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#Parenting

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Young children’s developing brains do not have the self-regulation to resist the habit-forming designs of these apps and games, says Joanna. </p>

parenting

Joanna Fortune: I'm worried my daughter's day seems to revolve around going on screens

I don’t want to take away screens, but I’m worried it seems to be having such an impact on her

<p>Miriam O'Callaghan examines the impact of Ireland's birth rate decline and ageing population in Population Crash.</p>

comment-analysis

Having a child is a radical act of hope, not a pension plan

3156113_1_org_Colman_Noctor_Circle_headshot

Colman Noctor: Is cutting people out of our lives a legitimate way to handle difficult relationships?

Family problems

health and wellbeing

Children impacted when parents are distracted by phones — here's what to do about it

3156113_1_org_Colman_Noctor_Circle_headshot

Colman Noctor: Nobody needs to insist on getting hugs or banning them altogether

My Childhood with Keith Barry: 'I borrowed my dad's jacket to work as a magician at 14'

parenting

My Childhood with Keith Barry: 'I borrowed my dad's jacket to work as a magician at 14'

Little girl having fun on Halloween trick or treat

Colman Noctor: Has comparison driven parents to make rods for their own backs?

Sometimes, we're not so much trying to be the best parent in the room as we are terrified of seeming like the worst.

Tue, 20 Oct, 2026

Two toddlers, a boy and a girl, are sitting on the floor at home and crying, arguing over toys

Joanna Fortune: My son is acting out in creche — what should we do?

Up until now, he's had no problems at all, so we were taken aback by his behaviour.

Tue, 20 Oct, 2026

Woman tourist use maps app to navigate city, plan route from location to destination

Colman Noctor: Young people need experiences where they aren't being watched

We routinely do things today that would have seemed extraordinary 20 years ago, including tracking our children, but is this healthy?

Tue, 13 Oct, 2026

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

Joanna Fortune: My son has boundless energy — do I need to encourage more quiet time?

He’s less interested in sitting at the table to go colouring or do jigsaws like my other children enjoyed at this age.

Tue, 13 Oct, 2026

Little girl talking on a smart watch while riding roller skates

Watch out: Are smartwatches right for my child?

Smartwatches for children too young to have a mobile phone can be the compromise — as long as everyone sticks to the ground rules

Fri, 09 Oct, 2026

White teenage boy using mobile phone, waist up

Colman Noctor: Our teens are struggling — maybe the problem is the pond and not the frog

We have been discussing a deterioration in young people’s mental health for some time, and I have started to view what is happening from a different perspective, says Colman Noctor.

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

My Childhood with Declan O'Rourke: ‘My parents packed up us four kids and moved to Australia’

My Childhood with Declan O'Rourke: ‘My parents packed up us four kids and moved to Australia’

“We had such a colourful community of people,” he says. “Lovely old people, neighbours we leaned on and of course the nosy ones who would peek out the window and tell on you if you did anything. There was so much interaction.

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

Group of Gen Z boys having fun outdoors in nature without smart phones, featured boy with acne

Joanna Fortune: My son wants to hang out in the village — I don't think he's ready

My instinct was to say no, as I feel he’s a bit young to be ‘hanging out’... I’m worried I’m being overprotective.

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast: Laura O’Connell calls for better mental health care for new mothers

The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast: Laura O’Connell calls for better mental health care for new mothers

The comedian discusses her experience of postnatal depression, psychiatric care and the challenges new mothers face seeking treatment

Listen | Fri, 02 Oct, 2026

‘Breastfeeding my son helped our bond grow deeper’

‘Breastfeeding my son helped our bond grow deeper’

When Persis Raju’s son was born prematurely with Down syndrome and a heart condition, she found herself in a ‘freeze state’. However, she tells Emer Harrington breastfeeding gave her a sense of purpose.

Tue, 29 Sep, 2026

Mother and son looking out of the window

Julie Jay: Chaos aside, being a parent has made me the happiest I've ever been

For all my moaning about the challenges of parenting - of which there are many - I can honestly say being a mammy has given me my happiest moments.

Tue, 29 Sep, 2026

Depressed Boy in School Hallway

Joanne Fortune: My son is lost in secondary school

He has no one to hang out with during breaks, and most days, he comes home with his lunchbox unopened.

