Parenting

Stories related to parenting

Gamblers almost twice as likely to develop problem if they begin as children, ESRI finds

Study find that those who start before the age of 18 double the risk of developing a problem

Have your say: How have you found motherhood after 40?

Motherhood in Ireland is changing, with more babies born to women over the age of 40 than ever before

‘I am a separated dad and my 15-year-old daughter won’t talk to me’

Ask the Expert: I’ve tried talking to her mum about this but she says there is nothing she can do

Even my daughter was embarrassed by the amount of clothes I bought her – but it won’t last

From sport-loving clans to outdoorsy adventurers, every family develops its own habits

Motherhood after 40: Why are women having children at an older age, and why does it matter?

Pregnancy over 40 would once have raised an eyebrow, but not any more. For an increasing number of parents, having a child when they are older is no accident

Irish women share their stories of motherhood after 40: ‘I knew if I didn’t try, I would have regrets’

Motherhood in Ireland is changing, with more babies born to women over the age of 40 – and indeed, 45 – than ever before

FAFO parenting has taken over from the gently-gently approach

This new trend sounds remarkably like the parenting of the 1980s and 1990s, the kind we’ve mostly been trying to avoid

‘I feel a bit resentful of my daughter who did not involve me in her new marriage after her husband died’

Tell Me About It: I’m afraid that if I do the wrong thing, she might cut me off

Women in aircraft leasing firms ‘feel under pressure’ not to take full maternity leave

Companies in multibillion-euro industry lack clear policies, notes report

‘My son has been complaining about going to see his dad... What do you recommend?’

Ask the Expert: ‘I think my son might be bored and on video games most of the time while there’

Brianna Parkins: I’m using my house deposit to freeze my eggs

I am the only one in my family’s history to be this old without children

Breastfeeding linked with reduced risk of depression and anxiety for mothers, study suggests

Each week of feeding reduced risk by 2% after accounting for other factors, long-term research shows

‘Stop saying yes’: Over 50 ways you can make your life easier in 2026

From daily tasks to planning for the future, here are 52 ways to make your life easier this year

Nollaig na mBan is just business-as-usual with a trendy title

Instead of mounting an uprising, I’m going to list my Women’s Christmas resolutions here to make the rest of 2026 a little less chaotic

Nothing worse than your tech toy not working on the big day

Here are five things you might want to do before Santa arrives this year

Call for routine testing for iron deficiency during pregnancy as new research flags risks

Four in five pregnant women in Ireland are iron deficient by the third trimester

‘My kids idolise their dad. Should I tell them one reason for our separation is his affair?’

Ask the Expert: ‘I worry that they will blame me for the separation. They both idolise their Dad’

Kindred spirit: Áine Ryan on the joys of reliving a Christmas childhood through her grandchildren

To be fair to his mammy, Saoirse, she did express trepidation when I sent her a picture of my Christmas tree

‘He won’t be able to walk again’: Parents warned to avoid buying e-scooters for Christmas

Accidents involving e-scooters are biggest cause of traumatic brain injuries treated at acute national children’s hospital at Temple Street in Dublin

‘The power is with us’: Smartphone-free parenting movement takes off in Ireland

‘Balance’ phones, voice-messaging device and landlines are part of the equipment used by parents in Smartphone Free Childhood Ireland

‘I am the Grinch,’ one friend told me as I teased him about disliking Christmas

Jen Hogan: Plenty of people feel the season-to-be-jolly is overrated

‘My 12-year-old son needs constant dopamine hits and keeps having meltdowns’

Ask the Expert: ‘He really struggles to regulate once he gets past a certain point ... I would appreciate any guidance’

‘No new gifts, please’: Meet the parents who swap rather than shop

Concerns about the environment, a desire to declutter, and creating community are just some of the reasons parents are opting for swap groups

More than half of all homeless families are headed by a lone parent, finds Focus Ireland

Focus Ireland report

I’m thinking of leaving my depressed partner but am horrified about what it will do to her daughter

It took a long time for me to earn this child’s trust but I feel like I am getting sucked into her mother’s black cloud

Five ways to get the kids into the kitchen this Christmas and make sure they enjoy it

Simple tips go a long way in helping everybody to enjoy the experience of mucking in

Epilepsy and pregnancy: ‘In the delivery room, I handed her to my husband and I immediately took a seizure’

Help is now available for women with epilepsy to manage pregnancy and early motherhood

The most annoying thing about parent-teacher meetings? Parents who hog teachers

On behalf of frazzled parents everywhere, please make a separate appointment

Roblox deploys new age-verification features

Gaming platform says child social media ban in Australia should not apply to online game

Writer Eithne Shortall: ‘We put Irish at the heart of family life, one bedtime story at a time’

Three years ago we decided to start speaking Irish to our young children – a steep learning curve for all involved – with leabhair Ghaeilge as a key feature

When a word like ‘ginger’ is hissed at you with malice your whole life, it takes on its own meaning

Very close to birth, a woman asked me with a devilish smile what I would do if the child had red hair

‘I left work to rear the kids, but now I feel alone, isolated from my husband and undesirable’

Tell Me About It: ‘I really feel worthless and can’t see myself doing anything worthwhile’

Miriam O’Callaghan: ‘I’m lucky to have eight children after suffering secondary infertility’

Conversations with Parents podcast with Jen Hogan

I’ve changed my old stance on teens and alcohol – it’s snus and vapes that are the problem

I suspect few enough of us reached 18 before having our first alcoholic drink

‘My son (9) loves football, but I am horrified at what goes on at matches’

Tell Me About It: I am tempted to pull him out of this sport as it normalises such awful behaviour

Sophie Ellis-Bextor: ‘We were going out six weeks when we found out I was pregnant’

Conversations with Parents podcast with Jen Hogan

Say ‘goodbye’, not ‘day day’: why parents should speak to their child like an adult

The inclination to continue parentese well past babyhood is patronising to kids

‘I am often called in during rows between my daughter and my wife’

Ask the Expert: Take the time to get a deeper understanding of what is going on for family members

Hotels catering for families with autistic children: ‘Nobody looks or stares at you’

Holidays can be stressful for neurodivergent guests, but the industry is adapting

Toy libraries are helping families save money, cut down on clutter and reduce waste

What if you could borrow a toy for a child instead of buying it? The idea is a win-win for families and the environment

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