*****
Everyone has advice to offer on motherhood.

Becoming a new parent is daunting enough without having to contend with comments and advice from seemingly every corner. ‘They didn’t do it like that in my day’, ‘You’ll make a rod for your own back’, ‘Don’t spoil the baby’. It’s so easy to become overwhelmed, and too easy to feel like you’re failing.

So what pearls of wisdom should new mums actually be listening to? How do you sift through it all and know what to trust? Gloriously comforting and extremely honest, Mother to Mother is an open invitation to find five minutes of peace and solitude with people who can help – other mums. Sharing her own personal story alongside how our approach to parenting and motherhood has changed over the years, Rosie shows how learning to trust your gut and the power of finding your village makes all the difference.

From her mum Lorraine’s birth in 1959, to her own in 1994, and to little Billie’s in 2024, Rosie shares the universal truths that still make sense today, alongside the pieces of advice you can definitely ignore. From pregnancy to birth, the early days and beyond, Mother to Mother explores what we can learn about parenting from our own mums, as well as what we will find for ourselves.

‘For parents and grandparents, old and new, this book is for using: write in it; circle, underline and highlight anything that makes you feel heard. And the most important thing to remember? You’re going to be fine.’

‘Everything is temporary’, ‘You can’t spoil a baby,’ ‘Do what works for you’.

*****
‘An essential book for any new parents wanting to feel a little less alone’ Liz Earle MBE
‘A brilliant and honest read… will help any new mum feel that they’ve got this’ Dilly Carter

“An important and impressive book, that will change how you experience motherhood” Dr Julie Smith

Modern motherhood is insane. We’re expected to parent perfectly, bounce back, enjoy every moment, forge ahead at work and keep smiling through all the endless expectations – all whilst forgetting about ourselves.

Based on years of research, proven transformational coaching tools, world-leading expertise from hundreds of podcast guests such as Dr Gabor Mate Philippa Perry and Dr Becky Kennedy and real-life stories from the Motherkind community, this validating, judgement-free book will help you to:

• Understand the pressures of modern motherhood, and why you’re not failing
• Support yourself through the daily ups and downs
• Change your relationship with guilt, and finally feel good enough
• Handle your challenging emotions and reactions in a new way
• Learn why ‘self-care’ doesn’t work – and what does
• Ditch the idea of ‘balance’ and embrace boundaries instead

This empowering book will give you the tools you need to thrive in modern motherhood and become your happiest self – for yourself and your children.

Positively Potty is your go-to guide for making potty training a fun, smooth, and better experience for busy families like yours! With over ten years of hands-on experience and insights from thousands of little ones, this friendly guide introduces a gentle and playful approach that aligns with your child’s natural development thanks to the innovative Little Steps method, which focuses on Preparation, Practice, and transitioning away from nappies.

Discover how to spot your child’s unique signals and customize your strategies to fit their personality, all while turning potty training into an enjoyable adventure filled with engaging stories, games and activities. Whether it’s mastering daytime success or gaining night time confidence, Positively Potty helps you tackle common challenges without the usual stress and anxiety that comes with traditional methods.

With a focus on fostering healthier bowel and bladder habits while respecting your child’s own pace, Positively Potty is perfect for modern families looking to make potty training a positive and encouraging experience!

Even Sappho, the OG lesbian, had a daughter named Cleis, in honour of vaginas everywhere! For centuries, the women of ‘The Golden Orchid Society’ in Qing-dynasty China were getting married and raising daughters together – platonically, obviously… And Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson’s fabulously bisexual open marriage proved women really can have it all – a husband, two kids, a writing career  and  Virginia Woolf.

Maybe you’re exploring your options. Maybe you don’t want kids but you have  questions. Either way, Kirsty Loehr provides another rollicking guide to the ups and downs of queer parenthood through the ages.

‘The book us parents urgently need’ Dr Julie Smith

The smartphone dilemma: it’s on every parent’s mind. When should I let my child have a phone? What are the risks and how can I protect them? How can I encourage and nurture healthy digital habits? In The Smartphone Solution, highly respected child-and-family clinical psychologist Dr Martha Deiros Collado provides the answers so you can:

• determine the right age to give your child a phone
• answer the questions they may have and turn these conversations into moments that build connection
• distinguish the real risks and benefits of smartphones from the misinformation
• teach yourself and older siblings to model healthy phone habits
• navigate online safety, digital footprints, consent and family tech boundaries
• sign the Family Phone Pledge and build a supportive community with like-minded parents.

