SCMP Column: Between The Lines

Children and their feelings were neglected well into the 1960s. Betty Francis (played by January Jones) in the television series Mad Men was probably typical of her era.   My husband and I never argued until our children came along. At first, we blamed the kids. Then we blamed the stress of parenting, both external […]

Karen White at work in her home studio.   What book lover among us has not wished that they could get paid to read? For professional audiobook narrator Karen White, the dream came true when she was expecting her first child 16 years ago. Now, with more than 200 books recorded, she says her theatre […]

Last month, my husband and I started brainstorming our next holiday while we were, funnily enough, on holiday. We considered Amsterdam, Prague and cities in Spain or Italy. And then our eyes lit up at the idea of going back to Paris, the destination of our first trip together. I admit that, while he was […]

By Early April, word usually begins to spread quickly among the expatriate community who will be leaving Hong Kong in summer.

  “Play is the most efficient driver of learning for children. This is as true of their cognitive development as their physical and emotional development.” These statements introduce a chapter on remembering to play in Teach Your Children Well, by child psychologist Dr Madeline Levine. She outlines the concept through a “time wheel”: a pie-chart of a […]

This article appeared on Tuesday 24 March 2015 in the South China Morning Post print edition as “Don’t sell short the pen’s power”. In advocating literacy, we have mostly discussed the importance of reading aloud with children. But there’s a second part we haven’t addressed as deeply: writing. Writing is powerful. Consider this: history happens, […]

This article appeared on Tuesday 24 February 2015 in the South China Morning Post print edition as “Why kids need time to ponder”. “Use your imagination,” was my mother’s exasperated reply to my whiny claims of boredom one day when I was little. “I don’t have any,” I exclaimed. But the truth is, my childhood […]

This article appeared on Tuesday 10 March 2015 in the South China Morning Post print edition as “Heads-up on the theory of mind”. My love of reading and all that I’ve gained from it define me as much as my relationship and life experiences. I am confident that my children will also be shaped by the […]

This article appeared on Tuesday 10 February 2015 in the South China Morning Post print edition as “Children’s tales for Lunar New Year”. For me, the essence of Lunar New Year is perfectly embodied in A New Year’s Reunion, the award-winning picture book by Yu Liqiong. I didn’t discover it until 2011, and since then I […]

Last summer, the American Academy of Paediatrics issued a new policy statement for its members, recommending that paediatricians advise parents of young children about the importance of breastfeeding, vaccinating and reading aloud. Until that moment, reading to children was just another fun and enriching educational experience, on par with playing in the park and attending […]