Preparing for periods: how to support girls with additional needsThere is a lack of advice for parents of children with disabilities when they hit pubertyWed Apr 10 2024 - 05:31
Dermot Bannon: ‘All three kids were born during the Room to Improve time. Obviously, there’s sacrifices’Parenting in My Shoes: The architect and TV presenter on juggling parenthood with his career and what he enjoys most about being a fatherTue Apr 09 2024 - 06:00
‘I always say the five main pillars of health are checking yourself, diet, sleep, exercise and orgasms’Arguably, there are five main pillars of health: Checking yourself, diet, sleep, exercise and orgasmsWed Apr 03 2024 - 05:31
Parenting: ‘I’m so, so lonely. . . Some mornings I could cry on waking’Jen Hogan: When it comes to sustaining friendships, we’ve let the chaos of a life that demands so much convince us that important things are not a priorityTue Apr 02 2024 - 06:01
Ivan Yates: ‘I could count on two hands the number of nappies I’ve changed’Parenting in My Shoes: ‘In terms of life, whether it’s politics, media, business, I firmly believe you have no legacy...Your family is your only legacy’Mon Mar 18 2024 - 06:01
‘You don’t want us to grow up,’ a teen said to me. He was absolutely rightJen Hogan: I have raised some teenagers and lived to tell the tale. Parenting is trial and error, more times than we’d like to admitMon Mar 18 2024 - 05:31
Leaving Cert orals: Examiners share the secrets of successDo you need to be up to speed on current affairs? Is there a bonus for taking on difficult topics? How should you react if you don’t understand the question? We asked exam experts to find outTue Mar 12 2024 - 05:00
‘There’s two mums in this house, so Mother’s Day means a whole lot to us’To celebrate this most special of Sundays, we asked some mothers about what motherhood, and Mother’s Day itself, means to themSun Mar 10 2024 - 06:00
‘If I hadn’t a pal to distract me from the monotony of running, then Albert Square was going to have to do’Jen Hogan: I’m determined to find an activity that will help me get fit and stronger. One that doesn’t revolve around the Queen VicMon Mar 04 2024 - 06:01
Samantha Mumba: ‘I’m a black woman, and I’m raising a black daughter. At some point she ... will absolutely experience racism’Singer and actor doesn’t get much of an opportunity to miss Ireland or its culture, because she comes home at least three or four times a year with daughter SageTue Feb 27 2024 - 06:01
Can schools stand up to the bullies?New rules will oblige principals to record all cases of bullying behaviour, but some parents feel the measures will make little differenceTue Feb 27 2024 - 06:00
‘What’s a TD?’ asked the question. ‘A telephone directory,’ I replied confidentlyJen Hogan: A brilliant game we recently discovered is similar to a talking version of a civics test – a primary school memory I still get embarrassed aboutMon Feb 19 2024 - 05:31
Jason Smyth: ‘I hope my actions show my daughters, if dad is able to do it . . . then I can’Parenting in My Shoes: The paralympian says it doesn’t matter what the challenge is you’re facing. ‘We all face our own challenges and you’ve got to learn to get over them, embrace them’Tue Feb 06 2024 - 06:01
‘I find comfort – when his phone is charged – in being able to see where he is’Jen Hogan: Still, I take comfort in being able to see where he is by checking his phone’s locationMon Feb 05 2024 - 05:31
Breastfeeding is best but if baby formula is required, should the price be regulated?Labour Senator and Rotunda Hospital consultant stress high cost of formula needs to be dealt with urgentlyTue Jan 30 2024 - 14:17
‘Timing is crucial’: How to make the most of the Leaving Cert and Junior Cycle mock exams Active study, marking schemes and past papers are key to realising your potential in the Junior Cycle and Leaving CertWed Jan 24 2024 - 06:00
Jen Hogan: The overwhelming nature of parenthood is enough for many to question itJen Hogan: The overwhelming nature of parenthood is enough for many to question itMon Jan 22 2024 - 05:31
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: ‘I was 41 when Anna came along ... Being a dad hadn’t crossed my mind’Parenting in My Shoes: Anna was born during the referendum on the Eighth Amendment. ‘Is she a second-class citizen because she’s a girl?’Tue Jan 09 2024 - 06:01
‘I really hate being late, but, well, I’m always late’Jen Hogan: I’ve decided 2024 is the year I’m going to turn over a new leaf and put my tardiness to bedMon Jan 08 2024 - 05:01
Uniforms, piercings, haircuts . . . what school rules still make sense?Parents and teachers can also struggle to understand the point of some school rulesThu Jan 04 2024 - 05:31
What parents - and teachers - really think of those Christmas gifts Class collections are part and parcel of holiday period - but there are mixed feelings over the practiceTue Dec 19 2023 - 06:00
‘I love Christmas, but not the pressure to create lifelong perfect memories’ Jen Hogan: The best festive memories are made of something simple, unfussy but definitiveMon Dec 18 2023 - 06:01
How to survive Christmas when you are grieving for a loved oneExperts offer advice on navigating Christmas for people going through grief and those supporting themMon Dec 18 2023 - 05:00
Commuting is back: ‘When you’re leaving at 7am and coming home at 7pm, you’re missing your kids growing up’Many workers are once again facing unavoidable long commutes to the office as remote working fades, with the unaffordable cost of living and housing prices keeping them priced out of DublinSat Dec 09 2023 - 06:00
Christmas gifts for toddlers to teensComing up with ideas for suitable gifts for the kids in your life can be a pressure. But fear not, we are here with some great suggestionsThu Dec 07 2023 - 05:00
20 Christmas days out for all the family, from ice-skating to Santa trainsLight shows, Santa’s grotto, moving cribs, panto and much more: there are stocking-loads of fun days around the country in the run-up to the big dayTue Dec 05 2023 - 05:00
Sure, Christmas is for kids, but won’t someone think of the parents?Jen Hogan: And yet the complicated and complex operation of household appliances and in particular the lowly washing machine, remains a mystery to themMon Dec 04 2023 - 06:01
No party invites: ‘My daughter is doing well, happy and has great friends - sorry yours hasn’t’Dr Noctor cautions that just because a child doesn’t appear to be struggling as a result of exclusion, it doesn’t mean that child doesn’t need supportMon Nov 27 2023 - 05:01
Attitudes to English people living in Ireland: ‘I’d never, ever watch sport in public’Daily commentary on their accent and sometimes unpleasant ‘banter’ is a part of life for some English expatriates living hereSun Nov 26 2023 - 06:00
‘Too often it’s the same children who don’t get asked to any parties, or on playdates’Jen Hogan: Children might be oblivious to the hurt it can cause, but can adults really claim the same?Mon Nov 20 2023 - 05:31
How to talk to your children about the death of a loved oneIf the death of a loved one is inevitable, it is important to avoid trying to ‘shield’ them from itTue Nov 07 2023 - 06:01
Schools that deny access to toilets during class-time do not prioritise their studentsJen Hogan: Children are treated as second-class citizens all too often in this countryMon Nov 06 2023 - 06:01
What you need to know about moving to BritainWhat exactly what do you need to know before moving across the Irish Sea?Mon Nov 06 2023 - 06:01
Last day of school before Halloween midterm is not like any other dayJen Hogan: Halloween dress-up day will see your crafting and creative skills are about to go on public displayMon Oct 23 2023 - 05:01
How to talk to your children about separation: Striking a balance between reality and reassuranceIt’s okay for the parent start the conversation and if a child doesn’t want to talk, don’t make themTue Oct 17 2023 - 05:31
When the children move out: ‘They don’t write about this in the parenting books’Jen Hogan: Parenting goes very fast. And then one day, your daughter makes the next wonderful step and leaves homeMon Oct 09 2023 - 05:31
How to talk to your children about porn: It’s not one conversationPart 3: With the virtual world at everybody’s fingertips, accessing or stumbling across pornography has never been so easy for youngstersTue Oct 03 2023 - 06:01
How to talk to your children about sex: Start at an early age and build from therePart 2: Following on from our piece on puberty, most of us want open conversation about sex with our children. Achieving that can be complexTue Sept 26 2023 - 06:01
‘Get off my son you little s**t’: Some adults appear to forget they’re attending children’s matchesJen Hogan: I wouldn’t feel comfortable allowing my children to partake in a match without one of their parents presentMon Sept 25 2023 - 06:01
How to talk to your children about . . . pubertyThe puberty talk: ‘We need to deal with our own embarrassment if we want to have an open conversation with them’Tue Sept 19 2023 - 06:01
Does homework have any benefits for primary school children? Jen Hogan and Dr Leah O’Toole discussHomework is an emotive and divisive issue among parents and children. The evidence doesn’t support traditional approachesTue Sept 19 2023 - 06:00
School uniforms: We are back to the days of making children dress like adults of old. Why?Jen Hogan: Schools have returned to pre-Covid days by putting children in itchy, scratchy uniforms while the rest of the world continues in more comfortable waysMon Sept 11 2023 - 06:01
With the kids back in school, here we are with the return of the dreaded homeworkJen Hogan: The sun may be splitting the stones, but maths and Gaeilge wait for no boy or girlSun Sept 10 2023 - 06:01
‘Children have learned to read the calendar so they know when their next book comes’World Literacy Day: It can be very difficult to find the time and space to give attention and quiet time to your childFri Sept 08 2023 - 11:29
Doug Beattie: ‘I suddenly found it really difficult to talk to my 13-year-old daughter or my 13-year-old son’Parenting in My Shoes: The leader of the Ulster Unionist Party says he felt as his children got older that he was replicating what he saw as his own father’s failings, and he ‘really had to work’ at changing thatTue Sept 05 2023 - 06:01
‘The world is divided into two types of people - those who are organised and those who are not’Jen Hogan: Some who are a tad delusional about their place in world believe themselves more organised than they areMon Aug 28 2023 - 05:31
How are schools coping with the minefield of smartphones?There’s plenty of scope for conflict between students, parents and teachers over how to deal with the issue of smartphones. How can everybody involved reach common ground on this vexed subject?Wed Aug 23 2023 - 05:31
Adults and smartphones: ‘I lose about six to eight hours a day on my phone’More than half of adults wish they spent less time on their smartphones, a study published last year has foundTue Aug 22 2023 - 11:01
Why are crested uniforms still the norm at so many primary and secondary schools?Jen Hogan: Schools should do more to keep back-to-school costs to a minimumMon Aug 14 2023 - 06:01
‘When you master a skill, then you believe that you can master other things as well’Equine therapy has provided physical benefits for a young horse-rider along with boosts to her confidence and self-esteemTue Aug 08 2023 - 05:31
