
‘How do I prepare my children for a move to New Zealand?’
- Parenting
- January 11, 2021, 06:01
Ask the Expert: ‘I am aware that the move might be hard for them in the short term’

‘My 11-year-old daughter is emotional and upset after school’
- Parenting
- December 28, 2020, 06:00
Ask the Expert: ‘She is a sensitive girl. How can I help her?’

Why it is important to prioritise your wellbeing this Christmas
- Parenting
- December 14, 2020, 06:01
During these challenging times it is important to safeguard mental health

‘My 15-year-old daughter’s depressed friend is leaning on her emotionally’
- Parenting
- December 1, 2020, 06:00
Ask the expert: I don’t want to lose my daughter’s confidence but I feel she is out of her depth

How can I keep contact with my two-year-old son as a separated father?
- Parenting
- November 16, 2020, 06:01
Ask the Expert: I am a single parent and only see him two days a week for five hours

Is my daughter’s skin-picking a sign of a more serious problem?
- Parenting
- November 2, 2020, 06:01
Ask the Expert: She found lockdown difficult and it seemed to knock her confidence

My four-year-old is fearful of sitting on the toilet
- Parenting
- October 19, 2020, 06:01
Ask the Expert: Now that she is in junior infants this is becoming a bigger issue

‘When my daughter went back to school she became miserable’
- Parenting
- October 5, 2020, 06:01
Ask the Expert: She has been deeply hurt by her rejection by her best friend

How to fight the psychological fatigue of Covid-19’s second wave
- Health & Family
- September 26, 2020, 06:00
To maintain good mental health, channel your anger and don’t look for scapegoats

My 15-year-old son has developed unusual obsessive behaviour
- Parenting
- September 20, 2020, 06:01
Many people use rituals to manage worry or to prepare themselves for a task

It’s becoming difficult to keep in contact with my 13-year-old son
- Parenting
- September 8, 2020, 06:00
Ask the Expert: My son doesn’t want to stay every second weeked with me any more

How can I get my children back into the school routine?
- Parenting
- August 23, 2020, 06:01
Ask the Expert: We have developed bad habits and I’m worried they will struggle with the transition

Should I snoop on my teenager’s social media and internet use?
- Parenting
- August 17, 2020, 06:01
The goal is to empower your children to manage their social media use safely

‘I have become a shouter, and I am worried it is damaging my children’
- Parenting
- August 10, 2020, 06:01
John Sharry: Learn to press pause when you find yourself getting angry with your son

Dear Roe, dear Trish, dear John: Your thorniest sex, relationship and parenting problems
- Health & Family
- August 8, 2020, 06:00
We asked you for your pandemic-related issues. Here, our experts tackle some of the trickiest

My 16-month-old son is very clingy and won’t let me out of his sight
- Parenting
- July 27, 2020, 06:01
Key to encouraging change is a gradual shift in usual routines

My daughter won’t go out to meet friends after lockdown
- Parenting
- July 14, 2020, 06:01
Try to understand her perspective and what might be behind her social reluctance

We’ve lost control of the bedtime routine. How can we get back on track?
- Parenting
- June 29, 2020, 06:01
Your children's routines can be calmly managed back in place following the disruption of lockdown

Coronavirus has exacerbated my six-year-old’s anxiety
- Parenting
- June 15, 2020, 06:01
It sounds like your son may have developed traits of obsessive compulsive disorder

How can I help my nine-year-old son who has become depressed during lockdown?
- Parenting
- June 1, 2020, 06:01
It is understandable that he is upset and depressed at his change in circumstances

My daughter is nearly 11 and is not coping well with the lockdown
- Parenting
- May 25, 2020, 06:01
Ask the Expert: She can be really pessimistic, saying it won’t be the same ever again

My children are fighting all day under lockdown and it’s wearing us out
- Parenting
- May 17, 2020, 15:01
Have a family meeting with your children to discuss how the dynamic could improve

My son is cracking up with the Covid-19 lockdown and I think I am too
- Parenting
- May 10, 2020, 06:01
Social experiences that help shape young people have now largely stopped

During the lockdown, contact with my six-year-old daughter has stopped
- Health & Family
- May 3, 2020, 06:01
Children’s contact with both parents should continue as before where possible

Taking the stress out of home schooling during Covid-19
- Parenting
- April 27, 2020, 06:00
Most parents would be better off by relaxing their approach