Written with Dr Martha’s characteristic warmth and empathy, The Smartphone Solution will provide the information and tools you need to support your child and allow them to thrive in the modern digital world.

‘Will bring comfort and courage to all its readers’  Nell Frizzell, author of  Holding the Baby

Motherhood feels as though you have woken up in Oz and everything’s in  Technicolor. But also, you’ve been crushed by a house.

Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett began writing  The Republic of Parenthood  in the final weeks of her pregnancy. The plan was to document, in real time, what it means to be a parent in Britain today. But when her son was born five weeks early, she found herself catapulted into parenthood: a world of crushing love, and fear, and hope.

Drawn from Cosslett’s agenda-setting  Guardian  column, alongside new essays and beautiful illustrations by Pia Bramley,  The Republic of Parenthood  is a fearless account of the first years of this new life. From Rachel Cusk to Anne Enright, many seminal writers have tackled the subject but, as a new generation become parents, Cosslett uses razor-sharp honesty and great humour to  explore the unique challenges they face.  

The Republic of Parenthood  wrestles with the entire joyful, overwhelming, messy experience, whether writing about the impact of Britain’s catastrophically expensive childcare system, or the quest for the pair of socks that can withstand a persistent toddler’s best efforts. At its heart is the understanding that something so entirely personal is also political; a paean to love and pain, and one that will resonate with weary parents everywhere.

Does the phrase ‘back to school’ fill you with dread? Or does it bring delight ? until you see the size of your September to-do list? Can you really be expected to keep track of next Thursday’s swimming, spelling and singing club? Not to mention the PTA-sponsored bounce!

From the autumn harvest festival to the summer sports day, the academic year is a non-stop frenzy of planning, preparation and potential chaos, whichever side of the school gates you find yourself. But now Britain’s best-loved teachers and podcast hosts Lee and Adam Parkinson are here to make it all that little bit easier as they share the hilarious trials, tribulations and tomfoolery going on inside our primary schools.

Whether you’re a fatigued parent or a frazzled teacher – or just want a good laugh! – grab your back-to-school essentials, find your desk and get ready to learn what NOT to do in the year ahead.

Don’t just survive the school year – thrive!

Award-winning science journalist Melinda Wenner Moyer battled insomnia night after night, her thoughts spiraling around this exact question. So she decided to do what she does best – learn from parenting experts and find the solution. Just as she did in her breakout book, How to Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes, Moyer again interviewed researchers across multiple fields – psychology, education, information literacy, business, and even addiction. What she discovered: even in a world full of assholes, we can still teach our kids how to take care of themselves, fight for what they believe in, manage uncertain times, and even bridge divides most adults aren’t equipped to do.

In Hello, Cruel World!, Moyer provides practical, comprehensive, science-backed tools to help our children handle the world they will inherit. By using the three core attributes children need to succeed in our flawed world – coping mechanisms, connection techniques, and cultivation practices – our kids can learn to set boundaries, take responsibility for their actions, build healthy relationships in turbulent times, and much more. By being activists in our parenting, we can set our kids up to not just survive, but also make a better world for themselves and future generations.

Smartphone Nation will transform the way you – and your children – understand your devices and how they affect you. In this practical, agenda-setting book, Dr Kaitlyn Regehr – one of the UK’s leading experts on digital literacy – sets out how you can keep the advantages of the internet whilst identifying often hidden dangers and stepping away when you’re over-reliant.

This life-changing guide provides practical tips, clear takeaways and tested strategies to empower you to take back control of your digital life. Covering misogyny, pornography, body image, advertising, violence and more, Dr Kaitlyn Regehr explains echo chambers, the attention economy, and why we are still so unprotected when it comes to digital media.

You’ll learn how to game your algorithm, how to limit targeted advertising, how to catch misinformation and how to improve your digital nutrition.

Essential reading for parents and anyone who has ever worried about how compulsively they check their phone, Smartphone Nation will equip you not only to survive in the digital space, but to thrive.