Parenting | The Irish Times

Ellie Curran and Shane Ó Foghlú with their children Rian and Éabha at their home in Artane, Dublin. On the wall behind are mounted hand and foot prints of their first-born children, twins Aidan and Donnacha, who were born prematurely and died, along with prints of Éabha and Rian. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill

‘If we had 10 more babies, we would still miss Aidan and Donnacha’

Shane Ó Foghlú and Ellie Curran went on to have two more children after losing premature twins

The fresh air brings the chats, as my pre-schooler follows threads of logic with question after question: “Why do leaves turn brown? Why do they fall off the trees?

Parenting: I’m starting to fall for autumn’s benefits

Bracing walks, kids getting their appetite back, not putting them to bed when the sun is shining . . . the season is settling with me

“One of the myths about toilet-training is that children can be toilet-trained before the age of two years, when this is almost never the case.” Photograph: iStock

My 20-month-old daughter is holding on and avoiding going to the toilet

She seems to be getting obsessed, and distressed, about pees and poos

German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Emmanuel Macron are among several European leaders who do not have children. Photograph: Michele Tantussi/Getty Images

Pregnant pause: why more people – including politicians – are choosing not to have children

The number of childless European leaders is reflective of a wider society where fertility rates have fallen dramatically

Children

Focusing on the shyness can inadvertently make a child think something might be wrong with them. Photograph: iStockphoto

How to encourage your child’s potential . . . from toddler to teen

Saying ‘don’t be shy’ or ‘has the cat got your tongue?’ can increase his anxiety

Teenagers

For teenagers, bereavement can be particularly difficult to come to terms with. Photograph: iStockphoto

Ask the expert: Our daughter is struggling since the death of a classmate

She is struggling to get a proper night’s sleep and is very anxious before going to bed

Toddlers

Sleep training requires a lot of patience and does not yield immediate results. Photograph: Thinkstock

Ask the expert: How do we get a toddler to sleep all night?

If you have a parenting query, send your question to health@irishtimes.com

Babies

Pixie McKenna: ‘In an ideal world, if you can cook something, great. It’s cheaper, it’s more convenient, you can batch-cook and, ultimately, as you go through the stages, you can all eat the same thing, which is really important.’

Pixie McKenna on weaning: ‘I hadn’t a clue’

‘Dr Pixie’s First Foods’ examines weaning and babies’ first food recipes . . . sugar included

Relationships

As one of my boys is 12 and prepubescent, I’m concerned about telling him about his dad before he has established his own sexual identity. Photograph: Thinkstock

Ask the Expert: How do I tell my sons their father is bisexual?

John Sharry helps solve your parenting problems. Send your queries to health@irishtimes.com

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