Welcome to our new parenting hub. From teething and tantrums to rashes and resistance, our team of writers and experts are on hand to answer your questions. We'd love to hear from you here

Parenting Podcasts Advice Fertility Pregnancy Baby Toddler Preschool School Children Tweens Teens Back to Parenting home page

Advice

Fertility

Pregnancy

Baby

Toddler

Pre-school

School Children

Tweens

Teens

More Parenting ...

‘KPop’ girls show it’s OK to live with your demons
‘KPop’ girls show it’s OK to live with your demons
Girl-group trio Rumi, Mira, and Zoey double as the ‘Demon Hunters’ in the hit movie and teach children life lessons

Tue, 20 Jan, 2026

Presents near Christmas tree
Joanna Fortune: My teenage daughters barely said thanks for all their Christmas presents 
I was shocked by their lack of gratitude, and said as much to them, but they just shrugged their shoulders and sloped off. Have I spoiled my children for life?

Tue, 13 Jan, 2026

Boy Coughing
Dr Phil Kieran: Does my child need a second antibiotic?
Frequently, I talk to people who feel the course of antibiotics should be longer than the one they received, but I point out that antibiotics are meant to help the immune system clear the infection. The full recovery often happens only with time.

Tue, 13 Jan, 2026

Happy senior couple celebrating Christmas Eve together.
Joanna Fortune: It feels as if my in-laws hijacked Christmas
My husband was of little help and kept fussing about his mum, who expected to be treated like a queen

Tue, 06 Jan, 2026

Little girl enjoying a lollipop on a winter city street with warm lights
Should I put my children on a sugar detox? 
Rather than focusing on exclusion, shift to thinking about the frequency and portions of each that are being consumed

Tue, 06 Jan, 2026

Loving Little Sisters
Joanna Fortune: Our eldest child won't let her younger sisters out of her sight
Risk-taking activity enables children to experience mastery over a task and encourages them to stretch beyond what they think they can do so that they develop confidence

Tue, 30 Dec, 2025

Sick child girl coughing, sitting on bed at home, close up, side view
Dr Phil Kieran: Could my child's night coughing be due to asthma?
There are specific tests, such as pulmonary function tests, but most of the time, asthma is diagnosed clinically and confirmed by a successful response to treatment

Tue, 30 Dec, 2025

Happy woman with Santa's drinking wine during Christmas lunch at dining table.
Should you give your teenager alcohol at Christmas?
The short answer is no, according to experts who point out that starting earlier increases the odds of heavier drinking 

Tue, 23 Dec, 2025

Christmas morning joy
Colman Noctor: Children need our presence during festive season not a performance
When we manage expectations we can hopefully make room for what matters most: Presence, warmth, and connection

Tue, 23 Dec, 2025

Tots to Teens: Keep little hands and minds busy
Tots to Teens: Keep little hands and minds busy
Sit your little ones down over the next few days with pencils, markers, paints, or a tablet or laptop so they can then enter their designs in the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest

Tue, 23 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

Little Acts of Kindness: 40 heartwarming deeds Irish children have done in 2025
Little Acts of Kindness: 40 heartwarming deeds Irish children have done in 2025
From donating toys to charity to helping a sibling with a disability, here are just some of the Little Acts of Kindness stories we received

Sat, 20 Dec, 2025

Tots to Teens: Last chance to visit festive wonderland
Tots to Teens: Last chance to visit festive wonderland
Last Christmas Magical Parade of 2025 is taking place in Killarney on Saturday, December 20, where the streets come to life with colourful floats, festive music, and beloved fairytale characters accompanied by Santa and his elves

Tue, 16 Dec, 2025

Sad boy with gift box in christmas hat
Joanna Fortune: My nephew doesn't get on with my children — and he's staying for Christmas 
December 25 can be an intense day, and families often feel under pressure. Manage expectations

