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Parent Stories

Real stories from real parents to inspire you.

Featured stories

Celebrity stories

JB Gill: How the JLS star juggles parenting and Strictly Come Dancing
Pop star, Tiny Happy People ambassador and now Strictly Come Dancing 2024 contestant - how does JB Gill manage family life?
Holly Hagan-Blyth: the unexpected and unfiltered realities of becoming a mum
Joe Wicks: "I've learned to react differently and be more gentle with parenting"
Charlotte Crosby: “I talk to Alba like she’s my best friend”
Kym Marsh on the bond between a grandparent and their grandchildren
Dani Dyer: “Becoming a mum unlocked strengths I never knew I had”
Dani Harmer: How early fame as Tracy Beaker helped me with my own parenting
Tom Zanetti – ‘Being a young single dad provided me with focus’
"We wouldn’t change it for the world" – Why JB Gill chose family life on the farm
"It's such an amazing thing to do" - Kieron Richardson on surrogacy
Louise Pentland on her blended family - “It actually worked out really well”

Being a new parent

Being a new parent is the hardest job you'll ever love. Check out these parents' stories to know that you are not alone.

Unique baby names: What’s the story behind your baby’s name?
We asked parents for the inspiration behind their little one’s name.
Playing music to my bump helped me bond with my baby
Blogger Tania says music was an important part of building a relationship with her daughter before she was born.
Struggling to form a bond with your baby: Shannon's story
Shannon opens up about her difficulty forming an initial bond with her baby son and how she overcame it.
��̳ Weather’s Simon King on what it’s like to deliver your own baby
��̳ Weather presenter Simon King shares his experience of bringing daughter Nell into the world.

Unique parenting stories

From fostering to adoption to parenting with a disability - not every family looks the same. Here are some of your personal stories...

How Makaton helps my child with Down’s syndrome
Stevie and Faye's story: "You don't need to listen to judgement"
Faye and Stevie are both wheelchair users. They talk about what their lives are like as parents to son Rowan.
Alex's story - "I want to teach my son to be happy in his own skin"
Trans gay dad Alex shares his story and talks about his close bond with son Gray.
April's story: "Breast cancer is tough but my kids keep me fighting"
Diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2022, April shares her journey and tips for any parents going through it.
Aynab's story: “The internet told me my child wouldn’t survive”
Aynab shares some of her experiences of raising her son, Adam, who was born with a rare heart condition.
Lewis's story: “I can’t remember the first 3 months of my son’s life”
Lewis lost his dad shortly before becoming a dad himself. This is his story about parenting with mental health issues.
Millie’s story: “How I felt wasn’t normal, it wasn’t motherhood”
We spoke to health visitor and mum, Millie about what she wished people knew about dealing with postnatal depression.
Natalie’s story: “Don’t let your age stop you fostering”
Natalie is one of the youngest foster carers in the UK. This is her advice for anyone thinking about fostering.
Angus's story: “It was tough only being able to hold him on the sofa”
Angus, 32, has a 3-year-old son, Alfie. This is Angus's story about parenting with muscular dystrophy.
Katie's story: “I’d never even heard of anyone having had triplets”
Katie went from being a mum-of-one to a mum-of-four overnight. This is her story.
Molly’s story - “Adoption isn’t a last resort.”
Molly adopted her son in 2020 and chats to us about what she wishes people knew about the adoption process.
Ghazal’s story: “I experience microaggressions daily”
Ghazal open up about her experiences of raising her kids with British and Muslim values.
What I want people to know about race, racism and parenting
We spoke to a number of different families about their experiences and conversations they'd had with their children.

Life as a parent

Stories from real parents to help you navigate and understand the crazy world of parenthood.

Tips for coming back to work after having a baby
We spoke to parents about their experiences returning from parental leave and got tips from psychologist Suzy Reading.
Sam's story: Rainbow babies and the struggle of baby loss
Sam Jones talks about the isolation of pregnancy loss and how having her rainbow baby has been challenging too.
Chris and Scott's story: What it's like being a dad with PND?
Two dads speak out about their experiences with PND and offer their words of advice.
Parenting after the death of a child: Emma’s story
Emma opens up about losing a child and parenting after such a life-altering event.
Nina's story: "The difficulties are nothing to do with my wheelchair"
Nina talks to us about perceptions of disabled parents and how she's found a community of other parents online.
Three men and their babies: Heartwarming dad stories
We spoke to three different dads, each of whom has gone through different experiences in raising their young children.
Kym's story: 'I felt like I wasn't listened to because of my age'
Kym is mum to 4-year-old Rayne, who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy. She shares her experiences and advice.
Justice's story: Being a mum at university
Justice shares her experiences and advice about balancing parenthood and studying.

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