I’m exhausted and not sure what to do

"There is a reason that the phrase ‘good enough is good enough’ is used so much in parenting circles."

"I suggest you become interested in what interests him. This teaches him that he is interesting. We want our teenagers to know that they are interesting and engaging and that we are always curious about them and their lives."

Jacqueline Wilson grew up reading Enid Blyton but writes about children whose lives are less than perfect. Her relatable storylines have gone on to captivate generations of young readers, with her books selling over 40m copies, writes Helen O’Callaghan

"It is crucial to find a middle ground for more collaborative play and connection between the boys, or the years ahead will see you adopting a referee role between them."

When our children greet us with pleas of ‘play with me’, they are asking us to ‘connect with me’. This is how they reunite with us after the prolonged separation of our work day and their childcare day.

"Your daughter knows she can exhale all those difficult feelings, secure in the knowledge you will catch, contain and help her understand and manage them."

Always focus on what you want to see rather than what you don’t.

The problem is I never feel good enough and I worry about how to manage my feeling of inadequacy.

"Self-motivation comes easier to some people than it does to others so rather than criticising her lack of self-motivation, look for ways to help her activate that drive within herself."

He’s usually well-behaved, always saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. What can I do to ensure this does not happen again?

Like most dads, I have tried to influence the glossary of Generation Alpha and insert my own acronyms — sadly, HYD (have your dinner) or GYCON (get your coat on now) haven’t really stuck

It can be difficult to explain abstract concepts like “it was an accident or unintentional” to a young child but using play to communicate this might be more effective.

It can be challenging to keep mum when you believe your grandchildren are not being raised correctly. But it's best to take a collaborative rather than critical approach with their parents if you want to keep the communication channels open 

"When you find yourself parenting on different pages, it helps to establish a structure about how you will discuss the matter."

'Your daughter has started primary school and with that transition, her world has opened up and become bigger than home'

"Swear words can, initially, sound funny coming from a toddler’s mouth. But when we laugh we teach our children that this is entertaining and something we enjoy"

Is she setting a bad example for her siblings?

"There might be a pattern to this behaviour. For example, a time of day; something that happens before he starts doing it; or a particular behaviour associated with it, such as tiredness, distress or feeling unwell."

"You have an understandable desire to have some time for yourself - but it is possible to breastfeed and have time to meet your friends if you want to explore this option."