Parenting School Children - Irish Examiner

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PARENTING - SCHOOL CHILDREN

A collection of the latest articles relating to the world of parenting and its unique challenges in the school going years. Enjoy.

<p>Should I get him assessed for dyslexia or wait for him to catch up?</p>

parenting

Joanna Fortune: My child is struggling with reading in class

Reading is nurtured and developed in school from ages five to eight years (and beyond, of course), which means your son is still very much in the 'learning to read' (and specifically learning to read with fluency) phase of his education.

<p> Mark McCarthy with his son Joe and daughter Milly of Clean Coasts on Cadogan Beach in Schull, West Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan</p>

parenting

Families encouraged to help clean their local coastline as part of Clean Coasts Big Beach Clean

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Julie Jay: When birthday celebrations become a week-long jubilee

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

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Dr Phil Kieran: How can I treat my long-haired child's head lice?

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Colman Noctor: Raising children in the age of artificial intelligence

Little boy swimming crawl in pool

How to help your child stick with a new hobby or skill

Most children are excited to learn a skill or hobby, but some will struggle to stay the course. It’s all part of the learning process

Sun, 14 Sep, 2025

Colman Noctor: What 'The Traitors' can teach us about honesty in the real world

Colman Noctor: What 'The Traitors' can teach us about honesty in the real world

"As entertainment, it’s gripping. As parenting material, it’s complicated. What does it mean when the same adults who insist that honesty is the best policy also cheer when their favourite contestant lies skilfully? How do we reconcile the values we want to instil in our children with the cultural messages we enjoy for leisure?"

Tue, 09 Sep, 2025

Tots to Teens: Have a field day with this model-farm toy

Tots to Teens: Have a field day with this model-farm toy

"The toy was inspired by a request from Roscommon man Padraic Cuddy’s young son, Tommy, who wanted a field for his animals to graze, and his father obliged by building a realistic toy field, complete with hedging and a wooden gate."

Tue, 09 Sep, 2025

Lonely girl in bedroom

Dr Phil Kieran: My anxious Leaving Cert child is already struggling with sleep

Life is stressful for many of us, and during the two years of the Leaving Cert cycle, that pressure builds and builds and can be difficult to manage.

Tue, 09 Sep, 2025

Healthy Homemade Milk Babyccino

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

Despite having a childminder sent from the childminding gods, my youngest has been kicking up such a fuss in the mornings you'd swear I was delivering him to a gulag

Tue, 09 Sep, 2025

Football concept

Joanna Fortune: My son has stopped playing football since he was called 'crap' by a friend

Since then, he has become very withdrawn and finds it hard to go outside even to play with friends, as he doesn’t feel good enough now

Tue, 02 Sep, 2025

Redhead Male on Phone

Colman Noctor: Why many young people do not recognise they have been bullied

Research shows that, while bullying remains a widespread experience for children, many choose not to tell an adult. It’s particularly likely to happen with 13-year-olds, with one in four of them staying silent

Tue, 02 Sep, 2025

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

Sad little boy in red soccer jersey seated on bench

Joanna Fortune: My son is being left on the bench during matches

You could talk to the coach about your concerns in a calm way, without venting. The coach could clarify the club’s structure, focus, and goals for the team, enabling you to make an informed decision about whether your son should stay.

Tue, 26 Aug, 2025

Hearing a father's advice

Colman Noctor: Supporting your child during the limbo days between results and CAO offers

For parents, too, these days can be a test of patience and perspective.

Tue, 26 Aug, 2025

Little girl playing xylophone

Music therapy has huge benefits for children but it's still not officially recognised in Ireland

Despite the practice showing many benefits, Ireland has yet to recognise the treatment. It is time for that to change

Tue, 26 Aug, 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

Closeup beautiful young asian woman applying cream and lotion onto foot dry on bed, beauty asia girl moisturizer and treatment c

Dr Phil Kieran: Could stabbing pain in her heels be plantar fasciitis?

"Foot pain is a problem we often see in general practice and can be due to a wide array of causes. Plantar fasciitis is a fairly common condition, which is why people often hear about it."

Tue, 26 Aug, 2025

Young family having fun outdoors

Joanna Fortune: How do we explain to our young children that daddy is out of work?

"The best thing you can do for your children in the meantime is to take care of yourselves and each other. Focus on maintaining open communication and connection, and ensure you have a support system you can activate for yourselves: Friends, family, professional therapy, etc."

Tue, 19 Aug, 2025

Tots to Teens: All the fun of circus at a Cork fort

Tots to Teens: All the fun of circus at a Cork fort

"All sorts of circus performers will provide the entertainment, including aerial acrobats, dancing Disco Dragons, and stilt walkers. Cork’s 96FM will be on hand to provide the music."

Tue, 19 Aug, 2025

Teen boy wipes his nose with a napkin

Dr Phil Kieran: Should we worry about my teen's nosebleeds?

Anything that irritates the inside of the nose can cause bleeding. The most common of these is direct trauma from itching or picking (which is much more common than most people think, with a study showing that 91% of us do so).

Tue, 19 Aug, 2025

Starting secondary school: How to cope with a steep learning curve

Starting secondary school: How to cope with a steep learning curve

On the cusp of adolescence, we leave behind the familiarity of one teacher to join ‘big school’. We ask prominent people how they coped

Sun, 17 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

Hearing a father's advice

Colman Noctor: Strategies for supporting teens anxious about returning to school

A 2020 study in the Journal of Adolescence found that school-year transitions significantly affect adolescents’ mood and behaviour, especially after long breaks.

Tue, 12 Aug, 2025

little girl eating

Aoife Hearne: How do I get my children back on track after they lost their appetite in the hot weather?

We're back home a week and they are still off their food — I've to coax them to eat at mealtimes

Tue, 05 Aug, 2025

Depressed teenager on his phone in the dark.

Colman Noctor: New, strict online age verification will keep Ireland’s children safer

Ireland is among the first EU countries to implement legally-binding age verification

Tue, 29 Jul, 2025

Portrait of sad offended teen boy having offended facial expression, isolated on gray background, wearing in casual clothes

Joanna Fortune: My son was spoiled while on holidays with a friend's well-off family

"You probably know that feeling when you come home from a brilliant holiday and everything at home feels anti-climactic and dull in comparison to the experiences you’ve had on holiday. It’s often referred to as “post-holiday blues”."

Tue, 22 Jul, 2025

Left foot with bruised big toe

Dr Phil Kieran: Is there anything we can do to save my son's injured toenail?

"If your son’s bruise is large enough, it can cause the nail to separate from the underlying nail bed. This is what causes the nail to fall off."

Tue, 22 Jul, 2025

AOIFE KEARNEY

What is myopia and can it be caused by children spending too much time on screens?

Childhood myopia appears to be on the increase, and could be due to looking at small screens and less time spent outdoors

Sun, 20 Jul, 2025

Happy friends with skateboard and roller-skates on the sports ramp playground

Colman Noctor: Should parents allow kids to take more risks from a young age?

By providing developmentally appropriate opportunities for independence, children can build confidence, resilience, decision-making skills, and a sense of responsibility — critical attributes for successful adulthood

Tue, 15 Jul, 2025

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