‘There are times I regret having kids. They’re adults, and it’s now that I’m regretting it, which seems strange’
Parenting Taboos: Regretting parenthood, or wishing you hadn’t had some of your children, is a deeply guarded secret for some parents
Parents
Some ideas for parents that may make the week a little less ghastly for all
Jen Hogan: Halloween and midterm are coming but don’t be afraid, because there’s plenty that you and the kids might enjoy, from a haunted trail in north Dublin to a ninja course in Galway and a book with ghost stories from every county
‘How should I talk to my teens about masturbation?’
Surely it’s vital to tell them to discover what pleases them and to get to know their bodies, or is this still taboo?
‘I went to a CrossFit session on her due date’: Julie-Ann Russell on pregnancy as an elite athlete
Parenting in My Shoes: Working and training, the Republic of Ireland and Galway United player suffers from the dreaded parental guilt
‘Our 16-year-old daughter has stopped going to school regularly – should we take her phone away?’
Ask the Expert: Her school says she is always on her phone and not getting enough sleep, but she disagrees
Having a favourite child: ‘Unfortunately, it impacts on them, but they do it all to themselves’
Parenting taboos: If parents are aware they have a favourite child, there are things they can do to address the situation
Baby loss: If they had said to me, ‘you can keep him in there forever’, I would have done it
For Gill Lee, October will always be the month she lost her son Danny, in her sixth month of pregnancy
I see students in class watching sport on YouTube or shopping on Amazon. The pull of internet distraction is exhausting
Banning phones in schools is just the start – we need to do more to educate pupils on fighting the urge of distraction when they feel uncomfortable or bored
The ‘gender disappointment’ taboo: ‘That’s it, I’m never going to have a little girl’
Parenting taboos: Experiencing gender disappointment is understandable, and parents shouldn’t feel guilty for having those feelings, says expert
‘My nine-year-old is starting to be self-conscious about her body, which worries me’
Ask the Expert: The best way to check if your daughter’s development is healthy is to measure her height and weight so you can assess her BMI
I worry my daughter will drift during a ‘doss’ transition year. Should she skip it?
This can be particularly beneficial for students who thrive in interactive and collaborative learning environments.
Free schoolbooks extended to Leaving Cert and free meals for all primary pupils from next year
Budget 2025: Last year’s ‘one-off’ €1,000 cut to third level fees extended into the new academic year
‘In school people are scared to be a bit strange’: Gifted students on life in mainstream schools
Exceptionally able students can often feel like outsiders - but many feel at home at the Centre for Talented Youth Ireland
Budget 2025: Tax cut, mortgage interest relief and other measures in Coalition’s final roll of the dice
USC, inheritance tax, childcare, child benefit, social welfare, college fees, VAT rate: How the budget will affect parents, students, renters, mortgage holders, farmers, pensioners and carers
‘I am keen on making my kids deal with uncomfortable situations, but my daughter is struggling’
Ask the Expert: 'Is there something we should do to boost her confidence?'
One of best-kept secrets for access to college is a new route that does not require CAO points
One of best-kept secrets for access to third level is a new route that does not require Leaving Cert points
Students perform best with regular homework tasks of up to 15 minutes, research shows
Maynooth University study finds ‘little and often’ approach is just as effective as longer assignments
It’s a pity so many adults ruin sports for children
Jen Hogan: Adults seem to forget that childhood sport is about inclusion and being part of a team
As a teenage girl in the 1990s there was a level of harassment that I hope is unthinkable now
I’m a parent, tolerating worry is in the job description, and so is the gradual handover of physical safety from parent to child
‘My six-year-old talks about the same thing over and over. It’s alienating him from his peers’
Ask the Expert: Is there a way of stopping him doing this without being critical?
My son in sixth year still has no idea what to do after he leaves school. Can you help?
No matter what option he eventually chooses, he has until the end of sixth year to make his choices
‘I was classed as a geriatric pregnancy which didn’t sit right with me’
Two women describe their experiences of becoming mothers again over the age of 35
‘It was awful. He wouldn’t get out of the car’: Why more children are refusing to go to school
The pandemic magnified issues such as anxiety and bullying for students. Alternative education providers are responding, but some are hugely oversubscribed
Is 15 too young for independent travel? Or are day trips just grand?
Following the backlash Kirstie Allsopp received over her 15-year-old son’s inter-railing trip, we asked parents how they feel about teens travelling alone
My 14-year-old son avoids socialising with groups his own age
Ask the Expert: The key is to help your son find activities that he enjoys and is good at, when he is likely to feel much more comfortable and to meet children like him
Parents and teachers on banning mobile phones in schools: ‘There are many much bigger issues’
Parents and teachers offer differing views on the likely benefits of Norma Foley’s planned mobile phone ban
Back-to-school anxiety, homework battles and lunches your kids might actually eat: advice from the classroom experts
For students moving up to second level, it is important to help foster their independence in small but significant ways
Black Paddy: ‘I was homeless for three years in Ireland. I’ve been through everything under the sun’
Parenting in My Shoes: When parenting happened, it ‘changed my life’
‘Our daughter blames us for not realising years ago that she was autistic’
Ask the Expert: She was diagnosed recently, aged 23. We did our best as struggling parents, but sometimes we did mess up and shout at her
Can cutting ties with dysfunctional family members be therapeutic?
TikTok is coursing with first-person accounts from users who say cutoffs vastly improved their wellbeing, but whether or not mental health clinicians should encourage this practice is hotly debated
It’s hard not to feel sorry for teenagers these days
Jen Hogan: With limited job opportunities and little to do over the three months, teens can struggle in summer
‘That’s another €250 down the drain’: welcome to the world of summer camp parents
Late starts, early finishes, anxiety about over-scheduling - not to mind eye-watering costs. For many, it’s an unsustainable struggle
Childcare price hikes threaten to wipe out increased State subsidies for parents
Department of Children to allow service providers to raise prices if charging below average rates
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 children
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