Six reasons to be thankful this year, from an autism diagnosis to discovering a new sibling2022 in review: Despite the up and downs, our readers share their joyous and unforgettable moments from the past 12 monthsFri Dec 23 2022 - 06:00
All I want for Christmas is to pretend we’re more like the Waltons than the Addams familyJen Hogan: It’s a stressful time of year, especially when you’re trying to gather the kids for a family photoMon Dec 19 2022 - 06:01
Small gifts for the loved ones in our lives who are impossible to buy for at ChristmasJen Hogan: At this time of year, we like to say thank you with a small gift. Finding something different isn’t always easyMon Dec 05 2022 - 05:31
Charities that need our help in the run-up to ChristmasIt can be a tough time of year for many, but there is an array of charities working to ensure that those most in need are not forgottenThu Dec 01 2022 - 06:01
People make allowances for fussy eating when you’re a child. It’s much more problematic when you’re an adultConfessions of a fussy eater: please know it’s not you, it’s meWed Nov 30 2022 - 05:31
Jen Hogan: Your beautiful babies will grow up. Where does that leave you?Remember to protect yourself too as your children will one day enter the big, bad world, without needing to hold your handMon Nov 21 2022 - 06:01
‘They think we’re all diddly-dee and made of potatoes, and drink pints for breakfast’Irish in London: The stereotyping isn’t welcome, but living in such a diverse city gives you the freedom to be yourself, say Brian Gillespie and Kate GleesonThu Nov 17 2022 - 06:01
Vicky Phelan: Even heroes need to restJen Hogan: Vicky always expressed amazement about the kindness she encountered, as if she never quite realised what an inspiration she wasMon Nov 14 2022 - 12:56
‘The English have definitely got no concept of their own history, and I do challenge people on it’Oliver, from Co Donegal, is a policeman in London, where most people assume he’s ‘a Protestant from Northern Ireland and not a Catholic from the South’Thu Nov 10 2022 - 02:00
I went on a trip down memory lane with one of my kids. The fallout was unlike anything I’d expectedJen Hogan: For me the 1980s were about Raleigh Strikas, crammed Ford Fiestas, and playing outdoors. I’d completely forgotten about some darker thingsMon Nov 07 2022 - 06:01
18 spooktacular things to keep your little monsters busy over midtermThe season outside may be frightful, but there’s lots to do that’s delightful this HalloweenFri Oct 28 2022 - 05:00
‘People think people with ADHD don’t pay attention. That’s not true. We’re paying attention to everything’The singer Louise Barry struggled for years, and was greatly relieved when finally, at age 43, she was diagnosed as having ADHDTue Oct 25 2022 - 06:01
‘Don’t call your baby that. My ex-husband was called that, and he was a proper b******’Jen Hogan: Lots of thought went into my children’s names. Long, long before I was a mother I considered what I’d call the kids I might one day haveMon Oct 24 2022 - 06:01
‘Lots of children with ADHD are incredibly creative, but they get perceived as very bold’Having an ADHD diagnosis and learning to cope with the challenges can be a transformational move for both parents and childrenWed Oct 19 2022 - 05:01
‘We nearly lost our boy due to men who needed the under-12 win to make them feel they were great’What happens when team sports stop being fun and ends up chipping away at a child’s confidence?Tue Oct 11 2022 - 05:31
Think parenting is a breeze? Try getting a teenager to put on a coat before he heads into the cold with his friendsJen Hogan: Someone should make a TV show where all-girl families switch places with all-boy families, himself often saysMon Oct 10 2022 - 06:00
The dog’s tail had been cut off. Her teeth were rotten. ‘Stop looking for her owner,’ we were advisedFor the last three years, we’ve celebrated her birthday on October 1st. Turns out I don’t dislike Jack Russells as much as I thoughtFri Oct 07 2022 - 05:00
‘I think at that point I just died inside... just those words... your child has cancer’Norah Hayes and family are fundraising to take Alice to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in America to undergo further treatmentSun Oct 02 2022 - 06:01
Why do parents allow children to continue doing homework when they can just opt them out?‘We are so conditioned to believe that we are in trouble if we don’t do our homework’, says oneWed Sept 28 2022 - 05:31
Jen Hogan: This was supposed to be the year I got my work-life balance in orderJen Hogan: With more life juggling than ever, I need all my commitments written down in black and whiteMon Sept 26 2022 - 05:01
Now a mother has brought her baby into the Dáil, there’s just one more thing we need to seeJen Hogan: To see a politician remind women that we can be seen to exist as both mothers and professionals is hugely importantThu Sept 22 2022 - 14:07
Deirdre O’Kane: I was five months pregnant, and on tour, when I miscarried. Then I had a complete health crashParenting in My Shoes: The actor and comedian was 36 by the time she and her husband had their first child, and 40 when they had their secondTue Sept 13 2022 - 05:31
‘I’m terrified. I’m a single parent on a fixed income, and I’m just managing to juggle it all as it is’Jen Hogan: Parents are already been put to the pin of their collar even before we enter the winter of discontent.Mon Sept 12 2022 - 05:01
Minding Me: ‘I can breathe long and slow to calm my busy mind’New illustrated book provides positive affirmations for childrenThu Sept 08 2022 - 17:30
