Why we shouldn’t force children to eat their greens

Tim Lott: I recall one epic battle when I tried to get Jean, then aged about eight, to eat a single pea. I failed. And I was furious

What’s wrong with telling children they’re beautiful?

Natalie Cox: Jo Swinson worries about image being overemphasised, but faced with today's media, children's self-esteem needs bolstering

How my molar pregnancy became a life-changing event

At first I assumed it was a virus, and then that I was expecting another child. But the truth was far more disturbing – and the start of a long and emotionally taxing battle

I discovered I had colon cancer while I was pregnant

At 31, Matilda Tristram was looking forward to having her first baby. Then she discovered she had cancer. Her comic chronicling the experience is raw, funny and still unfolding. Interview by Zoe Williams

I tried to stop my husband drinking

R was too drunk to make it up to our hotel room on our wedding night and had to be lifted

Pregnant women are not the only smokers – tests are not the answer

Emer O’Toole: Asking pregnant women to take breath tests is patronising and fails to take into account that smoking is society’s issue too

Breath tests targeting smoking in pregnancy backed by midwives

Royal College of Midwives says tests could help show women the potential damage that smoking can cause to their baby

What makes a country a good place to be a mother?

Natalie Hanman: Debate of the day: Save the Children uses five indicators to rank the best and worst nations to be a mother. But tell us your criteria

The food apps that could be bad for your children’s health

Sue Quinn: Kids enjoy food-based games – and tablets and smartphones offer a fun, interactive playing experience. But what happens when they are adverts for unhealthy processed food in disguise?

Kith: The Riddle of the Childscape by Jay Griffiths – review

Is chronic estrangement from nature responsible for our children's woes? By Alexander Linklater