Tue, 16 Dec, 2025

Low angle view of young Caucasian woman volunteer in rubber gloves collect garbage squatting on coast. Concept of Earth Day and
Colman Noctor: Teaching children to choose kindness in a 'me first' world
If we want a society that bands together, we need to teach children to help others so that when they grow up they will know they are not alone, and that no one else should be either, writes Dr Colman Noctor

Tue, 16 Dec, 2025

Female Doctor Putting Walking Brace On Person's Leg
Dr Phil Kieran: I'm worried about my teenager's stress fracture  
It is essential that your son take his time to fully recover from this injury

Tue, 16 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

Orphanage concept. Sad little girl at table indoors, space for text
Joanna Fortune: My two-year-old is missing her granny, who had to undergo surgery 
"My daughter is asking lots of questions about when Granny will be coming back to play with her. She cries when I say Granny is not well right now. How can I explain to her what is going on?"

Tue, 09 Dec, 2025

Teenager Using Cell Phone in Bed
Colman Noctor: How parents can help screen out extremist content online
"These are not abstract political debates; they are propaganda attempts to radicalise young minds, which can leave them feeling worried, guilty, angry, or withdrawn. This noise is now part of their psychological landscape."

Tue, 09 Dec, 2025

How reading and singing to NICU babies can help their health and development
How reading and singing to NICU babies can help their health and development
Not hearing enough parental language in neonatal intensive care can delay infant verbal development. The BabyTalk reading initiative is helping babies catch up

Tue, 09 Dec, 2025

Tots to Teens: Shining a light on childhood cancer appeal
Tots to Teens: Shining a light on childhood cancer appeal
Fair City actress Kiara Noonan is calling on the public to support the Irish Cancer Society’s children’s Christmas appeal.

Tue, 09 Dec, 2025

Headshot of an annoyed teenage boy
Dr Phil Kieran: What can my teen do about his flaking scalp?
"The exact cause or mechanism for this condition isn’t fully understood, but I’ll go through what we do know about and what I can recommend for your son."

Tue, 09 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

Five touching little acts of kindness performed by children around Ireland
Five touching little acts of kindness performed by children around Ireland
From generous donations to sweet acts to make strangers smile, here are some of the Little Acts of Kindness submissions we have received so far

Thu, 04 Dec, 2025

Angry Teens
Joanna Fortune: My teenage daughters have started to argue
The fact that your girls have recently started arguing may not be related to their differences in skill sets and abilities — it is more likely due to a developmental clash based on their ages and stages of development.

Tue, 02 Dec, 2025

Pink pastel candy background
Aoife Hearne: Clubs rewarding children with sweets are being irresponsible
We have to teach our children how to eat them in small quantities and take the power away from forbidden foods.

Tue, 02 Dec, 2025

Cute little girl standing in front of kids programming electric toys and robots at robotics classroom
Colman Noctor: Afterschool clubs need to open their doors to all children 
Afterschool clubs are not the only effective option — relatives and childminders can also offer warmth and stability. However, when access to enriching opportunities depends on income, we risk entrenching inequality in childhood.

Tue, 02 Dec, 2025

Cute little preschool girl in safety helmet riding bicycle. School kid boy, brother teaching happy healthy sister child cycling
The kindness we seek in strangers starts in our own homes
If we want our children to be kind to others, we must start by teaching them to be kind to themselves and their siblings

Tue, 02 Dec, 2025

Tots to Teens: Barnardos asks the public for donations
Tots to Teens: Barnardos asks the public for donations
"More families turned to the charity in 2024 than in any other year, because of the cost-of-living crisis and rising homelessness, resulting in more than 35,600 children and adults availing of its services. That’s the highest number ever."