The guide to cutting back-to-school costs: Check what you have first and see if they really need to be replacedMaking savings isn’t easy, particularly in the current climate, but there are a few ways to lessen the financial burdenMon Aug 29 2022 - 06:00
Jen Hogan: I tell my children lies — lots of themThese fibs help preserve magic of childhood, protect them — sometimes— from horrors of world and make them eat their corn and broccoliMon Aug 29 2022 - 05:31
The lunch guide for back to school: School lunches are not the time to introduce new or disliked foods‘While it’s perfectly fine to have the same sandwich every day, do try to vary it a little,’ dietitian saysFri Aug 26 2022 - 06:00
The bedtime-routine guide to going back to school: Start adjusting early‘Adjusting bedtimes before September can be done either gradually or all at once,’ sleep consultant saysThu Aug 25 2022 - 06:00
The back-to-school guide to helping your child make friends: ‘You might need to organise a playdate’Encouraging children to meet up with school friends over the summer is important, says psychotherapistWed Aug 24 2022 - 06:00
Terry Prone on motherhood: ‘I did my best all of the time. I just fecking got it wrong!’Parenting in My Shoes: The communications expert on life with her late husband, Tom Savage, and their son, Anton SavageTue Aug 23 2022 - 06:01
The mental health guide to going back to school: ‘Don’t promise all will be okay’Adolescent psychotherapist Colman Noctor recommends providing as many ‘knowns’ as possibleTue Aug 23 2022 - 05:30
How to prepare for a stress-free return to school, for parents and childrenFrom helping to ease anxiety to getting messed-up summer sleep routines back on track, Jen Hogan shares her tipsSat Aug 20 2022 - 05:00
Part of me is dreading the return of school and the surrender of my evenings once moreJen Hogan: Homework and endless car trips to matches and training bring the lazy summer days to an endMon Aug 15 2022 - 05:31
Overeating, comfort drinking: The pesky pandemic habits that are still with usFor many of us, the habits we picked up during the dark days of Covid have since become established behavioursSat Aug 06 2022 - 05:00
Cycling rule No 653: Never, ever wear a jumpsuitJen Hogan: Turns out there’s nothing like an inexperienced mammy on a bike to set the parent-child role reversal in motionMon Aug 01 2022 - 05:01
‘Women don’t treat breastfeeding or breasts as a sexual thing. It’s mainly males’Prof Afif El Khuffash wants to change Ireland's views about breastfeeding — and he’s doing it through art as well as his work as a neonatologistWed Jul 27 2022 - 05:31
An experiment: Himself would juggle it all from home, and I’d head out to work. For a whole weekJen Hogan: It was nothing to do with facilitating a steady flow of clean jocks and socks; I missed the minions much more than I anticipatedMon Jul 18 2022 - 07:01
Man to walk 86km carrying late father’s oxygen tank to raise funds for MaterGary Farrell, who has scoliosis, is walking to honour his father, who died from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosisFri Jul 15 2022 - 07:01
It’s hard to avoid parenting advice . . . and sometimes even harder not to give itJen Hogan: Hell hath no fury like the mother of a teen offered unsolicited advice by the mother of a toddlerMon Jul 04 2022 - 06:01
Jason McAteer: ‘I missed out on a lot of things, like first day of school, birthdays’Parenting in my Shoes: Former Liverpool and Republic of Ireland star had to make significant family sacrifices during his professional football careerTue Jun 21 2022 - 06:01
The long school holidays are looming—and, with them, a sense of dread for working parentsJen Hogan: My head spins at the thought of trying to be everything to everyone all summer longMon Jun 20 2022 - 06:01
Laid-back Leaving Cert: Parents whose offspring opt out of points race pressure 'I don’t want hard roads for my kids but I can’t sit the exam for them’Sat Jun 18 2022 - 06:00
What do you want to be when you grow up?A fortnight ago one son was planning to be a pig farmer. I tend not to put too much weight on what he’s thinking regarding career choiceMon Jun 06 2022 - 06:01
‘Gardening Doctor’ brings to life his Croí garden at this year’s Bloom festivalCardio-vascular themed garden highlights importance of looking after heart health through blood sugar, blood pressure and blood cholesterol controlTue May 31 2022 - 06:01
No book can truly prepare you for the rollercoaster of parenthoodFrom mum guilt to sleep deprivation, having a child is full of challengesMon May 23 2022 - 06:01
Covid babies: ‘She is very clingy and doesn’t like seeing people without masks’Parents and child experts are reporting more shyness, anxiety and language delays among toddlersSun May 22 2022 - 06:00
Cancer drug trial: ‘It gave Louise a quality 3½ years’Andy Creevy says his wife’s health improved almost immediately after starting trialWed May 18 2022 - 06:01
What is the most difficult age to parent?Jen Hogan: A recent study revealed 15 to be the trickiest age to parent, but I'm not so sureMon May 09 2022 - 06:01
Irish people and First Communion: ‘We are all more like the Simpsons than the Waltons’First Communion and the challenge of getting families to re-engage with parish lifeTue May 03 2022 - 06:01
Should 16- and 17-year-olds be allowed to vote? Here’s what they thinkVoting among 16- and 17-year-olds: ‘I just don’t think we’re mature enough yet’Sat Apr 30 2022 - 06:00