Under pressure: Tips for managing conflict within the family
- Parenting
- April 19, 2020, 06:00
Covid-19: Never before have we needed such patience and conflict resolution skills

Coronavirus: 16 tips to help you cope in the new world we live in
- Parenting
- March 29, 2020, 06:01
Accept the new reality, exercise each day, limit social media use and more

‘Should I be more blunt with my 13-year-old about her weight problem?’
- Parenting
- March 22, 2020, 06:01
Ask the Expert: I am overweight myself I don’t want her to go through the same thing

Coronavirus: John Sharry on how to explain the need for social distancing to young children
- Parenting
- March 20, 2020, 06:01
With Covid-19, the key is to show children how they are helping others by their actions

‘My 14-year-old son with ADHD is becoming more difficult to manage’
- Health & Family
- March 11, 2020, 06:01
His father is barely involved in his life. My friends think I should reach out to him for practical supports

My four kids are always fighting and life is a constant struggle
- Parenting
- March 8, 2020, 06:01
You can’t look after your children unless you first look after yourself as a parent

How to talk to children about coronavirus
- Parenting
- March 3, 2020, 10:18
John Sharry on the best way to approach a family conversation about Covid-19

My husband is acting like an extra child in the family
- Parenting
- February 23, 2020, 06:01
Ask the expert: He’s a great father but he often gets locked in arguments with our daughter

I think my son is smoking cannabis. What should I do?
- Parenting
- February 11, 2020, 06:01
Ask the expert: I’m concerned about how to raise it with him in case he flies off the handle

My teenager can’t bear the sound of us chewing at dinner
- Parenting
- January 26, 2020, 12:00
It’s awful for her that she feels this way and, of course, is bad for our family dinners

Be self-compassionate and realistic with your new year’s resolutions
- Parenting
- January 19, 2020, 16:01
John Sharry gives a three-step weekly journal exercise to help you focus on goals

My children’s constant criticism of the food I cook is really disheartening
- Parenting
- January 12, 2020, 06:01
Ask the expert: My eldest has always been negative, but now the two young ones are joining in

My six-year-old’s constant tantrums are very stressful
- Parenting
- December 29, 2019, 14:01
Ask the expert: He cries, kicks and screams at the slightest thing and seems exhausted all the time

My 11-year-old is too anxious to sleep by himself
- Parenting
- December 15, 2019, 16:01
He can’t cope without one of us staying with him all night and gets distressed even if we just leave to go to the bathroom

‘My 12-year-old son is looking up porn. What should I do?’
- Parenting
- December 1, 2019, 12:50
Ask the Expert: ‘A classmate showed it to him at a party, should I tell the boy’s parents?’

Talking to children and teenagers about the climate emergency
- Health & Family
- November 17, 2019, 16:01
For starters, make sure you are well informed and facing up to the crises yourself

How to cope with the grief that comes with the world’s ecological crisis
- Health & Family
- November 10, 2019, 16:01
Changing World, Changing Minds: Eco-grief and preserving the natural world

Climate crisis: Channelling anger into constructive action
- Health & Family
- November 3, 2019, 16:01
Changing world, changing minds:

How to turn climate-change denial into acceptance and action
- Parenting
- October 27, 2019, 16:01
Denial makes us feel better in the short term but is not the way to deal with problems

Eco-anxiety: Climate breakdown is taking its toll on people’s mental health
- Parenting
- October 20, 2019, 16:01
Changing World, Changing Minds: Understanding our emotional response to the climate emergency

‘We are having meltdowns in the mornings before going to school’
- Parenting
- October 6, 2019, 16:01
Ask the expert: Sometimes he says he is sick and it’s a big battle to get him out the door

‘It’s a struggle getting my daughter to school every day’
- Parenting
- September 29, 2019, 16:01
Ask the expert: Separation anxiety during the first year of primary school is very common

‘My 20-week-old baby is not sleeping and I’ve tried everything’
- Parenting
- September 22, 2019, 16:01
Ask the expert: The goal of sleep training is to teach your son how to self-soothe

‘Our toddler prefers his dad to me. I feel like a bad mother’
- Parenting
- September 15, 2019, 16:01
My husband is a stay-at-home dad while I work long hours. I feel guilty about not being there

My 20-month-old daughter punched me when I said ‘no’ to her
- Parenting
- September 8, 2019, 16:01
Ask the Expert: I hope this is a phase she is going through but worry it might get worse

‘My son spent the whole summer playing video games’
- Parenting
- September 1, 2019, 16:01
Ask the Expert: ‘It has been difficult to get him to leave the house. What can I do?’

