How to make time for your family over food and dealing with ‘fussy eaters’

With a little time and patience families can break bad habits by working together

By taking small steps, we can dramatically improve our own and our children’s health and well-being

I am worried about escalating things, so what is the best thing to do?

When we correct her about something, she kicks, hits, punches and becomes extremely violent and verbally abusive

Ask the expert: ‘The incidents happened two years ago, but he can’t get past them’

She calls my daughter ‘ugly’, ‘stupid’ and ‘a cheat’ but the school principal has dismissed my concerns

Should we let her go out with the girls, even though they are drinking under-age and going to pubs?

We find the wrappers under her bed but she still denies it

To achieve a more relaxed routine, you need to focus on the priorities each evening

Huge focus on homework at primary school level can be counterproductive and damaging

Ask the expert: ‘He told me he hides in the locker room in school for some breaks’

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

She is an only child, and I worry that she is missing out on being egged on by siblings

‘I’m losing it with them and not coping but my husband ignores my pleas for help’

He says it’s my fault because I wanted the relationship to end and that I don’t care about him

In trying to help your son, it is important to understand why he might be negative and grumpy at home

In resolving things, the key is to do what you can to de-escalate the dispute

She was so anxious about summer camp she was sick. We are now worried about school

Work to keep lines of communication open as children switch to needing more privacy

I’m finding it a struggle to bring them up in Portugal but their father won’t discuss leaving

A parent is concerned about their child’s anxiety around social involvements

Parents face a real dilemma as experts often disagree regarding the best option

He says she is just ‘quirky’. I am coping alone and we are fighting a lot over this

Listen to what is challenging for her and thank her for the ways she helps in the family

Ask the Expert: I found her crying on her bed the other day and I am very worried

Classmates have mentioned her weight to her and I am worried this is bothering her

I told her the next time it happens, to call the other girl ugly. Is this bad advice?

The first thing you can do is to try and break the shame and secrecy your daughter feels about the problem

Ask the Expert: The key is for you and your son to map out the next three months

My eldest son is jealous of his little sister and she is jealous of her brothers’ friendship

I’ve tried everything to relax him at bedtime but he still wakes very distressed most nights

Many young people will be under pressure but there are ways to make things easier

If we bring this to her attention, she turns it back on her siblings

I was very embarrassed and I’m sure everyone was thinking he was an ‘awful’ child

We are now in a situation that she will spend many lunchtimes on her own

While largely thinking optimistically and being focused on the most positive explanation of events, sometimes it is helpful to thi(...)

We are exhausted from the refereeing and repetitive behaviour and losing patience with the whole situation

Good mental health is rooted in the care of the body

I am worried that viewing porn at such a young age might mess up his expectations of sex

Work becomes really meaningful when it expresses your strengths, inspires your passion and is aligned with your values

I get upset but he does not seem to care. It has been going on for five weeks

The importance of attending to our personal relationships and to the communities we belong to

We both want more children and I feel if that happens then we would become a stronger family unit

Positive well-being – sometimes we are our own greatest obstacles to achieving happiness

I feel my partner favours his first son and excuses him of things he wouldn’t with our own child

Positive well-being – having purpose and creating meaning

His fears are genuine as he can look terrified when he thinks about the imagery

Son (5) doesn’t like to lose and wants to drop out of football club

The two most common mistakes parents can make in reacting to bullying is to either not intervene at all or to intervene as a judge(...)

What can I do to change things? How can I make a connection with her as her father?

I wonder if we should be doing more to foster friendships among females – and if so, how

I have also observed that other boys in the class leave the two of them alone and don’t try to interact with my son

Does she need to be disciplined for fear of her behaviour getting worse?

If we don't buy her toys or sweets, she often runs out of the shop with them

John Sharry on practical measures to help build resilience in your children

She’s too young to have to worry about feeling it’s down to her to solve the problem

Kids are influenced by peers and groups, but they can learn to say No

Do you have tips as to how I can help my children? I don’t want to make a big deal of it

‘Over-permissive’ or ‘disengaged’ parenting leaves children vulnerable and unprotected

She is so down and desperately wants friends

Some parents worry that such conversations might put ‘ideas’ into impressionable heads

It’s becoming worrying for us now – we wonder if it is because he is an only child

Having fun, sharing experiences and talking foster deeply satisfying relationships

Our baby is over his illness but my wife is so anxious

A simple principle is to always proactively prepare children for any new challenge

I do a three-day week, while she works full-time. But I’m stressed at home and in work

I think she is over-reacting and making things worse by how she deals with him

We tell him to stop worrying, but it does not seem to be working

I’m glad that she’s being so honest with me and I wonder now if I should relax my underage drinking rule

Because I have been focused on her brother, I think I have not been there for her as much

He is displaying all the characteristics of troubling behaviour. I’m at my wit’s end and dreading the forthcoming Transition Year

I had hoped she would grow out of this but, if anything, she seems to be getting worse

The most crucial factor in successful therapy is actually picking the right therapist

I regularly come down to the kitchen in the morning to find that food for that day has been eaten

I worry that my older child will get into the habit of losing out all the time

He has now started avoiding things or telling me he doesn’t want to go

Who or what is to blame? Send your parenting queries to health@irishtimes.com

Sometimes she wakes up in the night panicking that she is going to get sick

Will acknowledging the feeling feed it? Send your queries to health@irishtimes.com

My family and friends all have bigger families and I see all the children playing with one another

Though I have told my daughter about him, he is still effectively a stranger to her

‘I don’t know how to manage or help him when he sobs that he is not good enough’

Send your parenting queries to health@irishtimes.com

Send your parenting queries to Dr John Sharry at health@irishtimes.com

We dread taking our four-year-old into the shop now due to his aggressive outbursts

‘It can really help if she can identify her anxious thoughts and describe the impact’

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

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

Children become emotionally attached to objects but it is a natural phase that will pass

The last of the six-part series focuses on agreeing a plan of action with the child

If you have any parenting queries, send your questions to health@irishtimes.com

While a little bit of worry is a good thing too much is overwhelming

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

John Sharry continues his series on dealing with anxiety. If you have a parenting query, send your question to health@irishtimes.c(...)

I want to encourage healthy eating, but am afraid of creating a battleground over food

Playing a game of ‘detective’ can help your child move on from worrying too much

In helping anxious children, taking action is the antidote to S worry and rumination

The accidents have never happened at school or with the childminder, just at home

How to break the pattern of reacting unhelpfully to your child’s anxiety