What one person might consider "odd" could easily be another's cup of tea. It's important, then, to clarify that I don't see "odd" as a bad thing at all. It's healthy for a kid to see a book written for their age level that's outside the norm and dares to get a little bit freaky.Here then, are the 2018 titles that dared to be strange in some way. May they inspire others in the future!

From swap meets to looking after clothes correctly, you can save cash while making your children’s wardrobes more sustainable Charity shops can be a goldmine for bargains – use the Charity Retail Association’s online search page to find ones that stock children’s clothes, or in London, head to one…

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This project aims to identify factors which contribute to effective, child focussed, SMART plans for children by getting the views of social workers who work in child protection and those who chair child protection case conferences. It will consider ways of working in a more inclusive, collaborative way with children and their families, as well as ways to work more effectively in partnership with other agencies. It will also consider whether the Signs of Safety approach to child protection has a role to play in making plans more effective. The project is an IRISS project in partnership with East Lothian Council and is supported by WithScotland and Social Work Scotland. It is anticipated that the final report will assist with further development of positive outcomes for children and young people across Scotland.

This article explores the impact of abandonment abuse and neglect, not only on children but, centrally, on the foster carers, adopters and kinship carers who parent children where it has been deemed that a return home to birth parents is not in their interests. (For purposes of simplicity we will refer to these carers as ‘parenting figures’.) In doing this we aim to provide parenting figures with support and understanding as well as reducing the feelings of isolation that is often integral to parenting ‘looked after’ children.

The topic of domestic violence is an emotive one conjuring visions of child abuse by parents or carers, or marital violence, in general abuse by men of their wives or partners. According to published police statistics in Scotland for the years of 2012 – 13 male violence of women accounted for 80% of all domestic abuse, and in 2014 over 2,600 children in Scotland were identified as needing protection from abuse. This is particularly concerning since the NSPCC suggests that, for every child who has been identified, there are 8 other children who are at risk but who are ‘under the radar’. These statistics, highlighting the underlying nature of inter-family abuse relationships, i.e. the abuse of less powerful and more vulnerable family members by more powerful adults, undoubtedly account for the majority of the abuse situations within family homes. However this is, sadly, not the whole story. Understanding abuse within a family means recognising the impact of sibling aggression on every family member. It also needs to encompass the growing recognition of child to parent aggression and it is this latter aspect of inter-family relationships with which this article is primarily concerned.

Car manufacturers have made great strides in automobile safety in the last few decades. When I was a child, my family drove everywhere in a Volkswagen Beetle or a Microbus that didn't have seatbelts. Nor did they have crumple zones, antilock brakes, or airbags. Riding in the bed of a pickup truck was a regular experience. Fifty years later, my oldest child wanted to get a classic Beetle, but was dissuaded when my brother called them "death traps." Now she has children, and purchased an SUV the size of a tank to keep the kids safe.

The newer a car is, the safer it will be, but when does that become overkill? We know large SUVs are safer for the occupants, yet more dangerous for others around them. We also know that accidents can happen anywhere, but deadly accidents are more likely at high speeds on highways than a short trip to school. And we know that children learn situational awareness and how to test their limits and manage their fears by being in slightly unsafe situations, such as old-fashioned playgrounds. Today, we have young adults who are terrified at the idea of learning to drive.

Jason Torchinsky at Autopian asked reader's opinions on letting their child ride in a classic car such as the original Volkswagen Beetle, and got plenty of replies about how much automotive safety is enough, from farm kids who drove tractors at a young age to ultimate safety advocates. The best comment: "Being unsafe in a car was how I got kids in the first place."

When our loved ones are young they get showered with plenty of gifts. Usually, we’re talking about toys and that’s nice. Once they get a little bit older, the types of gifts we present to them change. In no time, your toddler is old enough to be wearing a ring. Rings are nice presents. Valuable ... Read more

The post How to Measure Your Child’s Ring Size: A Simple Guide for Parents appeared first on Star Two.

Ronan credits her parents and the filmmakers she worked with as a child for keeping acting fun. She stars as a woman struggling with addiction in The Outrun and as a World War II mother in Blitz.

In Louisiana, more than 100,000 students are using an AI tutor that is helping to raise reading scores.

By Harold Hutchison Former Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf told CNN host Jim Acosta Tuesday that the incoming Trump administration would “initiate a pretty large program” to locate children the Biden-Harris administration lost track of. At least 85,000 children placed into the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) are unaccounted for, […]

The post Former Trump Official Reminds Jim Acosta Of ‘Over 330,000 Children’ Biden-Harris Admin Lost Track Of At Border appeared first on Liberty Unyielding.

From 'fruitless' dating to financial pressures, people share their views on falling fertility rates.

A UN agency verified victims from a six-month period and said it found international law violations.

Fans congratulate the Transformers star, who's spoken about a previous pregnancy ending in miscarriage.

The Prince of Wales is on a trip in South Africa promoting his Earthshot environmental prize.

Two sisters from east London will perform as part of a choir made up of children from around the UK.

The Magic Cottage was the epicentre of the blaze which broke out in Abergavenny on Sunday night.

A scumbag, left-wing (is there any other kind?) doctor in Iowa is facing an uncertain future at his hospital after he began posting obscene wishes on social media saying that he hopes the children of Trump voters are murdered. The creep is question is one Dr. Mayank Sharma, 35, a pediatric cardiology fellow for the […]

The post Iowa Pediatrician Blistered for Telling Trump Voters that He Hopes Their Children Die appeared first on The Lid.

Ukraine has said that the toll from a Russian strike on the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky had risen to four people, identifying the dead as a mother and her three children, including a newborn.

Every year, educators worry about “summer slide,” the potential for learning loss when children are not in school. This issue is more pronounced among low-income families who don’t have access to summer camps or other enrichment activities. One way to battle summer slide is through reading for fun, which is associated with many academic and health benefits, including strengthening the brain, increasing ability to empathize, reducing stress and building vocabulary.