Parenting - Preschool - Irish Examiner

Happy mother spending time with her small kids at home.

Parents don't want to have a favourite — here's what to do if you appear to prefer one child

You love all of your kids deeply, but may feel closer to one. Instead of feeling ashamed, be more attentive to all of them, writes Helen O'Callaghan

Tue, 21 Apr, 2026

Kindergarten Classroom With Table and Colorful Chairs

Joanna Fortune: My children are struggling to adjust to creche routine

Your children are still adjusting to a significant cultural upheaval, which may make the transition to their new group care environment even more challenging

Tue, 21 Apr, 2026

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

Tired concerned mother rocking sleeping baby.

Joanna Fortune: I'm at breaking point following arrival of my third child

You feel overwhelmed because this is an overwhelming time but putting a plan in place to get help from your husband or friends could make a big difference

Tue, 14 Apr, 2026

Grandparents Cuddling Granddaughter In Bed

What's expected of you as a new grandparent? Here are 12 things the experts recommend

Granny and grandad have years of parenting experience, but they need to resist the urge to take charge of their grandchildren

Tue, 14 Apr, 2026

Boy with chickenpox. Rash on child body close up

Julie Jay: Like lightning, chicken pox doesn’t strike twice — unless you’re very, very special

Number One has been in chicken pox quarantine all week and I don’t have the heart to tell him that, based on my own history of chicken pox, it might not be a one and done situation

Tue, 14 Apr, 2026

S My Childhood with Marty Morrissey: 'My father always said no son of his would fight for America'

Marty Morrissey's childhood in New York instilled in him the American attitude he could be whatever he wanted to be, but it was his parents' steadfast support and his community in West Clare that set him on the path to fame

Sun, 12 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

S My Childhood with Fintan McCarthy: 'When we moved from London to Skibbereen, I stood out'

The world champion lightweight rower talks about dealing with moving with his family to Skibbereen from London when he was six and how having a solid base of family support helped him as an athlete

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

Cute little baby sleeping in crib at home. Bedtime

Lucy Wolfe: These are the most common childhood sleep-related questions parents ask me

The primary task in their first few months is to make sure your baby feels loved, safe, and supported, says sleep consultant Lucy Wolfe

Tue, 24 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

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

Tots to Teens: Nourishing little bowls with big hugs

Wicklow-based company creates fresh, preservative-free, ready-made meals for babies and toddlers

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

Tots to Teens: Lap and Chat campaign is back on track

Workshops aim to help young people to look after their mental health

Tue, 10 Mar, 2026

Young happy family with one parent woman mother with two children girls eating cookies on bed room at home

Joanna Fortune: What is the best way to introduce a new partner to my children?

Don’t just focus on what you will say to your children, focus on listening to them and allowing them to share and express their thoughts, worries, or excitement

Tue, 03 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

Little baby sleeping on bed embracing soft toy, free space

Colman Noctor: This is the early years sleep advice every parent should know

Child psychotherapist Dr Colman Noctor outlines common sleep challenges facing parents of little ones

Tue, 24 Feb, 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

Colman Noctor: Growing up in a flatscreen world can flatline social skills

Time is finite and not renewable. Every hour spent online is an hour not spent doing something else, so when children spend large parts of their day online, something else gets sacrificed

Tue, 17 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

Portrait of a little boy in blue at home standing in the middle of the room

Joanna Fortune: My toddler gets upset when I breastfeed the baby

There is no ideal way to navigate this transition — remember that good enough really is good enough

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

Annoyed father back to back with son ignoring each other after argue

Colman Noctor: F**k Around and Find Out — What is fafo parenting?

If Fafo parenting helps some parents loosen their grip and trust their children a little more, it may have value. If it becomes an excuse to disengage or harden our approach, it risks missing the very thing children need most

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

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

PARENTING - PRESCHOOL

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

My Childhood with Dáithí Ó Sé: I never shut up as a child — look how all that talking stands to me now

How to reconnect when a child starts to pull back

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

My Childhood with Jacqui Hurley: My parents ran one of those houses where the door was always open

Dr Phil Kieran: My grandson is still wetting the bed at six

Parents don't want to have a favourite — here's what to do if you appear to prefer one child

Joanna Fortune: My children are struggling to adjust to creche routine

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

Joanna Fortune: I'm at breaking point following arrival of my third child

What's expected of you as a new grandparent? Here are 12 things the experts recommend

Julie Jay: Like lightning, chicken pox doesn’t strike twice — unless you’re very, very special

S My Childhood with Marty Morrissey: 'My father always said no son of his would fight for America'

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

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

S My Childhood with Fintan McCarthy: 'When we moved from London to Skibbereen, I stood out'

Lucy Wolfe: These are the most common childhood sleep-related questions parents ask me

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

Julie Jay: Sometimes you really should talk to strangers

Tots to Teens: Nourishing little bowls with big hugs

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

Tots to Teens: Lap and Chat campaign is back on track

Joanna Fortune: What is the best way to introduce a new partner to my children?

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

Colman Noctor: This is the early years sleep advice every parent should know

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

Colman Noctor: Growing up in a flatscreen world can flatline social skills

Julie Jay: Lessons in resilience from my personal parenting guru

Joanna Fortune: My toddler gets upset when I breastfeed the baby

Colman Noctor: F**k Around and Find Out — What is fafo parenting?

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

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