Learner Dad: We’re thinking of moving to the country 

"My initial reaction to everything is to say no, so I said no. Apparently, that’s not a great way to run a relationship, so I’ve taken a step back and wondered if we could hack it as culchies."

FREE TO ROAM: Pat Fitzpatrick and his family are considering a move to the countryside, which may involve raising chickens. Picture: iStock 

We’re thinking of moving house. It’s hard because our current home is pretty much part of the family at this stage and the kids would probably give it a hug if they could get their arms around it. The problem is they nearly could get their arms around it. W e’ve outgrown it at this stage and it feels like their last few growth spurts have used up half the house.

The question is where next. I’ve lived close to the city centre in either Dublin or Cork for the last 30 years . I like that everything is nearby , you can walk into town and some wild countryside is just half an hour away by car. People talk about 15-minute cities now, where everything you need like school, shops, hospitals is no more than a quarter of an hour away. I’m a fan of that.