http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/sep/03/child-performance-laws-reality-tv

The coalition government is to press ahead with a full review of the UK’s child performance laws to protect young people from potential exploitation by reality TV formats. Announcing the move earlier this week Tim Loughton, the children’s minister, referred to Channel 4’s Boys and Girls Alone, saying it “sparked fierce debate about a kind of engineered Lord of the Flies type of scenario”. Ofcom received 180 complaints about the show last year from viewers and organisations, including the NSPCC, the majority of which were about the safety and welfare of children who were shown being bullied and in temporary distress.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/7969398/Mum-matters-most-in-the-eyes-of-their-children.html

The special lifelong bond that children have with their mothers may have its roots in how our brains react when we see our mothers’ faces, according to scientists. Mothers are said to hold a special lifelong place in their children’s hearts, but it also appears they have a unique significance in their brains too. Scientists have discovered that when adults look at their mothers’ faces, it triggers a stronger response in the brain than when they look at pictures of strangers – or even of their fathers.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/aug/26/parents-children-playtime

One in five parents say they have forgotten how to play with their children, with a third admitting that taking part in games and activities with their family is boring, according to research. But while more than half the children questioned for the report by Professor Tanya Byron said they want more quality time with their parents, one in 10 said they know that their parents feel family playtimes are dull and a waste of time. The State of Play, Back to Basics report interviewed 2,000 parents and 2,000 children aged five to 15 about their play habits. It concludes that play is in danger of becoming a “lost art” for British families, with 21% of parents admitting they no longer remember how to play and struggle to engage their children in creative and imaginative activities that will help their development.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11068408

Most working parents in Scotland would like to work less and spend more time with their children, a new survey has found. Almost two thirds of those questioned believed their work/life balance was “not ideal”, said Parenting Across Scotland. They found that 64% of parents thought their family life was losing out because of work. Nearly half of parents also said it was harder to pay bills than a year ago. The difficulty was a particular issue for single parents and those with a disability or a disabled child.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/aug/24/parents-improve-childrens-mental-health

As a parent it can sometimes feel as if you are drowning in conflicting information about your child’s requirements; what they should be eating, what they should be learning. But there is one area where we might all like a little more help; how to improve parenting skills that can be of long-term benefit to their mental health. One in 10 children in the UK suffers from a diagnosable mental health disorder, and mental health issues for young people are an increasingly urgent concern. Now a pilot project in Southwark, south London, has found that teaching parents skills and techniques to better care for their children is having impressive consequences. The Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities course offers training in parenting, then teaches the mothers and fathers how to pass on what they have learnt. The results, for families in one of the most deprived boroughs in the country – where children have an above average likelihood of mental health problems – are being described as “inspirational”.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/7957982/British-Airways-changes-discriminatory-seating-policy-for-men.html

British Airways has changed its seating policy after a businessman complained of being treated like a “child molester” when sitting next to a boy he did not know. The airline has confirmed to The Sunday Telegraph it has altered its procedures to protect unaccompanied minors – the aviation industry term for children flying without a parent or guardian. It follows the case of Mirko Fischer, a hedge fund manager who was told to move seats by cabin crew under an internal rule that prevented adult males sitting next to unaccompanied children.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-10936342

Baking is a strange alchemy of butter, sugar, flour and heat. It’s a popular rainy day school holiday activity, but does making biscuits and cupcakes really teach children how to cook? When I ask my best friend’s seven-year-old daughter Pheroza what she likes best about baking, her reply is short and sweet: “It’s fun!” A simple, yet perfect, answer as to why we should bake. But too few people make the time. They work, they’ve forgotten how, they don’t know what to make or where to start, and, well, then there’s the mess.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10981688

More than 100 children a week are contacting the ChildLine helpline with worries about their parents’ drinking or drug use, according to the NSPCC. It said in the year to March, 5,700 children had called, but founder Esther Rantzen told the BBC there were likely to be many more too afraid to do so. Two-thirds of those callers had mentioned their parents’ drinking. The children calling about that issue were also more likely than other child callers to report abuse, it added.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/7946539/Closeted-children-are-losing-touch-with-the-outdoors-new-survey-claims.html

British children are becoming increasingly out of touch with natural world according to a new survey which found that 64 per cent of youngsters play outside less than once a week. Concern over health and safety, combined the rise in popularity of computer games and television, has left today’s children with an alarming lack of understanding of the animal and plant kingdom, according to the study. Many youngsters are not only unable to identify the most common native flora and fauna, but they are also missing out on many of the joys of childhood such as climbing trees and camping out by themselves, experts claim.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-10967749

Growing up without siblings does not mean a child will have poor social skills later in life, researchers say. A US study of more than 13,000 11- to 18-year-olds found “only-children” were chosen as school friends just as often as peers who had brothers and sisters. An earlier study by the Ohio State University team had found poorer social skills in only children at nursery. But they found that children “catch up” during their school life with peers who have siblings.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7940970/Sons-with-fond-childhood-memories-of-fathers-more-stable.html

Sons who have fond childhood memories of their fathers are more likely to be emotionally stable in the face of day-to-day stresses, a new study has found. Researchers spoke to more than 900 men and women aged from 25 to 74 before reaching their conclusion. Psychology Professor Melanie Mallers, of California State University-Fullerton, who led the research team, said: “Most studies on parenting focus on the relationship with the mother. ”But, as our study shows, fathers do play a unique and important role in the mental health of their children much later in life.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-10912723

Hundreds of community playground schemes in England are being axed or scaled back because of government cuts. Education Secretary Michael Gove has frozen grants to 132 councils for building and running up to 1,300 schemes, many designed by youngsters. Only schemes where construction has already started are to be allowed. The government said it had inherited unrealistic spending commitments. The £235m Playbuilder scheme was started more than two years ago. It was launched under Labour to develop 3,500 playgrounds designed by and for the communities they were to serve.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-10923111

More young people in Liverpool and Manchester grow up in jobless households than anywhere else in the UK, a charity report suggests. Prince’s Trust research found that one-in-three children in the cities have parents who do not work. Across the UK, the figure is about one-in-six. Researchers found this left them more likely to grow up feeling talentless and expecting to end up on the dole.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/crime-courts/paedophile-awareness-scheme-for-whole-of-scotland-1.1046849

A groundbreaking pilot scheme which has saved 33 children from potential sexual abuse is to be introduced across Scotland. The disclosure trial, dubbed Mark’s Law in memory of murdered youngster Mark Cummings, gives parents the right to know if sex offenders living nearby pose a threat to their children. Police have handled 66 applications for information from parents since the pilot began in Tayside 10 months ago. Thirteen of those related to registered sex offenders with convictions that involved children. This resulted in the creation of 33 child concern reports, which ensured immediate steps were taken to monitor the safety of local children.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/7933872/Children-think-hopscotch-is-a-drink.html

Modern children have ditched traditional outdoor games in favour of hi-tech gadgets, according to a new study. Young people no longer participate in time-honoured pastimes like conkers, hopscotch and marbles with over half of kids saying their favourite game is the Nintendo Wii. Nearly three quarters of children aged four to 11 who took part in the study by Persil have never played the playground favourite hopscotch, with ten per cent of kids thinking it was a soft drink. And 93 per cent of children surveyed said they would never play marbles and half had never even heard of the small glass balls. In addition, three quarters of kids never play ‘tag’ and 87 per cent have never heard of or played ring-a-ring-a roses.