Sally Nicholls

I mean, who doesn't?

I've breastfed both my babies in Quaker Meetings, and proud to say we currently have a mum who does the same in Liverpool Meeting. (Quakers don't have appointed ministers, but my ministry to the Meeting is children and young people's provision).

Yeah. Sorry. Not sure how you'd manage him in a group.

That, er, might be my kid (context specific). He works best when the work you give him is challenging and important and is at his worst when the work is boring and pointless.
Doing grade one piano has transformed piano lessons because the pieces are hard and he really doesn't want to fail.

In my kids' school, anyone who says "six seven" had to recite the six and seven times tables.
Genius.

For me that shift happened a few years pre-COVID when I had kids. It's such a pain when babies get sick, and so common, it's polite to warn people. And everyone's mileage varies!

Might be book bags. Or water bottles.

I feel like comics are fulfilling different functions for my two kids. For the elder, it's a place where literature is still funny (he loves humour). For the younger, it allows him to get the physical experience of 'reading' without the reading. (He also loves audiobooks for the same reason.)

I have two kids. One's a huge reader with great stamina. (He's in Year Six and has read Hitchhikers Guide). He also loves comics. The other is likely dyslexic and currently reading at Year One level. He likes comics because he can 'read' a book without having to read the words.

That was me and aren't they great? RIP your bank balance though.

Congratulations to Jamila Gavin, Patrice Lawrence, Struan Murray and Jenny Pearson, shortlisted in the Children's Fiction category of the still new but already prestigious Nero Book Awards 🎉 👏 🎆 🎉 #KidLitUK #bookawards

booksforkeeps.co.uk/nero-book-aw...

Zadie Smith.

Today's fun fact: the population of London is bigger than the population of Scotland and Wales combined.

Can recommend, they are good at their job. They found me good jeans last time I tried, though this was a few years ago.

Honestly, book a jeans fitting personal shopper appointment at John Lewis. It's free and they have a whole range to try on. Plus you get to feel fancy.

My seven year old wants a Nintendo Switch, Guinea pigs and a banana.

Oh NO. This is such sad news.
Also, they published a Carnegie medal-winning novel, a novel which got turned into a CBBC show, they had huge amounts of good press and goodwill from the community. Like, what does it take?

I think my kids were 6 and 9 before we managed to buy a Christmas tree, bring it home, put it up and decorate it in one day.
I'd have been a lot more upset about this if 'adults spending what felt like hours finding the ONE tree light bulb that needed replacing' wasn't such a core Christmas memory.

Oh my actual God.
I would ignore and not give them the oxygen, personally.

If you hate baking with kids, I can strongly recommend buying a packet of plain digestive biscuits, making some icing, giving them a butter knife and some sprinkles and letting them get on with it.
It will look hideous. It will be horrendously sugary. They will love it. You will get to drink coffee.

If you want to commit to reading ten minutes either to yourself or someone else. Enter your email address and take the campaign pledge to get a six-week newsletter to guide you with ideas, book recommendations and reading tips

link.thetimes.co.uk/join/74t/sig...

#GetBritainReading

I try and read every day. It makes me feel better about everything. I've been reading an advance copy of After Darcy (also by Joanna Nadin) and it's been making me so happy.
Anyway.

In lockdown, reading was one of the ways I deliberately tried to keep myself sane. I was looking after two small kids, trying to work full time alongside it. I noticed that scrolling made me more depressed but reading cheered me up. I felt better after reading - I could literally feel it.

My husband is reading him The Jolly Rodgers chapter book, we've just finished rereading The Adventuremice Mermouse Adventure and are about to dive into Joanna Nadin's The Worst Show Ever.

But reading aloud is a great way to introduce him to books he might find a boy challenging on his own. My husband is reading him The Eagle of the Ninth and I'm still reading Wyrd Sisters.
My youngest is probably dyslexic but he loves books (just not reading them himself).

Like a lot of authors (probably), I've been asked to share @thetimes.com #GetBritainReading campaign, where you commit to spending ten minutes every day reading to yourself or someone else.
Either my husband or I still read to my kids every day (they're ten and seven). My eldest is a big reader

You won’t believe what degrading practice the pope just condemned Communication must be freed from clickbait and misguided thinking, head of Catholic church tells journalists

👏👏 to the headline writer

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Of course, if you believe AI is going to make everyone rich, rock on. But, um. This does not feel very likely.

We are busy taking our money out of index trackers and using it to pay off the mortgage.