Q&A

Your questions answered by Education Correspondent Kathryn Holmquist

My son, who has just started his first year in secondary school, still hasn't made any friends. Should I be concerned?

It's early days. Making friends takes time. He will complain about it, so let him vent. By Christmas, he should be coming home talking about one or two classmates, anyway.

Help him organise a Saturday afternoon at the cinema with a few of his new classmates. Encourage him to participate in sports and other extracurricular activities in the school. Remember that the older you get, the longer friendship takes to develop. It won't happen overnight.

Reassure him that everyone in his class probably feels the same way. Those who appear to be a part of instant cliques may well have changed their allegiances by next Easter.

Tell him to be himself and not to try to impress anyone.

We've just had our first baby, we still haven't found childcare and our friends are asking us what secondary schools we've put our newborn down for. Talk about neurotic! Are they serious?

Your friends are being helpful. It may sound bizarre, but the sooner your child's name is down on the list for primary and secondary school, the better.

If you're fussy about what primary school you send your child too, then do your research and get your child's name down. It all depends on where you live. If all the children in your area go to the one primary school and there's plenty of room, don't worry. However, if you have a choice of schools and live in a babyboom area, talk to other parents and you will soon find out the score on supply and demand.

As for private secondary schools, those at the top of the "league tables" are booking for 2015 already. So write that cheque and pay the deposit. If it's a State school and you live in a babyboom area, put your child's name down with equal haste. Most parents put their children's name down for several schools, just in case.

e-mail your questions to kholmquist@irish-times.ie