Granny nanny: Are grandparents being taken advantage of in minding their grandkids?Should Irish grandparents be paid for plugging the childcare gap, as is now the case in Sweden? We asked Irish grandparents how they deal with the thorny topicSat Jul 13 2024 - 06:00
From one parent to another, six tips on how to get through the summer in one pieceJen Hogan: Be prepared to make about 471 snacks per day (double that if you have teenage boys), ignore those ‘inspirational’ memes and moreMon Jul 08 2024 - 06:01
Michael McGrath: ‘Nothing is ever as it seems. We’ve ended up with seven children, but we had loss along the way’Parenting in My Shoes: Former minister reflects on the early ‘mad’ days of parenting and cherished moments of raising seven childrenTue Jul 02 2024 - 06:01
Cocaine and Irish women: ‘I’m a wife. I’m a mother. I have a career. I’m a user’With the Health Research Board reporting a sharp increase in cocaine use among women, three women describe their use of the drugSat Jun 29 2024 - 06:00
Jen Hogan: ‘Just call me MumBappe,’ I said, as I went to play football with my son and his friendsJen Hogan: Being picked first by my son and hearing him say it was a 10/10 birthday made the day even more specialMon Jun 24 2024 - 06:00
Sinéad Hussey: ‘We treat miscarriages as a blip or something that’s easily forgotten’Parenting in My Shoes: RTÉ journalist says she will always remember the babies that didn’t make it because remembering them keeps them closeTue Jun 11 2024 - 06:01
Divorce in Ireland: ‘We did all our fighting at the separation stage’Whether hostile or amicable, rapid or attritional, divorce in Ireland has become complicated by the financial realities of the housing crisisSat Jun 08 2024 - 07:08
Fifty great things to do with your family this summerFrom petting zoos to natural history museums, here are the best options to keep kids busy over the summerSat Jun 08 2024 - 05:00
No child should come away from school sports day feeling worse about themselvesJen Hogan: School is for all children, and sports day must be too – an occasion that can be enjoyed by allThu Jun 06 2024 - 06:00
‘Trust your process’: Expert advice on how to beat exam anxietyThe Junior Cycle and Leaving Cert are drawing near, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed - but therapists and teachers have top tipsSun Jun 02 2024 - 08:45
‘Parenting and work takes up every minute I have. I’m losing myself’Jen Hogan: These aren’t parenting fails, though many said it made them feel this way. This is parenting in 2024Wed May 29 2024 - 05:31
Coleen Nolan: ‘I haven’t had two failed marriages, I’ve had two amazing marriages, because they gave me amazing children’Parenting in My Shoes: The highs Coleen says are the ‘first smile, the first laughter, and just getting them through life’Mon May 27 2024 - 06:01
How Ireland drinks now: Teetotallers, wine-o’clockers and ex-drinkersMore people in Ireland are consuming alcohol at home, fewer are drinking in pubs and many aren’t drinking at allSat May 18 2024 - 06:00
Carl Mullan: ‘It’s such a shock to the system becoming a parent’Parenting in My Shoes: I don’t care about work – if my kids can say ‘he’s a class dad’ that’s my job doneTue May 14 2024 - 06:01
‘I would like now to share my tips on how you too can become an unbearably smug runner’Jen Hogan: Keep putting one foot in front of the other - but here are some other things to do firstTue May 14 2024 - 05:31
‘TikTok keeps me up all night’: Ireland’s teenagers on their relationship with the social media appTikTok is a growing part of young people’s lives but there are concerns about sleep deprivation, mental health and attention spanSat May 11 2024 - 05:00
Has single-sex education had its day? Jen Hogan and Finn McRedmond debateMore schools are moving towards co-education, and research suggests teenagers are in favour of it. But do they really know what’s best for them?Tue May 07 2024 - 06:00
‘Again, my pesky children failed to tell tales on their friends to their parents’Jen Hogan: ‘Great playdate, totally uneventful,’ I said enthusiastically at pick-up time, my choked-up voice barely giving away anythingMon Apr 29 2024 - 05:31
Final countdown: how students can make the most of the run-in to the State examsEven if they feel overwhelmed, there are lots of things Junior Cycle and Leaving Cert candidates can still do to maximise their chances of successMon Apr 15 2024 - 18:00
Jen Hogan: Like their children, parents learn new things every single dayHomework for primary school children really needs to go. After all, x – homework = not enough time for playMon Apr 15 2024 - 05:31
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
