Family

Take a mattock to gender stereotypes

Earlier this year Adoption UK undertook a survey on well-being in schools, asking adoptive parents and their children to share their experiences of the education system. The responses painted a picture of a need for change and a lack of understanding of the needs of adopted children.

Our house is a party-free zone, unfortunately

Difficulty differentiating between wonder and pride

Spelling out where I went wrong

Waves and memories wash up

A pregnant woman was left waiting by the phone for two days after staff shortages at her local maternity hospital meant she could not be admitted to deliver her overdue baby.

Now that the boydults have friends with flats and jobs they return from visits with their horizons broadened on the domestic frontier, after watching their pals loading washing machines and turning out healthy meals that consist of more than Doritos and dips. Middle returned from Oz with laundering skills as improved as his boomerang throwing and I have a new respect for his friend over there.

Since the 1990s, a noticeable shift in Scottish ­culture has occurred – it is now expected that children’s opinions will be sought and considered on a wide range of issues.

If the humble cardie is now cool, I am very chilled

Feeding an appetite for culture and food

Although Theresa May’s recent visit to Africa was more noted for its ­dancing, there was something which largely went unreported and yet was of far more significance.

A campaigner calling for a change in the law in Scotland to allow adults to be adopted is to make his case to MSPs.

Research has been ­conducted by Children in Scotland, the National Autistic Society Scotland and ­Scottish Autism into the experiences of autistic children missing school.

Discipline methods to swear by