This week, two stories landed close together. One concerned an alleged gang rape at Cornell University, now reopened by prosecutors. The other, a Guardian report, examined the scale of sexual abuse between children in English and Welsh schools. As a parent, a coach and a nurse, I read both with a heavy heart. And with
Child-on-Child Abuse: Why Intentional Digital Parenting Matters More Than Ever Read More »
She was 15. She lived in London. Went to school. Came home to a family that loved her. And in February 2015, Shamima Begum walked out of her home, boarded a flight, and traveled to Syria to join one of the most violent groups on earth. She told no one. Not her mother. Not her
Why Shamima Begum Told No One And What Every Parent Must Learn From It Read More »
The phone was handed over in love. That’s what makes this story so hard to tell and so necessary. A Story Every Parent Needs to Hear A mother went to work each day and left her young son in the care of his uncle. Not a stranger. Not a hired hand. Her own brother. To
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There’s a question I’ve carried with me through more than two decades of working with families, and it’s one that many parents and educators quietly avoid: Is school really for every child? When a child struggles academically, our instinct is to look for someone to blame. We question the child’s ability. We question the parents.
Is School for Every Child? The Question Behind Parents Teens Summit 2026 Read More »
Growing up in the 80s and 90s, many of us remember a familiar midnight ritual: a parent’s footsteps in the hallway, a door easing open, a quiet check that all was well. There were no mobile phones then. No tablets glowing under blankets. And yet, they checked. Not every old parenting style is obsolete. I
There’s a version of your child you’ll never meet again. The one who climbed into your bed during thunderstorms. Who told you about every scraped knee, every playground betrayal, every small fear. That child trusted you with their whole inner world. And then, somewhere between 13 and 16, the doors started closing. Most parents panic
Why the Strategy That Worked at 13 Is Failing You at 16 (And Leaving Your Teen Exposed) Read More »
So much digital parenting advice points at the teenager. This week, I want to turn the lens somewhere less comfortable: onto us, the parents. Because the most powerful influence on your teen’s relationship with technology isn’t a rule you set or a conversation you have. It’s the example you live, every single day, with your
If you’re parenting a teenager who’s already deep in their digital life, there’s a thought that may have crept in: I think I’ve already missed it. The first phone went out without the conversation. The first account appeared without a plan. And now your teen is fifteen, and the early steps feel like a chance