Tue, 29 Sep, 2026

Bored and tired student yawning

Dr Phil Kieran: My daughter is tired all the time — should we check her iron levels?

Tiredness comes up in about half of my consultations every day, but the most common causes are ones that can be addressed at home.

Tue, 29 Sep, 2026

My Childhood with Mona McSharry: 'Focusing on swimming made me feel on the outskirts of things'

S My Childhood with Mona McSharry: 'Focusing on swimming made me feel on the outskirts of things'

"I didn’t do a lot of the typical things teenagers do. I didn’t go out much or go to festivals...Having such a focus on swimming made me feel on the outskirts of things.”

Tue, 29 Sep, 2026

Group of diverse teenagers sitting together at a skatepark, enjoying friendship and casual youth culture outdoors

Colman Noctor: Teens are lonely and need spaces to hang out — A €100 culture voucher would help

One paradox of loneliness is that those who need social opportunities most often find it hardest to create them.

Tue, 29 Sep, 2026

Young woman crying holding picture frame remembering husband

Joanna Fortune: I feel sad that my children have no relationship with my late husband's family

We didn’t have a particularly close relationship with his family. They said their goodbyes after his funeral and wished us well.

Tue, 22 Sep, 2026

Two girls having fun while piggy back in nature

Colman Noctor: Competition not the be all and end all for girls aiming to keep active

Children don’t necessarily need to experience physical activity as exercise for it to benefit them. Indeed, for some, the less we label it as exercise, the more likely they may be to do it.

Tue, 22 Sep, 2026

Woman uses electric fan to stop sweating and prevent exhaustion in hot summer weather

Julie Jay: How Frozen and Girls Aloud announced my perimenopause diagnosis

A geriatric pregnancy will almost certainly result in parenting small children through the perimenopause- and it’s not for the faint of heart

Tue, 22 Sep, 2026

South Asian Female Nurse Smiles At Young Child During Clinic Visit

Dr Phil Kieran: Sometimes what the doctor orders is not visiting the GP

I’m a GP and I'm always trying to empower my patients to understand their health and to know what they can sit with while the body’s immune system gets to work and what needs medical intervention.

Tue, 22 Sep, 2026

Concerned dad checks thermometer with child on lap

Does my child have a back-to-school bug? Here are the common ones to watch out for

Picking up frequent bugs is a rite of passage - it’s how our immune system develops. The silver lining is that next time the child meets this infection, they’ll have immunity, says Helen O’Callaghan

Tue, 22 Sep, 2026

Sad kid on the playground

Colman Noctor: Act of kindness can help a child who finds it difficult to make friends

Parenting a child with a busy social life might feel like running an unpaid taxi service, but it brings the rewarding realisation that your child is well-liked.

Tue, 15 Sep, 2026

Sonia O'Sullivan 28/11/2019

S My childhood with Sonia O'Sullivan: The daily run to school sparked my champion mindset

“Those four daily trips taught me it was faster to run”.

Tue, 15 Sep, 2026

Child Smiling While Hiding behind a Wooden Staircase Inside a Cozy Room

Julie Jay: What’s worse than living with a prankster? Living with three of them

I have never been a fan of practical jokes, and yet somehow I am raising two small people who love nothing more than getting one over on their unsuspecting mother at every opportunity

Tue, 15 Sep, 2026

Mother checking temperature of her sick child.

Dr Phil Kieran: When should you call your GP?

When is it okay to 'watch and wait' and when is it time to call the doctor

Tue, 15 Sep, 2026

Kindergarten Classroom With Table and Colorful Chairs

Julie Jay: 'Second week syndrome' is alive and well at the start of new school year

Despite skipping into his new school last week with nothing short of glee, this week my second-born is finding things tricky. His mother isn’t doing much better

Tue, 08 Sep, 2026

Katie Taylor v Flora Pili - Once Upon A Time Fight Night

Colman Noctor: Look no further than Katie Taylor if you want a role model for your children

Katie Taylor brought an extraordinary career to a momentous close in Croke Park on Saturday night

Tue, 08 Sep, 2026

Mother giving medicine to little girl

Dr Phil Kieran: I'm a GP and here's why antibiotics aren't always the answer

The more we use antibiotics, the more opportunities there are for these resistant strains to multiply and spread

Tue, 08 Sep, 2026

Unhappy Young Girl Sitting On Sofa At Home

Why children need to sit with their sadness

Don’t rush to soothe your child when they experience disappointment or a setback. Working through those emotions will teach them how to cope better next time

Tue, 08 Sep, 2026

Portrait of a young schoolgirl in a white shirt carrying a pink backpack against a vibrant yellow background

Joanna Fortune: My child wants to go back to playschool

Starting ‘big school’ becomes over-hyped, and when the child finally starts, the reality can feel underwhelming

Tue, 08 Sep, 2026

Physically Abused Child At Home Sitting On Sofa

Joanna Fortune: Could my grandchild be jealous of the attention I give to her older sister?