My 14-year-old daughter complains about being tired all the time
- Parenting
- August 25, 2019, 16:01
Her problems started when she became very sick with flu. Could it be linked to a vaccine?

My son had a panic attack and is now always worried about getting sick
- Parenting
- August 18, 2019, 16:01
I’m not much help as I suffer with bad anxiety myself and feel terrible I have passed it on to him

‘My son has a nut allergy and I find it all very stressful to manage’
- Health & Family
- July 21, 2019, 16:01
He asked me if nuts could kill him and when I hesitated went into a panic

Is it okay to give our coeliac daughter an occasional non-gluten-free treat?
- Health & Family
- July 14, 2019, 16:01
She’s only seven and I worry if denying her a small amount of the food she craves will cause long-term food issues

‘Our 15-year-old daughter has started to drink and it’s causing rows’
- Health & Family
- July 7, 2019, 16:01
We’re not allowing her to go to places where drinking is involved but don’t want the summer ruined for all of us by constant argum(...)

‘My 14-year-old daughter wants lip fillers’
- Health & Family
- June 30, 2019, 16:01
Ask the Expert: ‘She doesn’t understand why I’m saying no and I’m worried she is seeing herself in a negative way’

‘My five-year-old was traumatised losing a baby tooth’
- Health & Family
- June 23, 2019, 16:01
Ask the Expert: I told her about the tooth fairy and this seemed to only terrify her more

My son (14) has Down syndrome and is hugging people inappropriately
- Health & Family
- June 16, 2019, 16:01
If I’m honest I think there was something a bit sexual about one hug with a girl

Our 12-year-old is torn about which school to go to
- Health & Family
- June 9, 2019, 16:01
She has become really upset and overwhelmed. Hormones are not helping matters

‘My 13-year-old son wants to start drinking . . . and wants me to pay for it’
- Health & Family
- June 2, 2019, 16:01
Ask the expert: The earlier teenagers start to drink alcohol the greater the risk of later problems

My seven-year-old bursts into tears when I try to discipline her
- Health & Family
- May 26, 2019, 16:01
Ask the Expert: She appears to over-react and get upset and has written me an apology note

My teen daughter has become really anxious about climate change
- Health & Family
- May 19, 2019, 16:01
Acknowledge her feelings of anxiety and worry and how understandable they are

Our toddler has become clingy and suffers separation anxiety after birth of new baby
- Health & Family
- May 12, 2019, 16:01
Ask the Expert: She became very upset when we left her with a new childminder and now won’t even stay with her grandparents

‘My one-year-old won’t sleep in his cot and ends up in our bed’
- Health & Family
- May 5, 2019, 16:01
‘There is no one right way to approach sleep problems and a lot depends on what you want as parents’

How do I stop my boy putting his hands down his pants?
- Health & Family
- April 28, 2019, 16:01
Ask the Expert: He doesn’t even notice he’s doing it but even his teacher has commented

Lying and ‘spying’ on social media linked to low self-esteem
- Life & Style
- April 27, 2019, 06:00
Sign of the Times: Irish survey is latest to link poor mental health with use of technology

How can we train our eight-month-old to get back to sleep by herself?
- Parenting
- April 21, 2019, 16:01
She has started waking up constantly during the night and I am becoming exhausted

My 5-year-old wants a sleepover with a friend – is she too young?
- Parenting
- April 14, 2019, 16:01
Ask the Expert: Should I let it go ahead or hold my ground until she is older?

My son will not use the toilet and will poo only when wearing a nappy
- Parenting
- April 7, 2019, 16:01
Rushing toilet training or adding parental pressure can easily backfire

My teenage daughter’s social media use has become really obsessive
- Parenting
- April 2, 2019, 07:01
Ask the Expert: I am really worried about her obsessive behaviour. What can I do?

My 16-year-old has become obsessed with make-up
- Parenting
- March 24, 2019, 16:01
As her dad I should probably stay out of it but I’m worried about how insecure she must be

My 15-year-old daughter is fighting with everyone all the time
- Parenting
- March 17, 2019, 16:01
Our household has become very tense how can we improve things?

