PARENTING - TEENS

Helping teenagers navigate difficult years and coping as you do so is never easy. Hopefully these articles will help.

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My teen follows a strict high-protein diet but I'm worried about his weekend eating habits
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Colman Noctor: Wellbeing is not always visible and a quiet child's struggles often go unnoticed
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Colman Noctor:  Wellbeing in school cannot be taught. It has to be lived
Tots to Teens: Guidance for the budding wordsmith
Tots to Teens: Guidance for the budding wordsmith
Storytelling skills, an aid for messy eating, and developing a positive mindset

Tue, 27 Jan, 2026

front and side and back view of same teenage boy standing on white background,
Dr Phil Kieran: Should we worry about my teenage son's short stature?
Height is a complex and sensitive topic that can be normal or indicate a medical issue that may need treatment

Tue, 27 Jan, 2026

Teenage Boy Studying Using Digital Tablet At Home
Colman Noctor: When mock exams feel all too real for your child 
As a parent of a Junior Certificate pupil this year, I have realised the stress of the upcoming mock exams can be substantial

Tue, 20 Jan, 2026

Elbow pain.
Dr Phil Kieran: Could my hockey-playing teenager have tennis elbow? 
The first thing to rule out is an injury to the bone. This would most likely occur following a fall or impact. If the pain started after an impact, I would recommend going to see a doctor as soon as you can, as an X-ray may be needed to rule out a small chip or crack in the bone

Tue, 20 Jan, 2026

Insecure teenager at school with girls gossiping
Is your child experiencing social isolation at school? Here's what you can do
Social exclusion can make young people feel as if something is wrong with them, and presents a difficult challenge for parents to overcome

Tue, 13 Jan, 2026

talk mother support and solving problem with teenage boy son
Colman Noctor: Finding the right words to talk to your child about pornography
Ultimately, these conversations are less about sex and more about the trust you have in your child and they have in you, writes Colman Noctor 

Tue, 13 Jan, 2026

Teenage boy sitting on sofa using smart phone at night
Colman Noctor: Porn is now the first sex educator for children
Porn reduces sex to acts and mechanics, omitting connection, consent, and affection

Tue, 06 Jan, 2026

Girl interacting with phone and digital icons emerging. AI Chatbot conversation, Ai Artificial Intelligence. OpenAI generate.
Colman Noctor: Growing role of AI chips away at trust and fuels anxiety in children
For parents, the question should no longer be whether our children will engage with AI, but who they will become because of it

Tue, 30 Dec, 2025

family celebrating Christmas
Back-to-school mode activated: How to help your child adjust after a relaxed Christmas break
Switching from the relaxed-holiday mode can be jarring for children. But a positive attitude can make a huge difference

Tue, 30 Dec, 2025

Happy woman with Santa's drinking wine during Christmas lunch at dining table.
Should you give your teenager alcohol at Christmas?
The short answer is no, according to experts who point out that starting earlier increases the odds of heavier drinking 

Tue, 23 Dec, 2025

Christmas morning joy
Colman Noctor: Children need our presence during festive season not a performance
When we manage expectations we can hopefully make room for what matters most: Presence, warmth, and connection

Tue, 23 Dec, 2025

Tots to Teens: Keep little hands and minds busy
Tots to Teens: Keep little hands and minds busy
Sit your little ones down over the next few days with pencils, markers, paints, or a tablet or laptop so they can then enter their designs in the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest

Tue, 23 Dec, 2025

Low angle view of young Caucasian woman volunteer in rubber gloves collect garbage squatting on coast. Concept of Earth Day and
Colman Noctor: Teaching children to choose kindness in a 'me first' world
If we want a society that bands together, we need to teach children to help others so that when they grow up they will know they are not alone, and that no one else should be either, writes Dr Colman Noctor

Tue, 16 Dec, 2025

Female Doctor Putting Walking Brace On Person's Leg
Dr Phil Kieran: I'm worried about my teenager's stress fracture  
It is essential that your son take his time to fully recover from this injury

Tue, 16 Dec, 2025

Headshot of an annoyed teenage boy
Dr Phil Kieran: What can my teen do about his flaking scalp?
"The exact cause or mechanism for this condition isn’t fully understood, but I’ll go through what we do know about and what I can recommend for your son."

Tue, 09 Dec, 2025

Angry Teens
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.

Tue, 02 Dec, 2025

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

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

Dear Dáithí: I get on better with one of my children. Am I in danger of making the others feel left out?
Dear Dáithí: I get on better with one of my children. Am I in danger of making the others feel left out?
With my younger two, I find that they are constantly texting friends and only take a break to ask me for money or permission to go somewhere else

Sun, 23 Nov, 2025

Unahppy girl writes help on the ground
Teenagers cared for by relatives have fewer friends, research suggests
Newly-published research examines patterns of afterschool care as well as outcomes for children at age nine and 13 in Ireland over a 10-year period

Thu, 20 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

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