PARENTING - ADVICE

A collection of the latest columns, analysis and opinion relating to the world of parenting and its unique challenges. Enjoy.

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Dr Phil Kieran: What can my teen do about his flaking scalp?
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Julie Jay: I survived my first parent teacher meeting... just about
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Joanna Fortune: My teenage daughters have started to argue
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Aoife Hearne: Clubs rewarding children with sweets are being irresponsible
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

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

New programme aims to increase eating disorder awareness in teens
New programme aims to increase eating disorder awareness in teens
Inside Out, a new programme for secondary schools, educates teens about the links between dieting, body image, and self-esteem

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

Teenager Relaxing With Headphones While Holding Smartphone at Home
Richard Hogan: A good enough parenting job is perfectly fine
Of course we will get things wrong, and of course our children will make mistakes. But we have all come to fear mistakes. Terrified we may be getting it wrong.

Wed, 19 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

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

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

Parenting is hard – and harder when you’re sick
Parenting is hard – and harder when you’re sick
Being a parent with a chronic illness is challenging, but accepting your limitations and being open about the condition can help

Wed, 05 Nov, 2025

Little Mama
Joanna Fortune: How do I help my little girl adjust to a new sibling?
All you can do is stay in the present moment and adapt to however your little one reacts in the moment

Tue, 04 Nov, 2025

A sleepy teenager lazily eats porridge early in the morning
Aoife Hearne: My teen won’t eat unless I put food in front of him
The teenage years are a time of exponential growth, and more often than not, they are accompanied by a strong appetite. While appetite fluctuations are normal, especially as exercise levels reduce, a sudden and abrupt drop off in appetite is unusual and warrants further investigation.

Tue, 04 Nov, 2025

happy Halloween! a group of children in suits and with pumpkins in home
How to have a good — and safe — time at Halloween
There is plenty of potential for Halloween pitfalls, from fireworks and bonfires to button batteries and allergies... here's how to look after your kids at this time of year

Fri, 31 Oct, 2025

Funny happy Dog
Joanna Fortune: My family want to get a puppy but I'm not so sure 
You all need to be in the right place to welcome a new family member and it is OK if you don’t feel that you have the capacity to take on any more right now

Tue, 28 Oct, 2025

School girl with eyewear rubbing her eyes
Dr Phil Kieran: My Junior Cert child is suffering from eye strain — what could be the cause?
As we spend more time on screens, eye strain is becoming increasingly common

Tue, 28 Oct, 2025

sad crying little girl hugging mother, parenting
Trudy Meehan on how her book is helping kids bereaved by suicide to understand ‘why?’
Following  her husband’s tragic death, psychologist Trudy Meehan decided to write a storybook to help her child come to terms with losing her father

Sun, 26 Oct, 2025

Young woman with headache
Dr Phil Kieran: Daughter is tired all the time since starting college
"Medically, fatigue is a very common symptom, with infinite causes. She may well be fatigued as her body adapts to a new routine of early morning travel, commuting, and the intensive setting of college."

Tue, 21 Oct, 2025

creative activity
Colman Noctor: Boredom is the playground of developing minds 
For younger children, free, unstructured play, often sparked by boredom, creates an environment where they set their own rules, explore, experiment, sometimes fail, and hopefully try again.

Tue, 21 Oct, 2025

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