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Wanting your child to have the best chance in life is natural for any parent. But by focusing too much on the ‘skill’ of parenting, are we losing sight of things that matter more – how we talk to and play with children? Cambridge researchers are examining how parents can best help their children in their early years through nurturing rather than shaping.

Mothers who ‘connect’ with their baby during pregnancy are more likely to interact in a more positive way with their infant after it is born, according to a study carried out at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge. Interaction is important for helping infants learn and develop.

Children get more satisfaction from relationships with their pets than with their brothers or sisters, according to new research from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge. Children also appear to get on even better with their animal companions than with siblings.

A difference in values can be a major stumbling block for family relationships, writes Dr Lucy Blake from the Centre for Family Research for ̽��ֱ��Conversation website, and these may have been exacerbated in the recent Brexit debate. So what practical steps can people take to help heal rifts?

A new report looking at the experiences of people who are estranged from family members and the challenges they face has highlighted the particular difficulties associated with Christmas.

Lucy Blake (Centre for Family Research) discusses family estrangement and the particular difficulties associated with Christmas.

̽��ֱ��importance of family support on a child’s ‘school readiness’ is highlighted in a study published this month in the British Journal of Educational Psychology. Researchers developed and piloted a new index that might provide a simple and stress-free alternative to the government’s proposed baseline assessments for four-year-olds starting school.

Families come in many guises. Some parents are same-sex; others are single by choice. Growing numbers of children are conceived through assistive reproductive technology. What do these developments mean for the parents and children involved? Professor Susan Golombok’s book, Modern Families, examines ‘new family forms’ within a context of four decades of empirical research. 

Research among mothers with young children living in multicultural London shows that racism is a reality for children as young as five – and that many mothers adopt parenting strategies to help their children deal with it. 

On November 1 Melvyn Bragg will talk about his book Grace and Mary at the Festival of Ideas.  ̽��ֱ��novel is based on Bragg’s own bitter-sweet experience of his mother’s dementia. Looking back across three generations, it raises fundamental questions about social attitudes and how they shape our lives. Three people discuss some of the big challenges that face us.