Tots to Teens: All aboard for Laureate na nÓg tour

Once upon a time in the West…’ Laureate na nÓg’s coachload of creatives hits the road. Pic: Julien Behal

Ireland’s Laureate na nÓg Patricia Forde is halfway through her ‘Whole Wide World Bus Tour’.

The children’s author is joined by 35 other Irish writers and illustrators as they make their way from Donegal to Cork, stopping off to meet young book lovers in schools, libraries, bookshops, and cultural venues along the way.

They are travelling in a brightly-coloured bus and hosting workshops, storytelling sessions, and artist events at each pitstop. Children can meet the writers and artists behind their favourite books, listen to stories, and nurture a love of literature and creativity.

Over the coming days, this one-of-a-kind roadshow will visit locations in Limerick, Kerry, and Cork before concluding its tour at Kinsale Library on Sunday.

• See: childrenslaureate.ie to find out if it will be anywhere near you.

Elave’s Junior Intensive Cream with Camomile, €9.45

Skin-kind

Parents of preteen girls, are you being bombarded with constant requests for expensive skincare products? 

Thanks to the influence of beauty content creators on TikTok, many young girls believe they should have skincare routines and are pestering their parents for products often unsuitable for their sensitive skin.

Rather than giving in to their demands for age-inappropriate products, ask them to try Elave’s Junior Intensive Cream with Camomile, €9.45. 

It’s medically approved and soothes skin prone to eczema and dermatitis.

The Irish skincare brand offers a range of cleansers, moisturisers, shampoos, conditioners, and shaving products ideal for young skin.

• See: elaveskincare.com

Baby products reborn

First-time parents are often shocked by how much stuff they need to buy for their babies. 

Dee Peacock, a mother of two from Dublin, certainly was. She was even more taken aback when she realised so much of that stuff is only used once or twice before it’s obsolete. 

So she set up rebornireland.com to do something about this. It’s an online baby marketplace where parents can buy and sell quality-used baby items.

You’ll find everything from cots and Moses baskets to pushchairs, monitors, toys, and clothes, with sizes ranging from newborn to 5+.

Parental support

It can be distressing for families when a child has to spend time in hospital. Not to mention exhausting too.

This is why Children in Hospital Ireland, the national organisation that works to ease the experience of hospitalisation for children and their families, has launched a new guide to hospital admissions.

Created in partnership with parents who have experience of being in hospital with their child, this free publication offers tips, advice, and information on everything from preparing for admission to getting ready for discharge. 

It also details the supports that are available to parents.

• The guide is available to order or download at the information hub. See: childreninhospital.ie

Career guidance

Many teenagers choose Leaving Cert subjects before they have a clear idea of what career path they would like to follow. 

Others can struggle to decide what courses they should list on their CAO application.

The education system has changed so much in recent years that it can also be difficult for parents to know how to help.

Niamh Dwyer of @mycareerplan.ie on Instagram helps to makes sense of it all. 

A career guidance counsellor based near Killarney, her account contains posts on everything from making study plans and the opportunities offered by apprenticeships and post Leaving Cert courses to applying for a SUSI grant. 

She even has a section for parents outlining how they can support their child through the Leaving Cert and beyond.