A Very Modern Family: Stories and guidance to nurture your relationships

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In A Very Modern Family, Carrie and David share their own familial experiences, while providing you with a deep dive into real life, frequently encountered situations and pertinent, applicable advice. Their openness and solutions-based approach will provide solace, guidance and inspiration for families everywhere. MyHome.ie (Opens in new window) • Top 1000 • The Gloss (Opens in new window) • Recruit Ireland (Opens in new window) • Irish Times Training (Opens in new window) Carrie and David Grant talk to Chris Evans about encountering parenting situations 'that you're not prepared for' The next child down is Tylan, who is autistic, and Tylan is in Hollyoaks, and Tylan’s pronouns are he/him.” She added: “They were the first autistic, at the time, girl ever to play an autistic character on UK telly. So that was groundbreaking.

But hiding in plain sight is a second film exploring a uniquely Irish dysfunction. Because when it comes to surrogacy – which is how the married couple are to have their daughter – the legislation here is a never-never land with few certainties and much guesswork. Legally, as the woman giving birth to the child, Aoife is the only one with guardianship rights: in the hospital, she must sign documents so that Brian and Arthur can care for the baby. And that’s just the start of the steps that must be taken so that the couple have any sort of agency regarding their daughter. Until then, says their lawyer, “neither of you has a legal relationship with the child”. Carrie continued: “David and I have got a phrase in our house, which is ‘fix your face’, which is, think about what you're gonna look like when your child presents with this, that or the other. Make sure you have fixed your face. Otherwise your child will know your judgement. There is a feeling of serenity in Carrie Grant’s sitting room, with its expanse of wooden floor and minimal furniture. It’s an echoey room, not immediately a cosy, put-your-feet up one, largely because it doubles as a meeting place for families in the surrounding north London suburb and beyond who have neurodiverse and transgender children like the Grants. Around 180 families regularly come through the door.

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Marc writes (main picture): I specifically focused on the South Africa captain Siya Kolisi, far left, as he sung the national anthem, Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, as he sings with so much passion and emotion.

I would go like, ‘This is what you do’.... If you put these elements of discipline and structure in, this is the child you get. And of course, it didn't occur to me, children are their own people.”

First night reviews

Carrie and David Grant have an extraordinary story to tell: three of their four children are trans or non-binary, they are also gay or queer, all four are neurodivergent, and they are a mixed-race family, too.

As society undergoes a transformation that challenges traditional notions of family and community, questions arise: How can we maintain unity within our families and communities? How do we build an inclusive society where no one feels oppressed or left behind? Boris Johnson said that the pandemic was “nature’s way of dealing with old people”, the Covid inquiry was told yesterday as his former aide laid bare the chaos and toxic in-fighting at the heart of government. Dominic Cummings said that “pretty much everyone” referred to the former prime minister... Boris Johnson said that the pandemic was “nature’s way of dealing with old people”, the Covid inquiry was told yesterday as his former aide laid bare the chaos and toxic in-fighting at the heart of government. Dominic Cummings said that “pretty much everyone” referred to the former prime minister... Boris Johnson said that the pandemic was “nature’s way of dealing with old people”, the Covid inquiry was told yesterday as his... He added: “I would say that, in the book, we give lots of guidelines and lots of strategies, but not directions. Because the way that you change something… things have to be malleable to suit your child, in your particular situation, in your family dynamic." Carrie and David Grant have an extraordinary family story to tell. They have four children, one of whom is adopted, and all have come with a curveball: mental health challenges, neurodivergence, trans non-binary identities, various sexualities, and they are a mixed-race family, too. It is a reflection of the fact that society is changing faster than most of us can keep up with. The wider concepts of family and community are being deconstructed. There are those who are desperately clinging to the old and those who are desperate for the new to be accepted. How do we hold our families and communities together in unity? How do we create a society where all are included and none are oppressed?

Dive into the extraordinary family journey of Carrie and David Grant as they share their remarkable story in “A Very Modern Family.” This heartwarming tale revolves around their family, which is a testament to the evolving landscape of society. With four children, each bringing their unique curveball—mental health challenges, neurodivergence, trans non-binary identities, diverse sexualities, and the beautiful tapestry of a mixed-race family—Carrie and David’s story reflects the rapidly changing world we live in. Carrie and David will be on the Author's Stage at CarFest on Friday 25th August speaking about the book. David told Chris: “This is a book of hope. It's like saying that there is no challenge that you as a parent, as a guardian, as somebody who's raising your child, can't cope with. There is hope.”

In “A Very Modern Family,” Carrie and David Grant open their hearts to share the trials and triumphs of creating an incredible, diverse family and community. Their multi-intersectional family serves as a beacon of hope and change. Through their personal experiences, they offer profound insights and mindset shifts necessary to forge a more accepting and unified space for all. David said: “I think one of the things about parenting, even if you're parenting neurotypical kids, is that you're going to encounter situations that you're not prepared for. And you have to learn how to deal with them." And then Arlo is 17. Arlo is amazing. Arlo’s at school, in an autism school. And Arlo’s pronouns are they/he, slightly gender-fluid.Carrie gave Chris a rundown of their kids, explaining that 28-year-old Carrie is an actor and “one of the stars of Halo, the TV series. And Olive has ADHD and their pronouns are they/them. They’re non-binary. Carrie and David Grant have been regular fixtures on our television screens for decades. They were vocal coaches and judges on Fame Academy, judged the BAFTA award-winning Glee Club and have been part of several BBC primetime entertainment shows. Alongside co-authoring a bestselling vocal coaching book, Carrie has also written for various books on subjects such as mental health, child psychology and autism. For the past ten years they have run a parent support group and Carrie has been involved in several campaigns and Parliamentary white papers across health and education. BAFTA award-winning broadcasters and vocal coaches Carrie and David Grant joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with cinch to talk about their new book A Very Modern Family.