Tue, 02 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

Mother in red coat have a walk with her kid in the pram in the park at autumn time
Feeling broody for another baby? I have a cure — it’s called parenting
Now, when I see newborns I no longer feel a flutter in my ovaries but rather thank the universe that that chapter in my life is now officially closed

Tue, 25 Nov, 2025

Little Acts of Kindness: Nominate a child who did a good deed in 2025
Little Acts of Kindness: Nominate a child who did a good deed in 2025
This Christmas the Irish Examiner is raising much-needed funds for SVP by highlighting the good deeds of our young people

Tue, 25 Nov, 2025

Young mother hugs daughter in pajamas holding her in her arms.
Colman Noctor: Finding moments of comfort and joy this Christmas after experiencing loss
Grief doesn’t pause for Christmas. If anything, the contrast between the festive atmosphere and a young person’s internal reality can make this time of year especially distressing

Tue, 25 Nov, 2025

Tots to Teens: Post Santa letters and explore Christmas markets at Waterford's Winterval festival
Tots to Teens: Post Santa letters and explore Christmas markets at Waterford's Winterval festival
Waterford is celebrating Winterval, its annual Christmas festival that will run from Thursday to Sunday every week from now until December 23

Tue, 25 Nov, 2025

sick young kid using tissue after cold, rhinitis or allergies
Dr Phil Kieran: What can I do to boost my child’s immune system?
Children and crèches are a perfect storm for bugs.

Tue, 25 Nov, 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

Girl looking in car rear view mirror
Joanna Fortune: My teen wants to learn how to drive but I think it's a bad idea
Knowing when to step back and let our teens be more independent is not always an easy call to make

Tue, 18 Nov, 2025

Young female primary school teacher and schoolboy sitting at a table working one on one, looking down, front view, close up
Colman Noctor: How small shifts in schools can do much to support children with dyspraxia
Dyspraxia is a persistent difficulty with motor co-ordination and it interferes with daily life and cannot be explained by another neurological condition

Tue, 18 Nov, 2025

'I was so afraid we would miss something': Cork family affected by childhood cancer seeking support
'I was so afraid we would miss something': Cork family affected by childhood cancer seeking support
Hand in Hand charity provides practical and emotional support during and after treatment, says Helen O’Callaghan

Tue, 18 Nov, 2025

Tots to Teens: Light way to kick off your Christmas
Tots to Teens: Light way to kick off your Christmas
A family event to capture the magic of the holiday season

Tue, 18 Nov, 2025

Newborn child with headache
Dr Phil Kieran: I worry my grandchild will get ill when visiting from the US
She hasn’t been fully vaccinated and I’m worried that she might pick up an infection

Tue, 18 Nov, 2025

Christmas Stars, Baubles and Gold Ribbons (XXL)
Joanna Fortune: My mother-in-law insists on celebrating Christmas early
"You need to hold your boundaries and pick your battles. This time of year is exciting for children, as your mother-in-law says, but I also see every day how utterly overstimulating this season can be for them."

Wed, 12 Nov, 2025

Students Listening To Female Teacher In Classroom
Colman Noctor: Do secondary school merit points favour girls over boys?
"A 2024 review found that girls receive better classroom grades, despite achieving comparable standardised scores, mainly because teachers value non-cognitive skills — such as organisation, neatness, and cooperation — that girls are socialised to develop."

Tue, 11 Nov, 2025

Specsavers nationwide children's short story competition
Tots to Teens: Open a new chapter for storytellers
Specsavers wants to hear from little ones who enjoy telling tall tales. The company has just launched its annual short story competition, calling on budding authors to submit their most creative compositions.

Tue, 11 Nov, 2025

EDEN GANNON
‘We were so overwhelmed by our baby’s premature birth we forgot to ask if we had a boy or girl’
Two couples entered parenthood weeks before their babies were due. We learn how they navigated this worrisome time

Tue, 11 Nov, 2025

Little boy with a sore throat
Dr Phil Kieran: How can I tell if my son's sore throat needs medical attention?
Sore throats are very common and can be caused by a wide range of issues, from seasonal allergies that cause us to breathe more through our mouths at night to acid reflux, overuse of the voice (such as singing or shouting), or, more commonly, upper respiratory tract viruses.

Tue, 11 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

Latest

Lifestyle

Newsletter

The best food, health, entertainment and lifestyle content from the Irish Examiner, direct to your inbox.

Logo ieFood
IE logo

Your digital cookbook

Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited