Let's make it our goal in 2024 to make positive progress in   smartphone ownership among primary school children, the ‘win at all costs’ culture of children’s sport and the rise in episodes of bullying by exclusion

I always get sick at Christmas.  My theory is because I am so busy in the run-up to December 25, I don't have time to be sick, but as soon as I stop, it all catches up on me. It’s unlikely I’m the only over-stretched parent who has this pattern

"Last week, I wrote about shielding young children from horrific news stories. However, a different parenting task exists for parents of older teenagers, who will be all too aware of the Dublin riots and want to know how they came about."

"While I knew that something was happening in the North by catching a glimpse of a car or building on fire on the six o’clock news, I was largely unaware of the details and had little or no insight into what it was all about."

We need to be objective and brave enough to sanction our children when they are at fault

"If we want to stop bullying, we need to identify the children and young people who engage in this type of behaviour and, in conjunction with their parents, eliminate it."

Is it a reluctance to leave the couch and smartphone or is there something about their particular sport or club that's making them less keen to participate?

"Many children and young people I see report strong feelings of loneliness and disconnection. They tell me about feeling ‘different’, ‘misunderstood’ and ‘alone’."

They may not want to engage in deep and meaningful conversations about this struggle because. like a method actor, this could compromise the persona they are trying to develop.

The time for awareness hotlines and task forces has passed, and a tangible investment in our mental health infrastructure is urgently required