parents protect children in their care.
According to this theory, our social and political views can be impacted not only by the sex of our children, but also whether we have more male or female relatives.
Studies show that young people aren’t getting sufficient information – at home, school or online – about mental health and illness.
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Understanding a family member’s diagnosis can help teens feel less stressed, afraid and alone.
Suspensions have continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, while children are attending remotely from their homes.
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More than 1 in 5 college students are parents, and many struggle to find on-campus housing. Colleges offering a stable place to live on campus can help them succeed.
Helping boys through their voice change can keep the joy of singing alive.
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Many boys stop singing at adolescence – but with the right support, they can continue to sing through their voice change and emerge as lifetime singers.
If governments are looking for a post-pandemic “baby boom” to help populations grow, then they should increase the amount and duration of paid parental leave for both mums and partners.
Seeking help for their own distress, creating a warm and cohesive family environment and focusing on some of the silver linings may help parents safeguard their children’s mental health.
A father adjusts his daughter’s face mask outside the White House.
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For children, getting outdoors helps to aid their exploration of the world – it’s how they learn best.
While Canadian moms are still doing the lion’s share of child care and housework, in the early days of the pandemic, Canadian dads stepped up their efforts.
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Canadian fathers increased their share of work at home — in housework and in child care — in the early days of the pandemic as work and routines put pressures on the family.
Professor, Canada Research Chair in Determinants of Child Development, Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary