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Friday 1 December 2023 Dublin: -2°C

# Parenting

This year
2023
Parenting: 'As a rough guide, I would say to expect 78 new WhatsApp groups per child, per term'
Parents cannot escape the dozens of WhatsApp groups – from sports clubs to schools – that enter their lives, writes Margaret Lynch.
Parenting: When we were growing up, our parents weren't bombarded by images of perfection
Margaret Lynch looks at the effects influencers are having on her personally and her style of parenting.
Parenting: 'We can't block technology for our kids - that ship has sailed'
Margaret Lynch looks at the government’s backing of schools wishing to ban smartphones and wonders if it’s a red herring.
Parenting: 'I've realised that to raise resilient kids I need to practice what I preach'
Margaret Lynch looked at the tricks for building resilience in her children and found that communication is key.
Parenting: 'I decided that this would be the summer we would give them a love of reading'
Our parenting columnist Margaret Lynch says the more they tried to steer the kids away from devices and towards books, the more they resented reading.
Surrogacy: Hannah McCarthy travels to Kenya and finds a growing number of surrogate cases there
How Irish people use international surrogacy raises thorny ethical issues, writes McCarthy from Nairobi.
Parenting: No more school lunches to be made? Praise be!
Mum Margaret Lynch says she’s tried every which way to make healthy lunches for school, but has had to just admit defeat.
Bluebell baby monitors 'no longer safe' as regulator issues recall
It is believed that there is a risk of children not being monitored correctly.
Parenting: 'The mental load of June is real - I'll be spending it in a state of disarray'
Mum Margaret Lynch is looking forward to the summer holidays because the mental load right now is unreal.
Parenting: 'Learning the art of resting was a gamechanger for me'
Mum Margaret Lynch outlines the importance of self-care for parents. She says ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’.
Parent: 'When she can’t figure something out for homework, we head into nuclear meltdown'
Mum Margaret Lynch looks at the debate around homework and asks if it really is serving everyone involved.
Opinion: 'Phones have become a battleground for parenting in the age of social media'
Mum Margaret Lynch looks at the question of smartphone use for children and shares her own experiences.
Last year
2022
Pilot 'baby bundles' to be given to new parents
The bundles will be distributed to 500 newborns and their parents.
Opinion: Advice for parents on how to push back on their kids' use of technology
Psychotherapist Helen Browne has some tips for parents and children navigating a world crammed with technology.
Opinion: How to talk to your children about the war in Ukraine
Sharon Byrne of Barnardos offers some helpful advice to parents trying to navigate discussing the war with their children.
All time
Opinion: We owe teachers our thanks for the last two years whether we give them gifts or not
Whether parents buy something – or not – for their children’s teachers, Margaret Lynch says it’s important to thank them.
'I have no idea who will mind my children': Readers' stories of Ireland's childcare crisis
A report by
Lauren Boland
We asked readers to share their experiences of trying to find childcare in Ireland – here are their stories.
Every year, tens of thousands of parents around the country seek out childcare, but many say it has become an increasingly difficult search.
We asked readers to share their experiences and struggles with childcare in Ireland.
Here are their stories, collected by Lauren Boland.
Call for increased investment in early years childcare sector, especially for under threes
Opinion: 'Formal childcare for small babies in Dublin is a fiction. It effectively does not exist'
Have you faced difficulties finding childcare for your young child? We want to hear your story
We want to piece together the picture of what finding childcare looks like in Ireland – here’s how you can take part.
Ciara Attwell of My Fussy Eater shares tips and recipes to simplify family food
The busy mum shares some handy ways to speed up the cooking and serving of healthy family meals.
Opinion: Maternity leave in lockdown was no picnic, so please don't forget new parents
New mother Patrice Hosford is asking the government to improve the leave entitlements currently available to new parents.
Column: 'We're worried our son will become an orphan due to our lack of rights'
LGBT couple, Gabriela and Kelly Socol, are fighting for parental rights and equality for their family.
'What we have in Ireland is not equal': Same-sex parents call for more legal rights to their children
The protest was held this afternoon outside the Department of Health building in Dublin.
Column: Top tips for parents to avoid a holiday from hell this summer
They may be the apple of your eye but a break from the little darlings might just be the best part of your holiday, writes Shane Dunphy.
Opinion: Claims culture is out of control - as play centres close due to being sued for kids falling
Kids fall, that is what they do, it can happen anywhere. If they fall at Granny’s – do we sue the pants off Granny?
Opinion: How to deal with your child's fear of the monsters under the bed
Philippa Perry writes about how not to shut children down, which might only encourage them not to talk to you about big and small things.
Opinion: You might need to simplify your child's lunch so they actually eat it
A white bread sandwich in the belly is better than a vegan curry in the bin, writes Mary McCarthy.
'Helicopter parents: If you let your child fall down they might just learn to get back up again'
21st-century parenting is the reason that many young people today have remarkably poor coping skills, writes Shane Dunphy.
Opinion: If you are planning on passing off your unwanted junk food as presents - stop!
With the majority of Irish adults overweight and children’s tooth decay on the rise, its time to think about the real cost giving sugary gifts, writes Mary McCarthy.
Cry for help as new group says services for children of alcoholics are 'non-existent'
Children experiencing a parent’s misuse of alcohol can often be dismissed as acting out.
Same-sex couples will be able to use ‘parent’ on birth certificates under new law
The changes will resolve a number of difficulties in the registration of donor assisted births.
Opinion: Top five parenting tips to surviving Christmas
Striving for a picture perfect Christmas will bring certain disappointment, as a parent aiming for survival is much more realistic, writes Shane Dunphy.
Too loud, too bright, too fast, too tight: Christmas can be a nightmare of anxiety for children with autism
The wish for all families is that they have their perfect Christmas but that may mean adjusting expectations to find what works in a family with autism, writes Tara Matthews.
Expert tips for parents who discover that their teenager drinks alcohol
Teenagers will always push the boundaries, here is what you should do if you find out your teen is drinking over the holiday period, writes Dr Gerry McCarney.
Opinion: The Supermum myth needs to be exposed
I can’t and won’t hide the fact that I find being Mum really tough, writes Geraldine Walsh
Robot babysitters and poop-predicting nappies: Here's the future of being a good parent
Sadly you’ll still have to do the actual nappy-changing yourself.
'When a sick baby with partial facial paralysis smiles, it’s golden. Especially if it’s my baby'
Actor Rob Delaney has written a powerful essay about the death of his two-year-old son.
'I won’t ever be able to understand exactly how the HPV vaccine works. So as a parent I have to trust the experts'
The desire to protect and care for your child is indescribable, writes Eric Nolan. And that means doing your best to keep them safe.
People are describing parenting in 5 words or less, and it's as accurate as it gets
‘I just sat in pee.’
Aptamil says there are 'no safety issues' with milk formula after claims it made babies sick
French food group Danone, who manufacture the product, launched an investigation this month following hundreds of complaints from parents.
When the baby blues don't go away: How I recognised the signs of post-natal depression
Sheena McGinley on the overwhelming experience of new parenthood – and the moment she realised that she needed help.