Parent Pages new website

Elaborate nativity scenes are a staple of the festive season in Italy, but the Franciscan monks in Grosseto, in Tuscany, decided to go one better by placing guinea pigs, hamsters, chickens and rabbits among the more traditional plaster cast statues of Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus and the Three Wise Men, in the church adjoining [...]

Read the full story

Gwen Mooney, Robbie’s mother We had a hell of a lot of problems last year: Robbie was diagnosed with diabetes; my brother died; I had a breakdown. I haven’t been able to look after the kids, so Robbie’s dad had to leave work. There are seven of us, and things have been hard, with fuel and [...]

Read the full story

The Church of England is asking its followers to give feedback on funerals and christenings in a drive to make services more popular. The Archbishop’s Council has commissioned independent researchers to delve into how the Church ministers to its faithful at the key moments of birth and death. The research is partially motivated by concerns [...]

Read the full story

» Inline Ad Purchase:  Intext Link

Read the full story

‘They showed us a face of our society we don’t like to think about – angry, destructive, lawless’ says Dr Williams
Pope Benedict praises young people as key to a secure future

Read the full story

The lowdown on the Christmas Day tug of war between an England football star’s ex, their children and Christine Bleakley

Read the full story

Mark was in Barbados, Carol was skiing. Only the intervention of her housekeeper saved Thatcher from spending Christmas alone

Read the full story

Cradling her newborn baby in her arms, Rachel Backhouse appears like any ordinary new mother overjoyed at her precious arrival.

Read the full story

Woman enjoys first proper turkey meal in years after hypnosis persuaded her she had gastric band and forced her to live on liquid diet

Read the full story

Female masturbation is not a topic many of us want to discuss over our morning coffee. But yesterday, thanks to the usually innocuous Radio 4 programme Woman’s Hour, that is exactly what happened.

Read the full story

The Christmas shows repeated within hours

Read the full story

There can be no greater feeling of desolation than waking up on Christmas morning without your child.

Read the full story

Some public displays of affection are quite sweet while other can border on nauseating for those who have to witness them.

Read the full story

A mother was said to be inconsolable after her nine-year-old son died in a fire which was apparently sparked by their Christmas tree.

Read the full story

She is due to give birth within the next couple of weeks.

Read the full story

Over the weekend, they became embroiled in a Twitter row when Elen Rivas accused her ex Frank Lampard and his fiancée Christine Bleakley of ‘trying to stop his children from speaking to their mother over Christmas’.

Read the full story

Not for the mother who’s allergic to Christmas trees, tinsel, mince pies and turkey

Read the full story

Grandparents Lomer and Pauline Johnson were to celebrate their 49th wedding anniversary today

Read the full story

Proud parents have been celebrating the arrival of Scotland’s Christmas babies, with the first being born just minutes after midnight.

Read the full story

Terror attacks targeted at Christians, including two bombs at church services, have killed at least 40 across Nigeria.

Read the full story

Another mystery shopper has popped up to help families pay their bills – this time brandishing an American Express card at a Californian Toys R Us.

Read the full story

Christmas began in a tent outside St Paul’s Cathedral and turned into a day spent thinking of friends and family members they had left at home for those at the Occupy London camp.

Read the full story

It takes more than just a jolly laugh and a red suit to play Father Christmas to a queue of demanding children. Nick Harding dons hat, beard and fake belly to undergo some seasonal training.

Read the full story

Wife of creator Michael Bond is given the all-clear from lung cancer

Read the full story

When five-year-old Helen Berence Reyes Cardenas wrote a Christmas message to Santa, she didn’t really ask for much.

Read the full story

Brailsfords buy in snow machine to guarantee a dusting of the white stuff

Read the full story

Children’s funniest Christmas wish lists revealed

Read the full story

Here’s hoping you’ve been good, because Santa is on his way.

Read the full story

If you’ve run out of holiday gift ideas for dads, then look no further for inspiration.

Read the full story

Santa Claus needs a tremendous amount of tech backup to effectively deliver presents to every child’s house in the world before the sun rises.

Read the full story

Chinese orphan abandoned in cardboard box because of her giant hairy mole celebrates amazing surgery with new family

Read the full story

Sinterklaas, the Dutch version of Father Christmas and his blacked-up helpers Zwarte Pieten, or Black Peters, are to be banned in Suriname for being “racist”.

Read the full story

For 46 years, Charles Boyle’s mother kept details of every Christmas present she gave. He explains why he’d brave a burning building to save her list

Read the full story

Since the Palestinian Authority left the Gaza Strip, festive celebrations and displays of crucifixes have become taboo

Read the full story

If you give me an envelope this Christmas, I hope it won’t contain a card saying I’ve given chickens to an African village

Read the full story

Cafe owner ordered to remove ‘offensive’ Santa sign by police

Read the full story

Reindeer are the ultimate party animals – and now they are available for hire.

Read the full story

The nativity play has become a pain for teachers, parents and kids alike. Time to leave the Christmas story out of it altogether

Read the full story

If you are having your parents over for Christmas, they might not be as appreciative of your hard work as you would like.

Read the full story

It’s going to be a quiet Christmas for Britain’s biggest dog who will be spending the festive season on the sofa after breaking his toe.

Read the full story

Even the road signs for Sodom and Gomorrah didn’t amuse them

Read the full story

Christmas is a time for families. Unfortunately these eight adorable little puppies don’t have one of their own.

Read the full story

Christmas cards are my big festive failing. I can never get organised enough to get them bought, written, addressed, stamped and sent out in time.

Read the full story

Feast on these outfits, cheesy grins and just plain wrong festive poses

Read the full story

Little Amy Finlayson wrote her letter to Father Christmas, left it by the chimney and went off to sleep, confident he would grant her wish.

Read the full story

A mother and her six children who lost everything in a house fire are set for a bumper Christmas after all – thanks to the generosity of Facebook followers.

Read the full story

The ghost of Christmas 100 years past arrived early for a County Down man when he discovered the Santa letter his late mother wrote when she was a girl.

Read the full story

Oh, what a perfectly timed survey. According to the National Obesity Forum, a third of men won’t tell the woman in their life that they’ve put on weight, for fear of hurting their feelings or provoking a bad reaction.

Read the full story

A group of friends are embarking on a series of bizarre Christmas challenges this week to help a young woman who has a rare form of cancer.

Read the full story

Santa and his helper Jack the elf brought the gift of reading to an underprivileged London school, where 90 per cent of children speak English as their second language.

Read the full story