Normal Women by Ainslie Hogarth review – mother’s ruin In this darkly satirical novel about 21st-century motherhood and women’s labour, the protagonist seeks liberation at a brothel-cum-yoga studio The Guardian - UK · Dec 27, 2023
This was the year I nearly resorted to an elite baby sleep trainer. But there is another way After a tired and desperate 2023 with our baby, finally my family found the deep bliss of sleep, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett The Guardian - UK · Dec 24, 2023
If you are childless, and not by choice, how do you get through Christmas? So much of the festive season is built around children. Amid the celebrations, it’s OK to give yourself space to grieve, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett The Guardian - UK · Dec 15, 2023
My advice about the stress zone that is toddler mealtimes: do your best and get by – everything else is just noise Any manual I wrote would have feeding tips certain to outrage the nutrition influencers of Instagram, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett The Guardian - UK · Dec 5, 2023
Motherhood is exhausting - but this week I was reminded that we’ve come a long, long way An exhibition on women’s activism drove home how much more involved dads are now, and that we have 1970s feminists to thank, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett The Guardian - UK · Nov 21, 2023
I want my son to wear fun, colourful clothes – but boys’ fashion is so boring Finding brightly coloured boyswear devoid of superheroes or heavy plant machinery is no mean feat, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett The Guardian - UK · Nov 11, 2023
I resist sharenting on social media. Does that mean my son and I are missing out, or is it just safer? Posting can turn into a privacy risk – and in a changing online landscape, it’s become another parental identity marker, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett The Guardian - UK · Nov 4, 2023
I feared my mental health struggles would hold my son back, but I’m starting to see they could help him Some of the best parents I know have lived with anxiety and depression, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett The Guardian - UK · Oct 29, 2023
My son’s face lit up at Winnie the Pooh – and my misgivings about Disney melted away All it takes is the opening credits of a Disney film to whisk me back to my own childhood, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett The Guardian - UK · Oct 1, 2023
The 2000s lad culture that Russell Brand epitomised wasn’t funny then. It looks even more hideous with hindsight Young women who challenged the swirling misogyny were bullied and harassed – it’s high time we listened to the victims of that era, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett The Guardian - UK · Sep 21, 2023
Why is mum-shaming still a thing in 2023? Is it because society still won’t let women fully express themselves? ‘Bad mother’ behaviour seems to include anything that even hints at maternal ambivalence or a desire for more freedom, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett The Guardian - UK · Sep 15, 2023
Formula milk advert restrictions are patronising – let parents decide what’s best For those who can’t breastfeed, or choose not to, our present laws and the stigma attached to bottle feeding are unhelpful, says Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett The Guardian - UK · Aug 25, 2023
Having a baby does mess with your memory. I’m glad I recorded the truth – good and bad – in real time Most of us quickly forget the reality of early parenthood, but writing it all down was one of the best things I’ve ever done, writes Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett The Guardian - UK · Aug 14, 2023
Art is a natural impulse, and babies are born critics: no wonder they love Van Gogh When it comes to creative expression, adults could learn from the playfulness, humour and imagination of children, writes Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett The Guardian - UK · Aug 4, 2023
The Guardian - UK · Jul 28, 2023 In the rage over the two-child benefits cap, one fact gets lost: this is state control of women’s bodies Even those who consider themselves socially progressive clam up when it comes to those on benefits reproducing, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett
The Guardian - UK · Jul 21, 2023 We all want better for our children than we had – but Britain’s housing crisis is crushing that dream Our rental situation is better than most, yet we still found ourselves scrubbing mould from the windows to protect our son’s tiny lungs, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett
The Guardian - UK · Jul 10, 2023 Egg-freezing is no panacea, but for those who can access it, it offers a speck of hope Feeling panic about fertility, or to keep their options open, a rising number of women are opting to freeze their eggs, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett
The Guardian - UK · Jun 30, 2023 I’ll never be a true hippie parent, but I can learn a lot from summer festival-goers While I couldn’t get out of mum mode at Glastonbury, it reminded me all children need to go feral now and again, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett
The Guardian - UK · Jun 29, 2023 Matrescence by Lucy Jones review – the birth of a mother A science writer charts the monumental impact of having children from every angle
The Guardian - UK · Jun 23, 2023 The magic of holidays as a new parent? They’re like time travel back to childhood summers Every child – and every stressed-out parent – deserves a holiday, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett
The Guardian - UK · Jun 9, 2023 My irrational hatred of one Postman Pat character is a tribute to the genius of British children’s TV I may loathe poor Bill Thompson – but our joyful, creative children’s telly is one thing this country can still be proud of, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett
The Guardian - UK · Jun 2, 2023 Puzzled by Succession’s finale twist? Shiv’s pregnancy holds the answer The physical and emotional storm of pregnancy can dramatically alter the ways we see the world, in many cases irrevocably, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett
The Guardian - UK · May 26, 2023 British parents need to adapt to climate chaos – but not by abandoning the great outdoors Try telling a cooped-up child they can’t go out due to global heating, says the Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett
The Guardian - UK · May 19, 2023 Can we call time on the ‘doesband’ doing ‘daddy day care’? Fathers are way past that Millennial men are overcoming the hands-off parenting of previous generations, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett
The Guardian - UK · May 15, 2023 To my friend who worries about becoming a parent: here are some things to hold on to These are the things I wish I had said when you asked me if being a parent was as awful as it sounded, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett