Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
parentinglatest news & developments

Why South Africa fathers need to read to and with their children

Literacy activist and author Madoda Ndlakuse founded Men's Literacy Imbizo to address the absence of fathers in children's educational activities. The initiative encourages men…

Bestselling author:
Moshitadi Lehlomela.
Photo: Supplied

When Home Hurts: Moshitadi Lehlomela on Healing Maternal Trauma

Author Moshitadi Lehlomela confronts childhood trauma in Healing the Mother Wound

Nobuhle Radebe. Photo: Supplied

Hey mama, choose you

A gentle, honest guide for tired mamas ready to start 2026 more regulated, intentional and finally included in their own lives

Through interlaced fingers: Reading Medusa as a Father

When fiction mirrors fear, even the strongest reader flinches. Medusa is powerful, painful and unforgettable

Why men choose to be absent fathers

The absence of fathers affects the development of children and has detrimental consequences for families and society

Mother and son embracing on dock at lake. Photo: Getty Images

Parents need healing before children can thrive

A new initiative aims to bring hope for South African families to achieve warm, loving and secure homes

Women must be allowed to determine their own future

How to claw back gains of women’s empowerment

Social and economic restrictions for the women of South Africa stubbornly remain

(John McCann/M&G)

Learners and parents: How to beat end-of-year exam stress

A student wellness consultant gives advice on how to cope with – and overcome – examination anxiety

(Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Our children are killers and we need to change this

They learnt violence at home and in society which is marred by inequality and poverty

Zukiswa Wanner writes about the relationship she has with her son. Photo: Mail & Guardian

Love will win when I can’t protect him

"Perhaps a feminist deity gave birth to feminist sons so they could raise the sort of men they would have wanted to be surrounded by."

Black smoke billows across the sky when a petrol depot was set ablaze after a rocket assault. The attack

How to tell your child you have HIV

More than three decades into the HIV epidemic, some conversations haven’t become any easier. This is one of them.

In 1992
Audio

This country figured out how to stop teen substance abuse, so why has no one else?

Find out which nordic nation radically cut teenage smoking, drinking and drug use and how they did it.

This expanded definition of parenting deserves some attention because it attempts to redefine parenting beyond heteronormative biological parenthood, says the writer (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)

Why you should play with your children

Playtime isn’t just about fun and games – find out why it’s an important part of young children’s development.

Mandla Makupula

​That awkward but vital sex chat with your kids

Parents and their offspring find it hard to talk openly about sex, but they should.

Columns in the historical city of Palmyra

​Parenting 101 as presented by the sugar-rush kids

The day started off pleasantly enough with a warm goodbye to the parents, after which the minors arranged themselves in front of the TV.

Comfort eating: The Lonely Hearts Club in Melville Johannesburg

Losing a child is extremely painful for a parent – more so when the child is alive

Parents can lose their children and it’s usually as a result of controlling behaviour.

All smiles: Mathahle Stofile with her four-year-old son Zim and her one-year old daughter Lima.

A lesson in breaking the rules

A four-year-old boy learns that there are times when bullies need to find out the hard way that they have no right to abuse other children.

Lawyers at the lawyers at the Centre for Health

Parenting: why one size doesn’t fit all

Research in Alex township shows that "effective parenting" in one culture won’t necessarily yield the same results in another, writes Nicola Dawson.

CES 2015: Now for a smart bed for kids

A company calling itself “a sleep innovation leader” has launched the SleepIQ Kids, a “smart bed” for kids, boasting a range of features.

When should your kid get a cellphone?

At what age should a child have a cellphone? There is no easy answer, but there are guidelines.