My son gets anxious and worked up about things and this worries me
- Parenting
- March 10, 2019, 16:01
Ask the Expert: ‘His anxiety does wear on me and sometimes I react impatiently’

Should I tell my son about his diagnoses?
- Parenting
- March 5, 2019, 06:01
Ask the Expert: I worry do we need to get him further assessed or to address the psychiatrist’s report

My bubbly 13-year-old daughter is being excluded at school
- Parenting
- February 24, 2019, 16:01
We are wondering if we should consider moving her to a smaller school

My 11-year-old son has really low self-esteem
- Parenting
- February 17, 2019, 16:01
Ask the Expert: My son keeps saying he is stupid and has no friends

Health and wellbeing are tied up in the quality of our familial relationships
- Parenting
- February 10, 2019, 11:00
Healthy Families: The closer we are to the people we love, the happier we feel

Healthy Families: Getting enough sleep and rest
- Parenting
- February 3, 2019, 16:01
A relaxed bedtime routine is a key component of a healthy family

Healthy Families: managing screens and technology in the home
- Parenting
- January 27, 2019, 16:01
Managing screens and technology in the home

Healthy families: The importance of enjoying mealtimes together
- Parenting
- January 20, 2019, 16:01
How to make time for your family over food and dealing with ‘fussy eaters’

Healthy Families: Replacing bad habits with good ones
- Parenting
- January 13, 2019, 12:40
With a little time and patience families can break bad habits by working together

Healthy families: Bringing up happy and healthy children
- Parenting
- January 6, 2019, 16:01
By taking small steps, we can dramatically improve our own and our children’s health and well-being

Girls are spreading rumours in school that my daughter is gay
- Parenting
- December 16, 2018, 16:01
I am worried about escalating things, so what is the best thing to do?

My eight-year-old daughter’s violent tantrums are getting worse
- Parenting
- December 9, 2018, 13:01
When we correct her about something, she kicks, hits, punches and becomes extremely violent and verbally abusive

‘My son worries he might be viewed as a bully’
- Parenting
- December 2, 2018, 16:01
Ask the expert: ‘The incidents happened two years ago, but he can’t get past them’

My 10-year-old has been bullied for two years by a girl in her class
- Parenting
- November 25, 2018, 16:01
She calls my daughter ‘ugly’, ‘stupid’ and ‘a cheat’ but the school principal has dismissed my concerns

‘Our 16-year-old is lonely because she can’t go out with her drinking friends’
- Parenting
- November 18, 2018, 16:01
Should we let her go out with the girls, even though they are drinking under-age and going to pubs?

My 10-year-old girl is stealing treats and then lying about it
- Parenting
- November 11, 2018, 16:01
We find the wrappers under her bed but she still denies it

I am a working mother who just can’t get everything done
- Parenting
- November 4, 2018, 14:01
To achieve a more relaxed routine, you need to focus on the priorities each evening

I face a daily battle with my daughter over homework
- Parenting
- October 28, 2018, 16:01
Huge focus on homework at primary school level can be counterproductive and damaging

‘My son says he feels of no value in secondary school’
- Parenting
- October 21, 2018, 16:01
Ask the expert: ‘He told me he hides in the locker room in school for some breaks’

My 20-month-old daughter is holding on and avoiding going to the toilet
- Parenting
- October 14, 2018, 16:01
She seems to be getting obsessed, and distressed, about pees and poos

My daughter is painfully shy and won’t talk in a group
- Parenting
- October 7, 2018, 16:01
She is an only child, and I worry that she is missing out on being egged on by siblings

‘I’m an exhausted mum with small children and no support’
- Parenting
- September 30, 2018, 13:01
‘I’m losing it with them and not coping but my husband ignores my pleas for help’

My 15-year-old son is heartbroken his girlfriend has broken up with him
- Parenting
- September 23, 2018, 11:01
He says it’s my fault because I wanted the relationship to end and that I don’t care about him

My 7-year-old is very grumpy and says no to everything
- Parenting
- September 16, 2018, 16:01
In trying to help your son, it is important to understand why he might be negative and grumpy at home

My 10-year-old has fallen out with a neighbour’s child – what should I do?
- Parenting
- September 9, 2018, 16:01
In resolving things, the key is to do what you can to de-escalate the dispute

My eight-year-old is vomiting due to worry in the morning
- Parenting
- September 2, 2018, 16:00
She was so anxious about summer camp she was sick. We are now worried about school

My daughter is not being honest with me about meeting boys
- Parenting
- August 26, 2018, 12:01
Work to keep lines of communication open as children switch to needing more privacy