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Iain Duncan Smith thinktank in ‘fatherless society’ warningPlea to support children in poverty as government launches family stability plan
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‘It's the breaking of a taboo’: the parents who regret having childrenIt’s tiring, often boring – and can mean a return to more traditional roles. Why some mothers (and fathers) feel they made a mistake -
Family life: My great-grandfather, killed on Valentine’s Day, Love Missile F1-11 by Sigue Sigue Sputnik, and currant leftoversReaders’ favourite photographs, songs and recipes -
The lost letter that nearly wrecked our relationshipDebora Harding and her husband courted the old-fashioned way – by post. But a crucial letter went missing, and it very nearly ended in disaster
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Why I’m dreading Valentine’s DayThere are several dates that I’m fearing – Helen’s birthday, Mother’s Day – but none more so than 14 February, which just reminds me of our last poignant Valentine’s Day together watching Brief Encounter
opinion
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Miriam González Durántez is right to object to being called ‘Mrs Clegg’An invitation to speak on International Women’s Day was sent to the lawyer in her husband’s name. Why is there such a deep anxiety about women retaining their independence?
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Dear Dad, I'll never know why you chose to leave – readers write to their parentsFrom life lessons to braving grief, our readers share thank-you letters to their mum and dad
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The threat that women’s liberation would destroy the nuclear family has been neutered. Matrimony has been repackaged as an experience we all must enjoy
Hen dos are a deeply sad and conservative tradition – like marriage itself
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Protecting the financial rights of unmarried parents will matter not just to women but to the one in three children born to parents who aren’t marriedThank you, Lady Hale, for shifting the supreme court’s view on marriage
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When my mum became a ‘bed blocker’, I saw the crisis in care for older peopleAnyone with an elderly relative in need of medicalised social care should prepare to deal with a shockingly underfunded and uncompassionate system
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It's not EU … it's Brexit: the couples in turmoil after the referendum resultFrom clashing over the vote to fears over separation – people talk about how the referendum has affected their relationship
advice
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Private livesPrivate livesMy nine-year-old step-daughter has become a monster and her mother seems scared of herThe girl is verbally and physically abusive to both of us – and acuses me of being a paedophile. I now dread going home and wonder about moving out
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Dr Dillner’s dilemmasDr Dillner’s dilemmasIs the gym the best place to exercise?A new study says gym-goers are indeed fitter and healthier than non-members. But there are other ways to stay fit, and some of them may be even more beneficial
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Dear MariellaDear MariellaI want to leave my partner of 15 years. Am I being selfish?A woman who married her longtime partner two years ago now wants to separate. Mariella Frostrup wonders why it’s taken so long to address the issues in their relationship
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Sexual healingSexual healingMy husband is a recovering alcoholic and is uninterested in sexHe sleeps in a separate room and isn’t even interested in cuddles
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Problem solvedProblem solvedI’ve fallen for a man who has lost his wife but he no longer wants to see meAfter three months together, he suddenly called it off saying that he wasn’t ready to move on. I’m devastated – what should I do? Annalisa Barbieri advises a reader
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Ask AlysAsk AlysAsk Alys Fowler: I want to get rid of concrete slabs and create a gardenOur gardening expert has some excellent advice
love & sex
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Share the hate, ruin the dateWhen it comes to finding a partner, discovering the things you both love is a far healthier start
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Blind date: ‘There was some kissing’Emma, 27, social enterprise events coordinator, meets Gervase, 28, civil servant
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I’ve fallen for a man who has lost his wife but he no longer wants to see meAfter three months together, he suddenly called it off saying that he wasn’t ready to move on. I’m devastated – what should I do? Annalisa Barbieri advises a reader
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The latest horror-movie proposal to emerge from the industry is a program that tells you whether people like you or not. I wish it nothing but illFriendships, romance, humanity: mind-reading tech will kill it all
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Queer art pushes boundaries: why I made my explicit gay porn music videoAfter causing a stir with his new video, Australian musician Brendan Maclean explains the thinking behind what he calls ‘a light-hearted, extremely explicit look at the world of gay semiotics’
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My husband is a recovering alcoholic and is uninterested in sexHe sleeps in a separate room and isn’t even interested in cuddles
Grit your teeth and struggle through. Is this the key to happy relationships?