Young children don’t have the emotional language to express their frustration, confusion and indeed, jealousy, other than through their behaviour.

Tue, 01 Sep, 2026

Preadolescent boy having cereal with milk for breakfast at the dining table at home

Aoife Hearne: How can I get my picky son to eat in school hours?

I'm worried now that my son is in secondary school he won't get proper nutrition during his school days

Tue, 01 Sep, 2026

Curious young minds need to explore outside

Curious young minds need to explore outside

A recent study revealed that many children spend no time outdoors after school and at weekends, yet it is vital for their physical health and mental wellbeing

Tue, 01 Sep, 2026

Alzheimer Society Memory Walk

S My Childhood with Nina Carberry: I’ve never been afraid of competing thanks to my brothers

Carberry and her four older brothers - Thomas, Paul, Mark, and Philip - spent their days riding ponies around their family farm in Co Meath.

Tue, 01 Sep, 2026

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

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

Tue, 01 Sep, 2026

Norovirus: What is the winter vomiting bug and how do we treat it?

Norovirus: What is the winter vomiting bug and how do we treat it?

Norovirus, commonly called the winter vomiting bug, is back. While it can't be cured, there are a few things you can do to help - yes, including flat 7up

Thu, 27 Aug, 2026

Little 7 years schoolboy going to school.

Bernard O'Shea: Back-to-school time, but what does it mean for me?

Every September, I convince myself that once the kids are back at school, I’ll finally sort my life out. The problem is, normal life has other plans

Thu, 27 Aug, 2026

Ireland is ‘the village’ it took to raise my girl: 'Irish mothers know how to lend a hand'

Ireland is ‘the village’ it took to raise my girl: 'Irish mothers know how to lend a hand'

After escaping from Afghanistan, Manizha Khan feared her daughter would struggle to settle in at school. But strong local support at every step helped Marjan adapt quickly and thrive

Tue, 25 Aug, 2026

Young business man wearing a tie clueless and confused expression with arms and hands raised. Doubt concept.

Joanna Fortune: How can I establish ground rules during my teen's Leaving Cert year?

Light physical chores can serve as an effective brain break from higher -intensity mental tasks like schoolwork and studying. They are also a great way to take a screen break.

Tue, 25 Aug, 2026

Slice of Cake

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

It turns out a treehouse pales in comparison to a tractor duvet and a birthday gift bag, but on the plus side at least we avoided the bouncing castle

Tue, 25 Aug, 2026

Young woman sleeping in bed at night

Dr Phil Kieran: Why is my teen sleeping so much but still tired?

From nutritional issues to screens in the bedroom, there are plenty of factors that could be playing into this situation

Tue, 25 Aug, 2026

child stress during studies

Colman Noctor: The test for parents is to value children regardless of results

For some children, school is a good fit. But another parent’s child may have to work considerably harder

Tue, 25 Aug, 2026

My Childhood with Geraldine Plunkett: The death of my father when I was a child shaped my life

S My Childhood with Geraldine Plunkett: The death of my father when I was a child shaped my life

Following the death of her father, Plunkett and her sister were sent to an Ursuline convent in Thurles, and her three-year-old brother was minded by his aunt.

Tue, 25 Aug, 2026

The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast: Why every child needs to be parented differently

The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast: Why every child needs to be parented differently

Dr Colman Noctor explores why parenting cannot happen in isolation, and how community, friendship and inclusion can support children

Listen | Fri, 21 Aug, 2026

Joanna Fortune: How can I make peace with my mother-in-law after our argument?

Joanna Fortune: How can I make peace with my mother-in-law after our argument?

I had a disagreement over the children's bedtimes with my mother-in-law, she hasn't spoken to me since

Tue, 18 Aug, 2026