Mothering, early years

Birth is big. That’s the paradigm I work with. There are very few events in life that have the same potential for life affirming or destructive…

For many of us, parenting reminds us of the central importance of families. Social norms and the tyranny of distance mean that few Australians partake of a…

There is a hobbit in my garden, climbing a tree. He is short—as hobbits are—with dark skin, brown eyes and a bushy beard. My son catches sight of him from the…

I stood at the doorway of my daughter’s bedroom one night as her father tucked her in and said goodnight. ‘Daddy, you’re my true love’, she said as she wrapped…

We were listening to the Eagles in the car when five-year-old Gracie asked, ‘Mummy, can love really keep us alive?’ Quickly my mind went into overload. How…

When many of us think about bonding with a baby, the image that is evoked is that of holding your baby just after birth, falling immediately in love…

Q: I read The Aware Baby when my baby, Clementine, was one month old, and started Aware Parenting soon after that. Gradually my husband and I got into…

Q: Dear Jan, We have a beautiful 8 month old baby boy! We co-sleep with him, and have done for the last few months. I nurse him…

We pay almost anyone to look after infants — except their mothers. Evidence that good mothering matters, both for the…

I first took my son on an airplane when he was barely four months old. I remember having just said goodbye to my husband and feeling awfully scared:…