family-and-children

Why having an only child can be good for everyone

Parents of only children by choice are no strangers to these questions.

But evidence shows there are very few drawbacks to a one-child family, and according to one expert those passing judgement are likely envious because they have "suffered through" raising several children.

Between Canditta Natakuapa and her husband, they have 17 siblings. So deciding to have just the one child was easy for the pair who value work-life balance and giving their son "the best start in life".

Nicknames for unborn babies

So-called noms de womb can be funny, cute and just a little on the weird side.

Phoebe Payn said as soon as people discovered she was expecting twins they started to name them.

"My dad has just started calling them Jesus and Mary because they're due at Christmas," she told Helen Shield on ABC Radio Hobart.

"B1 and B2 is popular. Which is actually quite fitting because in the scan you could see them and they were actually headbutting each other like the Bananas do.

How I prepared my son for the death of his mum

It's a heartbreaking sentence to hear from a six-year-old.

When Tina was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in 2010, five months after Lucas was born, she and her husband Aaron were devastated.

But after chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and hormone therapy, she was as doctors called her "a miracle" and well for another three years — until the cancer returned.

"We were married for almost 14 years," Aaron said.

"I was worried Tina would never hear Lucas say his first words, call her mum ... that she would die before he had fully developed that bond.

A history of Mother's Day: From campaigns for peace to cards, flowers and family reunions

Some mums may be given cards, flowers and gifts, while others may enjoy breakfast in bed or a lunch out.

Mother's Day has long been a part of the Australian calendar, but where did the idea to dedicate the second Sunday in May to honouring motherhood come from?

The modern Australian celebration of Mother's Day actually grew out of calls for peace and anti-war campaigns following the American Civil War (1861-65).

Dating after the death of a partner

When Sophie Townsend, a widowed mother-of-two, began to navigate the trails of virtual matchmaking, she uncovered a weird world inhabited by faux feminists, shocking spellers, and a meat-loving "vegan" who refused to eat during a dinner date as he'd just devoured a banana.

A few years had passed since her husband's death when friends of the Sydney-based author and creative audio specialist, started urging her to "get back out there".

"Compared to 'out there' I kind of quite like 'in here'," she said.

Is it worth staying in a relationship for your kids

For couples with kids, it's not always that black and white.

But is staying for the children gifting them a nuclear family or a sacrifice that does more harm than good?

Relationships Australia counsellor Fiona Bennett says couples with children often try harder to save their relationship than those without.

"They can feel it's in the best interest for the children in terms of security, stability and good time with both parents," Ms Bennett says.

How to escape a sinking car

After the car was pulled from the water and it became apparent that Stephanie King had died trying to save her children, that pang of fear grew into a need for answers.

What would they do if they found themselves in that situation with their children strapped into the backseat? What could they do?

Videos began appearing on social media feeds of parents who had searched the internet for answers.

Where nursery rhymes really come from

Despite the proliferation of explanations for the meanings and origins of nursery rhymes, many, if not most, are unfounded.

Ring a Ring o Rosie, we all fall dead?

Since the 1960s, but not before, it has often been said that the nursery rhyme Ring a Ring o Rosie is about the bubonic plague in England.

Ring-a-ring o' roses,

A pocket full of posies,

A-tishoo! A-tishoo!

We all fall down.

Aleppo girl Bana Alabed meets with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan at presidential palace

Bana Alabed, who posted to more than 300,000 followers from the warzone with the help of her mother Fatemah, fled the city with her family after an evacuation deal was brokered by Russia — the main supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad — and Turkey, which backs some large rebel groups.