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Who cares for the caregivers?

There are stories that keep me up at night, that I get obsessed with and scheme away until I find a way to go out there and report on them. One theme that has been very much on my mind is what happens when those

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Forever in the archive

Should you vacation without your kids?

I am taking a break from the newsletter next week because I will be seeing family in Argentina for the first time in three years! See you on April 20! There is a story that my mother has repeated so many times that it is

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No country for young children

Italy’s population is declining rapidly. The country is far from unique — the same issue is being faced by many others, including Japan, South Korea and Spain. Every year, the latest data is accompanied by alarmist headlines announcing the end of Italy. Elon Musk even

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Caregivers receive bad advice on bedsharing

This newsletter touches on SIDS. If you have been affected by it, you may want to skip this newsletter and head to this page instead. It is the elephant in the room in many conversations I have with mothers who breastfeed: how do you sleep when

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Gaining a child, losing myself

It was past midnight when I got a message from a friend: “I hope you’re sleeping.” I was not. Between 9 p.m. and midnight, I had held León on my lap as I tried to finish up some work, hoping he would finally fall asleep.

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Finally parents can say screw being tidy

You may have seen the headline: tidying up guru Marie Kondo has announced that she has “kind of given up on tidying”. “Marie Kondo’s life is messier now — and she’s fine with it” titled The Washington Post piece that ran the scoop. Other newspapers spoke of

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Daycares are big business

Last week I sent a link to a survey, asking you to help shape this newsletter. It takes just between 5 and 10 minutes to complete, and I will add your name to a prize draw if you answer by 3 March. You can find the

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Help shape early childhood journalism

You might have seen that last month a huge campaign was launched in the UK by Kate Middleton to raise awareness of the importance of early childhood development. It aims to make early childhood development “one of the most strategically important topics of our time”.

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The real reasons screens are babysitting our kids

You would have to be living in a cave these days not to have heard of CoComelon, El Reino Infantil, A Galinha Pintadinha or Il Pulcino Pio, depending on what your language of choice is. These YouTube shows for kids are everywhere: you hear the

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Why your birthing experience matters

This story talks about obstetric violence and infant death. If this is too much for you, please skip it. There is no collection of helpful resources that I have found, but feel free to reach out and I may be able to help you find

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Forever in the archive:

How to fight less with your kids at home

Dear reader, I am on maternity leave, and I scheduled this story before I took a break so that you wouldn’t miss me too much. You will be receiving my newsletters every two weeks until 19 January. Some, like this below, will be older stories

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How we’re raising future politicians

Dear reader, I am on maternity leave, and I scheduled this story before I took a break so that you wouldn’t miss me too much. You’ll be receiving my newsletters every two weeks until 19 January — a mix of new content and some older

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My life-changing encounter with an Iranian activist

Protests in Iran have been happening for over a month now. They were originally sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman who had been detained by morality police. The protests seem to have spread also to Iran’s Evin

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Why maternity leave is crucial

Over the past few weeks, I felt that my pregnancy had become a chore. I was trying to stay fit by going to yoga and walking. I was also trying to get enough sleep (because you never know) and being in touch with friends before

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My deepest fear about giving birth

On Sunday night, I was so tired I could not fall asleep. As I lay down in my bed on my left side, hugging a breastfeeding pillow to support my gigantic belly, I started feeling some intense pain. The baby was somehow pushing on my

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Wrongs ideas about childbirth are common

📢 Next Thursday 13 October, I am moderating a panel on how to look at the climate crisis through the eyes of a child. It has an exciting line-up that promises lots of insight: Robert Hughes, a public health researcher and lecturer on early childhood

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It’s time to talk about obstetric violence

**Warning: this piece handles obstetric violence, and goes into some graphic details. If this has affected you and you have not received support, feel free to send me an email and I will try and help you find the right resources in your country.Images: Courtesy

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Routines are great, but have you tried spontaneity?

📢 On 21 September, I am moderating a panel on how losing a caregiver can impact a child’s health and what are possible ways to protect them in the future. It will feature Charles H. Zeanah, professor of psychiatry & pediatrics at Tulane University, and one

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