The First 1,000 Days is a project run by Irene Caselli and powered by Slow News.
Irene Caselli is a journalist. Slow News is the first Italian “slow journalism” project.
You can contact Irene at irene[at]slow-news.com.
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The first 1,000 days of life shape every day that follows.
We need to know more about them.
A beat by Irene Caselli
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The power of stories
On a recent weekend, I came home to my son Lorenzo, who’s almost six, sobbing. I had just taken my other son León for a walk while he napped, and the tears threw me. Lorenzo was shaking, standing next to Nacho, my partner, in the
Forever in the archive
So long 2023, year of burnout
About eight months ago, my physical exhaustion and mental deterioration had become so intense that I did something I’d never done before: I lied to an editor about why I couldn’t make a deadline. You know that kind of old-school excuse like “my cat died”?
I’d love to meet you in person
León, my youngest son, has started walking. For weeks, he had been trying to do it. If you’ve never seen a baby learning to walk, I highly recommend you do. As Nacho, my partner, rightly pointed out in his own newsletter (which comes highly recommended!), there
My breaking point
Recently I’ve been worried about fainting because of overwork and stress. Many people have told me to slow down, but I’ve never been one to slow down. In the face of stress and overwork, I stress more and work harder. But the body can only take
How to turn chores into fun moments
I often catch myself feeling guilty when it comes to my children. Whenever I feel bored, unwilling to play, or I’m incapable of transforming a hint of a meltdown into an opportunity to have fun, I have to remember to try to be kind to
A plane carrying birth tourists, and a journalist’s instinct
We are travelling back from Argentina as a whole family after a few weeks on the road. First, I was in Colombia at the World Conference of Science Journalists to moderate a panel on why the youngest children should be on every journalist’s radar. There were
Who we become when we adult and settle down
I am telling Lorenzo a story, and León is paying attention too: it is about one of the ginger cats in the house we’re staying in. Her name is Luna, and in a previous life, several years ago, she was my kitten. We are in
The art of fragments
I am craving a normal office day. A day when you get out of the house, leave everything and everyone behind, get immersed in your work, and emerge on the other side having done your best to finish what you said you would do. Instead,
How to change childcare in one of the largest countries in the world
I am still in Argentina with my family, juggling too much for my own good. Reading, listening and watching tips will be back in early May, once I am settled back at home. Since launching the first 1,000 days, first as a journalism beat then
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
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
Forever in the archive:
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
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.
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
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
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”.
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
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
This newsletter turns two — thanks to you!
Happy 2023, dear reader, and thanks for your continued support. A special thanks to those who sent a one-off donation via Paypal (you can still do so here) and to those who picked up a membership here. Also an apology: this newsletter was supposed to go out
Please help me advocate for childhood development
Since the birth of my son León at the end of October, I’ve been living in a state of constant wonder. Wonder that my body was capable of giving life, again, after two losses. Wonder that this being who was growing inside of me can
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