Your first step is to take time to reflect on his anxiety. How long has he been experiencing it? Do you know what might have triggered it? It is OK if you do not know the answers, as his behaviour can still be addressed without identifying the root cause

It should be possible to discuss your different approaches to parenting as a conversation, but if it becomes heated, decide who will speak first (by flipping a coin) and agree that each of you will have five uninterrupted minutes on the matter

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)

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

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

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

The combination of lack of sleep, difficulty with peer interaction, poor and inconsistent engagement in school and his general lack of responsiveness to your efforts to get him there on time makes me wonder about his mental health status

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

I wonder if he is a bit intolerant of others' shortcomings or just not confident in himself. How can I assist, advise or guide him through his difficulties?

Child psychotherapist Dr Joanna Fortune

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?

My older granddaughter gets upset almost every time I pick up the baby

When maintaining his space, manage your expectations and standards and adopt a 'good enough is good enough' mindset. Clean enough is clean enough

Whatever your childcare choice, you are leaving your baby with someone else, which requires trust. This is particularly challenging when you've yet to build a relationship with the minders who will care for your baby

"Children’s friendships evolve between the ages of nine and 12, when we tend to see an increased emphasis on the “best friends” group, especially among girls."

CyberSafeKids report and Irish Examiner Parenting comment provide food for thought for those worried about their children's phone use

"...the task of adolescence is to pull away from our parents and find our voice and identity in the world. Because of the intense change, teenagers do not always handle this with grace..."

He finds it difficult to get out of bed in the morning for school — I've tried talking to him but I'm not getting through