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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>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.</p>

parenting

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.

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Aoife Hearne: Clubs rewarding children with sweets are being irresponsible

<p>An ESRI study on the difference between children born a decade apart shows that afterschool childcare has switched from a matter of choice to being dictated by circumstance. Picture: iStock </p>

parenting

Colman Noctor: Afterschool clubs need to open their doors to all children

Cute little preschool girl in safety helmet riding bicycle. School kid boy, brother teaching happy healthy sister child cycling

parenting

The kindness we seek in strangers starts in our own homes

Tots to Teens: Barnardos asks the public for donations

parenting

Tots to Teens: Barnardos asks the public for donations

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Julie Jay: Sharing is caring — unless you’re giving away your five-year-old’s jellies

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

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

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

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

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

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

School boy and his father hiking together and exploring nature with magnifying glass. Little boy and dad spend quality family ti

Colman Noctor: Understanding science starts with moments of wonder, not in our genes

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard parents say, “She’s just not a maths person”. We don’t say, “He’s not a reading person”, yet it’s somehow acceptable to suggest a child’s brain just doesn’t “do numbers”.

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

Jack O'Lantern And Witch's Hat On An Orange Background

Julie Jay: I'm already quizzing my son about next year’s Halloween outfit

This year, I made up for my son’s insistence on reusing last year’s Halloween costume by getting creative with my own outfit, and by creative, I mean donning a bin bag and a Post-it note

Tue, 04 Nov, 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 children running together outdoors

Colman Noctor: Do 'brain-rot' chants actually aid cognitive development?

Children spend so much of their lives under the authority of adults (teachers, parents, and caregivers) that they enjoy discovering or inventing phrases that give them a sense of independence.

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

Redhead teenage boy playing video games, celebrating win in the game

Joanna Fortune: My quiet teenager swears when gaming with friends — is this normal behaviour?

As best you can, set limits and hold boundaries with him in a collaborative, rather than combative, way

Tue, 21 Oct, 2025

Two Caucasian Boys Walking Down a Country Road

Julie Jay: Boys are an enigma to me, so how can I be expected to raise good ones?

Members of the opposite sex are still a complete and utter enigma to me, so it is ironic that I, of all people, should be charged with raising two of them

Tue, 21 Oct, 2025

Tots to teens: Spooktacular family events and a stinky goose's story

Tots to teens: Spooktacular family events and a stinky goose's story

Everyone deserves a friend. That’s the uplifting message at the heart of the debut children’s book by Ireland AM presenter and social media influencer Eric Roberts

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

Student on the highway with question mark

Career guidance: Helping your child get on the right career path

Even very young children give their parents hints and indications about their future career hopes

Sun, 19 Oct, 2025

Portrait of two sisters kids having an argument, fighting. Family conflict, children In Quarrel, disagreement

Joanna Fortune: My young daughters argue all the time

"Both are in the middle childhood phase (eight to 12 years), meaning they are competitors within the same developmental stage, which can lead to the type of tension you describe."

Tue, 14 Oct, 2025

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