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From sleepless nights to screen time: Share your experience of being a parent here

See how other parents feel about it in The Health Check with Irish Life Health.

FOR THE 1.2 MILLION families in Ireland, life isn’t always so simple. But luckily, things are changing for the better. 2019 will see parental leave increase by two weeks, while same-sex parents will now be able to finally put ‘parent’ on birth certificates

For those who are currently bringing up their kids, there are new challenges previous generations didn’t have to contend with – the need to protect your children online and our struggles with childhood obesity among them.

A few months ago, we launched The Health Check with Irish Life Health to get a sense of how you felt about things like your fitness, your diet and your sleep. And this week, we want to hear about your experience of parenting.

So, does your childcare situation stress you out? Are you happy with your parental leave? Does parenting put a strain on your relationship with your child(ren)’s other parent? Tell us by rating the questions below…

TELL US...

On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with the time you get with your child(ren), 10 being very satisfied?

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BE HONEST

How much do you feel under pressure to live up to expectations as a parent, 10 being 100% of the time?

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LEAVE ALONE

Parents will now get an extra two weeks parental leave this year. How satisfied are/were you with your parental leave provision, 10 being very satisfied?

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News came early this month that if you’re having a baby in 2019, they could expect to live until 2101. But between then and now, there’s a lot to think about – from trying to ensure their exercise and diet are up to scratch to cutting screen time. So, what’s been your experience of it all?

FOOD BABY

How much do you worry about your child(ren)’s diet, 10 being 100% of the time?

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FITTING IT IN

 

How happy are you with your child(ren)’s level of exercise, 10 being very happy?

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DIGITAL DANGERS

 

Last year, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar warned that children need to be protected from predators online. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you worry about your child(ren)’s safety online, 10 being a lot?

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While we may have moved on from the idea that it takes a village to raise a child, it certainly often features a lot of help from grandparents. Meanwhile, Ireland’s childcare costs are high and rose 5.5% last year nationwide. How do you find the support you need?

MINDING MONEY

Last year saw proposals for offering parents tax credits to pay their childminders. On a scale of 1-10, how much stress does your current childcare setup cause you, 10 being a lot?

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GRAND SCHEME

How important are your parents or your partner’s parents for helping with your childcare needs, 10 being extremely important?

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A JOB SHARED

About two thirds of families in Ireland are two-parent families. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you feel your parenting responsibilities impact on your relationship with your partner, 10 being a lot?

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Read more from The Health Check:

Are you chilled out or burned out? Rate your stress levels here

Fighting a yawn or feeling refreshed? Rate your sleep here

Five-a-day or five takeaways a week? Rate your diet here

Smashing your PB or just catching your breath? Rate your fitness here 

Over the past few months as part of The Health Check, we’ve been capturing a snapshot of our health as a nation with Irish Life Health. We’ll be compiling anonymous, real-time ratings and talking to experts about the results and what they mean for our health. We know Irish Life. We are Irish Life Health.

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