Julie Jay

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50 Irish people on their top tip for happiness in 2023

#Julie Jay

Comedian and parenting columnist

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>The three days he spent back west really sold the sport to him, mostly of the very cool jersey provided, the sporting miracle which saw them all score a try and the sweets which were provided on the last day as a parting gift. Picture: iStock</p>

parenting

Julie Jay: Promise of jellies is the only way to field a team of under-8s in West Kerry

My two boys have always been fond of kick around, but sometimes they need a little extra persuasion

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Julie Jay: I bought a supermarket sponge for my son’s birthday cake

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Julie Jay: I’m trying to be the ‘kind’ of teacher I want my own children to have

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Julie Jay: I’m buying Magnums for my children on the daily, like a millionaire

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Julie Jay: Ireland may not have got to the World Cup but we’re still having fun

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Julie Jay: We moved house, but I lost the decluttering battle

School bag. Backpack with supplies for school

Julie Jay: My children are ready to move onto the next life stages, but am I?

Though everyone warned me about this year moving faster than the speed of light, I still can’t believe we’ve come to the end of our first full academic term

Tue, 23 Jun, 2026

Child's hand holding chess figure while playing chess. Little clever child playing chess at home. Education concept.

Julie Jay: A weekend of trains, planes, automobiles — and late-night chess lessons

My first trip away with just one child went great, despite my mistake of purchasing a chess set for the journey and hoping I'd get away without having to play it

Thu, 18 Jun, 2026

Young mother holds her son with care and love. Happy Mothers Day concept with mom and small girl. Vector illustration. Modern fl

Julie Jay: Seeing my friend with her newborn has left me wishing for a parenting redo

Being a parent is essentially just wishing over and over for a chance to do it all over and do it differently but also accepting that the chance will never come

Tue, 09 Jun, 2026

Julie Jay: Mammy gets to take over the car playlist during the summer

Julie Jay: Mammy gets to take over the car playlist during the summer

As the temperatures soared across the country last week, this woman’s heart was anything but low

Thu, 04 Jun, 2026

Wizard's hat with wand and magical light on color background

Julie Jay: My son has discovered magic — all thoughts and prayers appreciated

Despite my apathy for illusion, a wand has somehow magicked its way into our home and made my car keys disappear

Thu, 28 May, 2026

football

Julie Jay: Who do I have to shift to get my child onto a Cúl Camp course?

When I saw that our local Cúl Camp course had been sold out my soul immediately left my body. As mammy fails go, this was a biggy

Thu, 21 May, 2026

Cute Black Cat In A Flower Garden

Julie Jay: Saying goodbye to pets is a part of growing up — and being an adult too

This week we said goodbye to our cat, and whilst it is never easy, letting go of pets is an important part of growing up

Thu, 14 May, 2026

Green potty and toilet paper in the room.

Julie Jay: Reluctant to push potty training as it’s my last roll of the diaper dice

My reticence in potty training my youngest can be somewhat explained away by my refusal to accept my baby is growing up, despite what the calendar is telling me

Thu, 07 May, 2026

Mother and Child Sleeping in Heart Shape - Graphic Illustration

Julie Jay: Children's invasion of our bed has me missing the fabled pillow talk

After what feels like years of musical beds, I feel it is time to insist on mammy and daddy sharing a mattress

Tue, 28 Apr, 2026

Kitchen magic

Julie Jay: It’s easy to think you know better from the sidelines of parenting

I once imagined a lot of baking in my parental future, but I'm not baking again with the children until one of them is old enough to go to the shop to buy the ingredients and to drive there

Tue, 21 Apr, 2026

BOTOX Botulinum Toxin Bottles on Black Background

Julie Jay: I’d have booked a Botox appointment had I known who I would meet at the school gate

When it comes to trying new things, it is never easy no matter what age you are. Especially when you are surrounded by the ghosts of Christmas past and the last time you brushed your hair, Michael D Higgins was still president

Tue, 07 Apr, 2026

Row of colorful easter eggs on green grass bunny ears

Julie Jay: I won’t sugarcoat it — my children eat far too many sweet treats

Whether your kids are eating treats on the daily or indulging only on a Friday afternoon, ultimately we are all just out here doing our best as parents, and isn't that all that matters (my dentist might disagree)

Tue, 31 Mar, 2026

Multiple lice combs with multiple fine teeth for effective lice removal and scalp care

Julie Jay: Head lice or an extra-marital affair? I know which one I would pick

On the day my husband phoned me to tell me he had spotted something moving on one of our children's scalps, I would have been much less upset if he told me he had met someone else

