Parenting - Baby - Irish Examiner

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PARENTING - BABY

A collection of articles relating to the 'baby' years which will hopefully help you get through the sleepless nights. Enjoy.

<p>Linda Murray with her daughter Ellie and their cat Fifi at home in Monasterevin, Co. Kildare. Photo: Alf Harvey.</p>

parenting

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

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Joanna Fortune: How do I help my little girl adjust to a new sibling?

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parenting

Tots to teens: Snow time like now to book Santa

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

Tots to Teens: GAA fuelling young sports players with its new healthy eating pack

parenting

Tots to Teens: GAA fuelling young sports players with its new healthy eating pack

3156119_1_org_Julie_Jay_Circle_headshot

Julie Jay: I'd prefer to stay at home but someone has to pay for our babyccino lifestyle

Tots to Teens: Healthy lunches, Harvest Festival, and a Belfast fairytale

Tots to Teens: Healthy lunches, Harvest Festival, and a Belfast fairytale

A Belfast Fairytale by Mel Carroll is a fun-filled picture book for young children. It retells the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff in a Belfast setting

Tue, 02 Sep, 2025

Baby eating mother's milk. Mother breastfeeding baby.

Aoife Hearne: I'm worried about giving formula milk to my baby

Research suggests that breast milk has a favourable influence on the infant's gut and microbiome, which protects against the development of allergies. The majority of research focuses on exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life

Tue, 02 Sep, 2025

Heinz x Barnardo’s Campaign

Tots to Teens: Teach young kids to cook 'grate' meals

Plus: Heinz has reunited with Barnardos for the fourth year in a row to launch limited edition Heinz Meanz Mealz Beanz three-packs to raise funds for vulnerable families across Ireland

Tue, 26 Aug, 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

Tots to Teens: Cork on a Fork Festival is a recipe for a good time

Tots to Teens: Cork on a Fork Festival is a recipe for a good time

"...hands-on cooking classes will teach children how to make pizza, pasta, and sweet treats, like carrot cake balls, apple doughnuts, and smoothies..."

Tue, 12 Aug, 2025

Children's dependence on electronic products

Julie Jay: Want to finish your dinner when eating out with kids? Screens are often the answer

After attempting everything - colouring, cars, and conversation, I have accepted that the only thing that will get my kids to stay at the table long enough for Mammy to eat her dinner is an iPad

Tue, 15 Jul, 2025

kids play materials on the beach

Julie Jay: I’d choose Bundoran over Benidorm, even on days when rain is biblical

After a lovely week spent on the North West coast, I am not sure we will ever be in need of our passports again

Tue, 08 Jul, 2025

Tots to Teens: Go Wild in Waterford's Comeraghs this week

Tots to Teens: Go Wild in Waterford's Comeraghs this week

From Thursday, July 10 to Sunday, July 13, the lineup of events will celebrate Irish culture. These include outdoor set dancing and a Rambling House, where all are welcome to gather around and sing a song, play a tune, or tell a tale.

Tue, 08 Jul, 2025

Small boy coughing from with closed eyes at home.

Dr Phil Kieran: How can I help my child avoid croup?

Croup usually starts with a mild, cold-like illness, characterised by a runny nose, mild fever (around 38.5 °C), and, sometimes, sticky eyes. This can then progress to a cough, followed by the classic ‘seal bark’ croup cough.

Tue, 08 Jul, 2025

cute baby girl eating

Aoife Hearne: What is the best way to start my colicky baby on solid foods?

"Introducing solids is a milestone for young children and comes with a mixture of excitement and anxiety for parents. I’m glad to hear that you’re waiting until your daughter is six months old before starting."

Tue, 01 Jul, 2025

Little baby boy enjoying in mother's touch

Why you shouldn't feel guilty if you don't feel an immediate bond with your baby

You shouldn’t be guilty or worried if you don’t feel an immediate bond with your baby. The love will grow with the child

Tue, 17 Jun, 2025

Broken eggs - accident at kitchen, mess. Legs on background

Julie Jay: The years go fast, but some days I can't help but wish they hurried up a bit

As much as we love our kids, we all have days which have us pushed to the brink of sanity. Today was one of those days

Tue, 17 Jun, 2025

Tots and Teens: Sustainable and good-value summer clothing for kids

Tots and Teens: Sustainable and good-value summer clothing for kids

And toy library, newborn gifts, and Irish baby name books

Tue, 17 Jun, 2025

Tots to Teens: Penguins waddle into the limelight in new book

Tots to Teens: Penguins waddle into the limelight in new book

Penguin TV by Niamh Sharkey and Owen Churcher imagines that the penguins are using a webcam to create their own reality television show

Tue, 10 Jun, 2025

View from behind of a boy and girl run with bucket to ocean

Julie Jay: Give parents a break and let them take children on holiday in term time

If covid taught us anything, it is that learning doesn’t stop and start at the school gate

Tue, 03 Jun, 2025

Tots to Teens: Tiny atoms make big reactions at Cork Carnival of Science

Tots to Teens: Tiny atoms make big reactions at Cork Carnival of Science

Plus free creative events and activities for Cruinniú na nÓg

Tue, 03 Jun, 2025

Cute little baby boy, eating mashed vegetables for lunch, mom feeding him

Too much sugar for your sweet baby — a look at ready-made meals and food pouches

Ready-made foods and food pouches for infants are often high in sugar, watery, and much less nutritious than is claimed, and purées may hinder development of motor and chewing skills and also hand co-ordination

Tue, 27 May, 2025

Tots to Teens: Inspiring a lifelong love of food and cooking in primary school children

Tots to Teens: Inspiring a lifelong love of food and cooking in primary school children

‘Stronger Starts Cooks’ is a free six-week programme prompted by research that found 92% of parents would like to see more food education in the school curriculum

Tue, 27 May, 2025

The father holds the tiny legs of a newborn baby in his palms.

Julie Jay: Can the 'just you wait' brigade please stop raining on our parenting parade?

Because there will, of course, come a time when the baby who leans into you becomes their own person, a person with the power to refuse your request to stop at the chipper on the way, and insist on playing their own music in the car because ‘they’re driving’. Just you wait? I can’t wait, and that’s the real joy of it

Tue, 27 May, 2025

A little boy is watching football on TV at home

Julie Jay: My stubborn determination for my son to play GAA is paying off

Like all sports autobiographies, our football journey has so far been one of dizzying heights and terrifying lows

Tue, 20 May, 2025

Child rock pooling and collecting sea shells

Tots to Teens: Life’s a beach with Cork seashore tour

And Little Puckers, the award-winning children’s playgroup for aspiring GAA stars, is holding Gaelic games-themed play sessions for children aged 18 months to five years across the country

Tue, 20 May, 2025

Saving memories in gadget. Selective focus on display of telephone recording video with first grade girl

Why you should think twice before posting photos and videos of kids on social media

It’s natural to take pictures of highlights in your child’s life, but think twice before sharing them on social media

Sun, 18 May, 2025

Tots to Teens: From Barnardos ‘Big Toddle’ fundraiser to colourful fun in Cobh

Tots to Teens: From Barnardos ‘Big Toddle’ fundraiser to colourful fun in Cobh

The Big Toddle is a fundraiser that Barnardos has organised every May and June for the past 22 years, raising €4.84m for Barnardos’ early years services in the process

Tue, 13 May, 2025

Child holding placard with pensive emoticon, question marks doodle

Julie Jay: My preschooler is a walking, talking, information-gathering machine

My four year old’s insatiable curiosity is a reminder that the older that we need to ask more questions, not less

Tue, 13 May, 2025

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