Latest news with #Biddulph
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
The Underrated Power of Aunts in Raising Strong, Confident Girls
The right aunt can make a young girl feel safe, seen, and loved exactly as she is. When I became an aunt I found out in the most unexpected way, through a frantic mid-workday phone call from my brother, his voice trembling with equal parts excitement and fear. I ducked into a private room, heart racing, and joined a video call to see him and his wife in the hospital. She smiled and said calmly, "She's coming." In that moment, I didn't know what kind of aunt I'd be, but I knew I wanted to show up. Since then, I've learned so much—how to cradle a newborn just right, how to make the tiniest moments feel big, and how to be present even when I'm not the one doing the day-to-day parenting. I didn't have a blueprint for being an aunt, but I quickly learned how much my presence mattered. And according to Steve Biddulph, psychologist and author of Raising Girls and 10 Things Girls Need Most, aunts play a crucial role in the lives of girls. The Special Role of Aunts On ABC's Parental as Everything podcast, Biddulph explained that girls often need someone aside from their parents to turn to, especially during the tricky phases in adolescence when they may be reluctant to speak to their primary caregivers but still need to be heard. "They don't want to listen to you, but they still need lots of help," he said. That's where an aunt, or an aunt-like figure, comes in. According to Biddulph, an aunt can offer a less emotionally charged, more approachable ear, free of the pressure a child might feel from their parent. Biddulph even mentions that aunts don't need to be related by blood to hold this special role, he describes anyone who is "around your [parent's] age who loves you too" as being capable of providing this necessary support. These women, Biddulph says, are "pillars of mental health for girls." Building Bonds Early Biddulph encourages parents to nurture the child-aunt relationship early, before the teen years, so that trust and closeness are already in place when life gets complicated. Australian parenting author and Parental as Everything host Maggie Dent, agrees. She points out that young people today face immense mental and emotional pressures, making it essential to have caring adults beyond parents to turn to. Research supports this, too, sometimes just one consistent, caring adult can positively change a child's life. Ultimately, aunts, by blood or bond, can provide trust, emotional refuge, and guidance during moments where girls might feel misunderstood or overwhelmed. And one day, when my niece is old enough to navigate her own teenage storms, I hope she'll remember the woman who once answered a frantic phone call in the middle of the workday just to see her arrive in the world, and know she can always call me, too. Read the original article on Parents Solve the daily Crossword
BBC News
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Biddulph's Festival of Brilliant hopes to inspire children to read
Organisers of a festival in Staffordshire hope to inspire hundreds of children to Festival of Brilliant at Biddulph Old Hall will include theatre, dance, acrobatics, circus acts and author readings in the grounds of the 14th Century Bird, Director of Outside Arts, described reading as a gift and has set out to make the annual event as enjoyable as possible for children."We passionately believe that stories and reading have the power to transform people's lives for the better and make them happier," she said. One thousand pupils from across the Staffordshire Moorlands will attend the event on Friday and a public celebration will take place for families on Saturday. Ms Bird said reading for pleasure was at an all-time low and that competition for children's attention had never been higher."Books can offer confidence, creativity, innovation, empathy and can really feed children's mental wellbeing," she said."There's no surprise there's a correlation there between instances of mental health challenges in young people at the same time as there's this big dip in reading for pleasure."We want the children to be able to suspend their disbelief and step into a fairytale world."Her creative team have listened to local librarians, authors and families to shape their programme of events for the of the ideas suggested by a youth advisory group of teenagers was a Harry Potter film night, which will take place on Friday evening. A number of popular children's authors will attend the event, including the Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell organisers said they hoped that by staging the event in July it would spark an enthusiasm for reading ahead of the summer holidays, a period when children generally read less frequently.
BBC News
01-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Child dies in hospital after Biddulph medical emergency
A child has died in hospital after a medical emergency in air ambulance, paramedics and police were called to a property in Woodland Street in Biddulph at about 15:00 BST on gave the child emergency treatment at the scene before they were also treated in an ambulance on the way to hospital, West Midlands Ambulance Service a spokesperson said despite the attempts to save them the child was pronounced dead by doctors shortly after arriving at hospital. Staffordshire Police said the child's family was being supported by specialist officers. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Daily Mail
30-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Onlookers left 'in tears' as young child dies after being air lifted to hospital and police descend on street close to school
A young child has died after police descended on a street near a school in front of 'tearful' onlookers. Photos taken at Woodland Street in Biddulph, North Staffordshire, show an ambulance parked where emergency services arrived on scene yesterday afternoon. Three uniformed officers and two marked cars with flashing lights were positioned in the entrance to a school, Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy, locals said. An air ambulance took off after landing on playing fields off Church Road but police later confirmed an unidentified youth had died. An eye witness told StokeonTrentLive: 'There's lots of people here and some of them are tearful. 'There's no cordon or police tape anywhere but there is a PCSO stationed outside a home. There's also two car with their lights flashing on the grounds of the school.' A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: 'We were called at 2.50pm on Sunday to a property in Biddulph. 'A child was taken to hospital by air ambulance. Sadly, the child was pronounced dead by doctors a short time later. 'The child's next of kin are aware and are being supported by specialist officers at this difficult time.' West Midlands Ambulance Service have been contacted for comment.
The Sun
30-06-2025
- The Sun
Horror as young child dies after being airlifted to hospital from house as cops swarm street
A CHILD has died after being airlifted to hospital. Cops swarmed a residential street near Stoke-on-Trent on Sunday afternoon after the alarm was raised. Staffordshire Police have confirmed the unidentified child was pronounced dead by doctors shortly after arriving at the Royal Stoke University Hospital. An air ambulance landed on playing fields off Church Road, Biddulph, with multiple police cars sent to the scene in Woodland Street. A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: "We were called at 2.50pm on Sunday to a property in Biddulph. "A child was taken to hospital by air ambulance. Sadly, the child was pronounced dead by doctors a short time later. "The child's next of kin are aware and are being supported by specialist officers at this difficult time." 1
