Parenting | The Irish Times

Tammy Darcy: “I personally feel every family should have a certain amount of device-free talking time every day.” Photograph: Alan Betson

The ‘bad kid’ bares her soul to help teen girls

Tammy Darcy’s life fell apart when she was 14. Now she’s passionate about supporting today’s ‘struggling’ teenage girls.

He may not sleep a wink, but he’s still a good baby. Photograph: iStock

Unrealistic expectations give parents a tough time

Give parents a break by sharing the spectacular tantrums and parenting wobbles

You can take steps to encourage your daughter to communicate more positively.

My 15-year-old daughter is fighting with everyone all the time

Our household has become very tense how can we improve things?

The Sheriff Street St Patrick’s Parade, Dublin. Photograph: Dara MacDónaill

Things to do with children over the St Patrick’s bank holiday weekend

Are we there yet?

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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Ah, Coppers ..

Irish people don’t make a move until 2am and other home truths

Saleem Yattem has lived in Limerick for three years. Photograph: Liam Burke/Press 22

‘I feel Irish now. If I went back to Syria they would make me join the army’

The study showed that as women’s breast sizes grew, their participation in physical activity declined. Photograph: iStock

How breast size affects women’s exercise habits

“It does not help that Brie Larson – an Oscar winning Hollywood star – has been kind of obnoxious in her commentary around the movie”

Bigotry will be dead when we stop judging people. Someone tell Brie Larson

“My husband is as capable of running the house as I am.” Photograph: iStock

I’m told I’m lucky because my husband pulls his weight – but why wouldn’t he?

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