Parenting | The Irish Times

All routine and certainty has gone out the window since March 12th. Photograph: iStock

I’m only starting to realise how much the pandemic affected my children

The new normal is plagued with uncertainty and it’s very unsettling

Prof Roy Philip, neonatologist at University Maternity Hospital Limerick, cites a dramatic drop in very low-weight babies being born at the hospital. Photograph: Alan Place

Has lockdown reduced the number of premature babies? This doctor thinks so

Covid-19 restrictions have meant a healthier lifestyle for pregnant women, studies suggest

Let the celebrations begin – presuming of course he remembers. Photograph: iStock

It’s our 20th wedding anniversary. I wonder will he remember

Seven children later, we have time to celebrate our anniversary – if he doesn’t forget

’You don’t want what’s between your legs to guide your path in life. I want my kids to grow up in a world where gender doesn’t matter.’ Photograph: iStock

I started the ‘gender reveal’ party trend, and I regret it

I accidentally created a monster. And I also now believe the concept of gender is limiting

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

Most Read in Life & Style

415 The Old Chocolate Factory, Kilmainham Square, Dublin 8: two-bedroom apartment sold for €380,000.

What sold for about €385,000 in Kilmainham, Glenageary, Howth and Beaumont?

Andrew Kiernan: Having a full colectomy was ‘the best thing I’ve ever done. It gave me back my life.’

‘It’s not normal to go to the toilet 15 times a day’

All routine and certainty has gone out the window since March 12th. Photograph: iStock

I’m only starting to realise how much the pandemic affected my children

Dig In is open six nights a week and for weekend lunch. Photograph: Gabriela Szeplaki

First Look: Dig In, the Maser-curated ‘art diner’ that’s about to open in Dublin

In recent decades, the advent of cheap flights and social media has allowed the maintenance of transnational family and friendship networks in a way that was not previously possible. Photograph: John Keeble/Getty Images

How will the ‘Ryanair generation’ of emigrants fare post-Covid?

Myles O’Brien’s Mediterranean minced lamb with yogurt dip, garlic flatbread, and mango and tomato salsa

Quick, easy and delicious Mediterranean spiced-lamb wraps

Researchers with the Institute of Neuroscience at Newcastle University decided to teach two female macaque monkeys to lift weights, and the researchers watched what happened to their nerves. Photograph: iStock

Forget bulging muscles; strength is all about nerves

Staff at a London brewery getting a vaccination for the Hong Kong flu in 1968. Photograph: Harry Todd/Fox Photos/Getty Images

The ‘Hong Kong’ pandemic killed between one million and four million people

Fresh, locally sourced food and incredible bakes delivered to your door from Cork’s Good Day Deli

40 great Irish restaurant food boxes to go

Coronavirus complications: British cases reveal a rise in a life-threatening condition called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. Photograph: iStock/Getty

Warning of serious brain disorders in people with mild coronavirus symptoms

Real news has value

Find your perfect Battlefield Tour

Find your perfect City break

Find your perfect Cruise

Find your perfect destination

Find your perfect destination

Select for slide 1 Select for slide 2 Select for slide 3 Select for slide 4 Select for slide 5

Sign In

Forgot Password?

Sign Out