Parenting and families

Early 20th-century colour photo of a family sitting and standing outside a rustic building on a cobblestone street.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES

The history of family offers a liberating view of custom and love

Chronicling the families of the past shows just how much family values, feelings and decision-making can morph over time

by Katie Barclay

Collage featuring a cut-out photo of woman running overlaid on vintage photos.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES

Prison letters animate Diane’s attempt to understand a distant father

Directed by Diana Cam Van Nguyen

Painting of a woman in a flowing white dress and a man lying on a black background with ornamental corners.
LOVE

A girl upends her grandparents’ ‘love story’ in this hilarious animation

Directed by Maryam Mohajer

Photo of a pregnant woman in a pink vest and white skirt, holding a red bag, walking in an urban area.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES

Moving through the world pregnant, my body became everyone’s

And I knew that, once I became a mother, I would be only more visible, more public, more available for scrutiny

by Katie da Cunha Lewin

Photo of two boys playfully confronting each other on a leaf-covered path beside a fence in autumn.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES

Trapped with no escape: the hidden problem of sibling bullying

When brothers and sisters victimise each other, the harms can be serious. But it’s never too late to heal old wounds

by Kristen Cvancara

A Chinese middle-aged woman tending plants on a rooftop garden with residential buildings and a blue sky in the background.
SEX AND SEXUALITY

Shuli’s mother has known he was gay for years. Can they finally talk about it?

A film by Shuli Huang

A smiling shirtless man with the outline of a child, as if cut out by scissors, sitting on his shoulders.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES

No kidding! Inside one childless comedian’s choice to get a vasectomy

A film by Jordan Temple

Photo of a young girl doing homework at a table with adult guidance, holding a pencil over an open notebook.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES

Why are tiger parents willing to trade love for success?

Growing up under tiger parenting, I’ve seen that pushing a child to succeed often fails – and isn’t worth the emotional cost

by Louis Li

Photo of a colourful parade float spelling “LOVE” with balloons in an urban street setting.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES

Radical love: how my trans child changed my identity as a mother

My child grew into a new version of himself – as all children do – and I wondered about my new role. Anger helped me grasp it

by Patricia Martin

Two people enjoying a scenic sunset with one raising their arms and the other looking sideways, in an outdoor setting.
IDENTITY

Three sisters craft a lyrical tribute to their mother from old family VHS tapes

Directed by Jay Stephen and Ralph Briscoe

Abstract drawing of a woman holding a baby, featuring exaggerated body proportions and yellow accents on a white background.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES

‘Suddenly you are here’ – a breathless, hilarious ode to new motherhood

Directed by Henriette Rietz

Photo of a child in green on a motorcycle with an adult’s tattooed arms holding the handlebars.
PERSONALITY

How babies’ and children’s temperament varies around the world

International research reveals intriguing regional differences in temperament – the infant precursor to adult personality

by Matt Huston

A woman runs down a dimly lit street at night wearing a headlamp. She is in a long-sleeved top and shorts, and the scene appears slightly blurred.
HABITS AND ROUTINES

As a bread baker, Harriet thrives in the day’s liminal hours

Directed by David Grabias

A child’s drawing of a person in front of a red door, playing a pink electric guitar with lightning bolts around them.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES

Ethan ponders his daughter’s future without him in this celebrated short

Directed by Ethan Barrett

Photo of two children visiting Santa Claus in a festive setting with Christmas trees and decorations.
CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE

At what point does the Santa myth become a harmful deception?

Exactly when and how children discover they’ve been duped makes an important difference to the revelatory experience

by Shayla Love

Still image from a VHS tape depicting child and a woman blowing out birthday cake candles together, both wearing red, with people in the background.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES

Love is no simple thing for a mother and the daughter she raised alone

Directed by Ellie Wen