"There might be a pattern to this behaviour. For example, a time of day; something that happens before he starts doing it; or a particular behaviour associated with it, such as tiredness, distress or feeling unwell."

"You have an understandable desire to have some time for yourself - but it is possible to breastfeed and have time to meet your friends if you want to explore this option."

"It sounds as though you have not had a conversation with your daughter about the boundaries of having a boyfriend visit her at home - taking a paradoxical approach might help..."

Am I fighting a losing battle?

'My three-year-old son gets upset every time I have to run to the bathroom or need to lie down'

There is no legislation governing body piercing or tattooing in Ireland, which means there is no legal minimum age. However, most studios require parental consent for those under 16 years old

"This is one of those situations where if nothing changes, then nothing changes. And something needs to change."

"Nightmares can happen at any age but seem to be especially common between ages eight and ten. They tend to occur in the second half of the night, and if woken, some children will struggle to get back to sleep."

"Our children act out what they see in us. They will respect us when they see us respect ourselves, them, and the other parent."

Your son might never love being at the beach, but you can slowly, respectfully, and with play start to make it more tolerable

Friendship is such a big part of life that when it proves difficult for us, it can overwhelm everything that is going well in our lives

Weddings can be overwhelming for children. A big part of what makes them and similar events so difficult for them is that the day starts early with much waiting and sitting around

This new puppy is a new baby of sorts in your family, and like any new baby, it is taking up a lot of your time, attention, and energy

I’m already dreading the trip. What would you suggest?

Transitions are not easy for young children to manage, so they often struggle with ending one fun task (playing on the playground) and doing something not so fun (going home for lunch/nap, etc)

I'd love him to stay as he's made great friends in his group and it has helped build his confidence. Should I insist he keeps going or accept his decision?

If you push reading too hard and too soon at home, you could inadvertently turn your daughter off reading

We’re going abroad for holidays in two weeks, and I’m dreading the tantrums — what can I do?

"Making conscious changes to your routine with your children in mind is not moving away from structure; it is changing it temporarily."

"She believes she has left the age of command (do as you’re told) and has entered the age of consent (compliance is negotiable and up to her)."