Tue, 24 Mar, 2026

Red paper Valentines Day heart

Julie Jay: Sometimes you really should talk to strangers

On the hard days, it is often strangers who offer you the most unexpected but necessary support. A passing word from a passerby can make or break you on a morning where everything has gone awry

Tue, 17 Mar, 2026

Child is climbing up the tall bed, there's a risk of him falling down. Kid aged two years (two-year-old boy)

Julie Jay: A hotel break can feel more like a breakdown when you have a toddler

Anyone with small children knows a weekend away with small children is basically a hostage situation, only with nicer tea and coffee facilities

Tue, 10 Mar, 2026

Cute child, running on a Norway white sand beach in the summer

Julie Jay: Dunnes wellies are cheaper than a work visa for Australia

When it comes to a rain-soaked childhood, the only thing differentiating my kids from the McCourts is our ability to get new Dunnes wellies delivered to the house at the click of a button

Tue, 03 Mar, 2026

Toy gun in hand on a white background, isolate.

Julie Jay: Son of a gun — why everyone in our house is suddenly ducking for cover

My husband took our son for a haircut and came home with an army regulated crew cut and the gun to match

Tue, 24 Feb, 2026

Close up of mother and a child hands at the sunset.

Julie Jay: Lessons in resilience from my personal parenting guru

My 'paediatrician' — aka a friend with four children — told me that as much as my children will have to become resilient in the face of rejection by their peers, I need to be resilient for them too

Tue, 17 Feb, 2026

Busy mother working from home

Julie Jay: I used to be sound, but now I am officially a bad mammy

After a few weeks of being a cranky old wench, I am convinced I am giving even Medea a run for her money in the bad mammy stakes

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

Mikey Geaney celebrates kicking the winning point 18/1/2026

Julie Jay: My five-year-old’s first trip to Croke Park was a cracker

When a town wins the All-Ireland final, it’s not just the players at the pitch who win, but everyone, whether its the child blowing his horn or the 40-something-year-old woman like me who’s never kicked a ball in her life

Tue, 27 Jan, 2026

Child, cute boy, playing with toys in a playroom, focus on his feet

Julie Jay: My toddler believes the word ‘no’ is an invitation to start negotiating

With missiles flying around my kitchen left right and centre, I feel like Packie Bonner in Italia 90

Tue, 20 Jan, 2026

Little doctor using stethoscope on teddy bear at home

Julie Jay: Making a doctor’s appointment is up there with getting a bikini wax in January

Despite both being on antibiotics, I am still chasing my children around shops, because even when fuelled by penicillin, they have yet to meet an automatic door they haven't wanted to run through

Wed, 14 Jan, 2026

Box of Xmas decorations

Julie Jay: Why I'm thrilled to finally say goodbye to Christmas

I used to feel melancholic putting away the decorations, now I am craving beige interior, floor space, and a life that is tinsel-free

Tue, 06 Jan, 2026

Multitasking mother cooks food, holds baby on hands and talks on the phone. Mom with kid cooking meal on gas stove, does housewo

Julie Jay: Like oil and water, rest and motherhood simply don’t mix

I used to be great at napping during the day, but now I am as much a stranger to an afternoon siesta as I am to brushing my hair

Tue, 30 Dec, 2025

Woman is sitting on sofa near christmas tree and is sad because of loneliness and lack of friends

Julie Jay: Having kids doesn’t make grief easier, but it helps keep you grounded

It is nearly impossible to believe my dad has been gone a year, but as much as the kids have kept me moving forward, they've kept me grounded in the present, too

Tue, 23 Dec, 2025

Santa Claus

Julie Jay: The Big Man always comes up trumps despite his workload

Bringing the children to see Santa was a truly magical experience, and the fact we managed to get through a family afternoon without killing each other proves miracles can happen

Tue, 16 Dec, 2025

Teacher Spelled in children’s blocks

Julie Jay: I survived my first parent teacher meeting... just about

Listening to the teacher talk made me realise how much of my parenting anxiety isn’t really about my child - it’s about me

Tue, 09 Dec, 2025

The boy eats jelly beans or takes vitamins

Julie Jay: Sharing is caring — unless you’re giving away your five-year-old’s jellies

As much as we would all love to live in a socilaist utopia, the reality it is it is every man for himself out here, especially when it relates to jellies

Tue, 02 Dec, 2025

Cars in rush hour at sunset with city traffic abstract watercolor painting

Julie Jay: Dublin's traffic comes as a shock to this West Coast hipster

Despite getting a lot of flak, the capital city is a great spot for an afternoon filled with Lego mosh-pits, fake martinis and untouched lunches

