Annie Macmanus on changing work to fit family life

New York Times bestselling author Catherine Newman (Wreck, Sandwich) reflects on three questions:

British comedian Ria Lina (Mock the Week, Pointless) reveals what she has learnt from being an autistic mum raising neurodivergent children. She shares the realisation that standing up for her kids was not always helpful for them.

English poet and author Hollie McNish recalls the difficulty she felt when explaining death to her child as a non-religious parent. From visiting the sick person in hospital, to the death and beyond, there are many stages of questions that are hard to answer.

Playwright and screenwriter Jack Thorne (Adolescence, Enola Holmes and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) recalls the pain of leaving his young son at school, when his son would cling to him, upset by the sudden rejection. To navigate those mornings, they invented a secret code, turning the walk to school into a shared adventure that allowing them to cope with the world.

Olia Hercules, food writer and author of Strong Roots, shares a personal reflection on parenting her son with Fragile X syndrome, describing the shock of diagnosis and the ongoing process of acceptance. She speaks about the grief, not for her child, but for the expectations she had to let go of.