Tue, 18 Nov, 2025

Adorable black smoke Siberian cat kitten sitting side ways looking up with bright yellow eyes, isolated on white background

Julie Jay: Pets add an entire extra dimension to a child’s life

Our impossibly tiny cat may be in the winter years, but living with two tiny people keeps her young at heart

Tue, 11 Nov, 2025

Jack O'Lantern And Witch's Hat On An Orange Background

Julie Jay: I'm already quizzing my son about next year’s Halloween outfit

This year, I made up for my son’s insistence on reusing last year’s Halloween costume by getting creative with my own outfit, and by creative, I mean donning a bin bag and a Post-it note

Tue, 04 Nov, 2025

Two Caucasian Boys Walking Down a Country Road

Julie Jay: Boys are an enigma to me, so how can I be expected to raise good ones?

Members of the opposite sex are still a complete and utter enigma to me, so it is ironic that I, of all people, should be charged with raising two of them

Tue, 21 Oct, 2025

break dance kids. little break dancer showing his skills in dance studio. Hip hop dancer boy in headphones with smartphone again

Julie Jay: Nothing beats a bop when it comes to letting off steam with your kids

It would appear that my kids have taken after their dad in the dance department - and that is no bad thing

Tue, 14 Oct, 2025

First aid, twisted leg.

Julie Jay: Parents, like doctors, should take blood in their stride

A catalogue of recent calamities has left me feeling like I am a card-carrying member of the Royal College of Surgeons

Tue, 07 Oct, 2025

girl wearing white t-shirt holding paper card bubble with question mark isolated over orange background

Julie Jay: My IQ has most definitely plummeted since having kids

As I feel myself needing to phone a friend more and more when it comes to general knowledge questions, I can't be the only one who feels a bit of a silly goose since becoming a parent?

Tue, 30 Sep, 2025

Count Dracula wearing black and red cape. Cute cartoon vampire character with fangs. Happy Halloween. Flat design. Violet backgr

Julie Jay: Bambi Fury isn’t the only baby vampire in town

A clip of Molly-Mae Hague’s and Tommy Fury’s daughter talking about her love of biting has gone viral, but the reality is biting is totally normal for toddlers

Tue, 23 Sep, 2025

Birthday cake

Julie Jay: When birthday celebrations become a week-long jubilee

We all want to mark these milestones, but even by my Kardashian standards this birthday has gone completely out of control

Tue, 16 Sep, 2025

Coming Home from School

Julie Jay: Forget their first day of school, the second day is the real test of fortitude

Whilst I was all tough talk on the first day of school, the second day was for me, the moment when I seriously considered scooping up my newly initiated junior infant and making a break for it

Tue, 02 Sep, 2025

adorable child playing with tennis racket and ball

Julie Jay: A tennis match is no place for a crying baby who is making a racket

The controversy surrounding a crying baby at the Cinncinati Tennis Open has once again ignited a debate around how far we should go to include parents and children at major sporting events

Tue, 26 Aug, 2025

Kids height chart, ruler to measure growth of child with raccoon, rabbit and bear

Julie Jay: Public nurse check-ups, like NCT tests, will always have me sweating

Despite never having anything less than an entirely pleasant experience with public health nurses over the years, I always fret that I will be outted as the fraud that I am when appointment time approaches

Tue, 19 Aug, 2025

plastic model of a human jaw with white teeth and a brown teddy bear with a wooden toothbrush

Julie Jay: Trips to the dentist can often be a kick in the teeth

"Our new dentist’s reception area is so instantly soothing, I was almost envious of the patients waiting for a root canal. The sparkling floors scream, ‘We don’t reuse toothpicks here,’ while the funny ornaments, depicting old-school dentists, complete with monocles, tell us this dentist also knew how to have fun."

Tue, 12 Aug, 2025

Father and son recycling together in the backyard

Julie Jay: It’s hard to think of anything more harmful to the planet than being a parent

Before having kids, I was all about saving the planet, but now as a parent my eco-warrior approach has become a little more compromised

Tue, 05 Aug, 2025

cute child taking a bath.Little child boy character take a shower. Daily routine. Bathroom interior background. Vector cartoon i

Julie Jay: Four bathrooms, two small boys, and an inflatable bath — what could possibly go wrong?

We have had to endure the absolute carnage of inflatable baths up to this point — and carnage it is. You would be forgiven for thinking we have been subjected to a flash flood, such is the level of saturation

Tue, 29 Jul, 2025

Beach toys

Julie Jay: My stomach sinks at the prospect of fun in the sun

More rain, less pain I say, at least when it comes to entertaining children over these summer months

Tue, 22 Jul, 2025