LATEST ARTICLES
From my Irish Independent Column
My daughter is really stressed about her Leaving Cert
My daughter is doing her Leaving Cert and is totally stressed about the fact that she is missing so much school. What can I do to help her calm down? There is a lot of uncertainty about how things will pan out in the next weeks and months regarding the response needed...
Our 18-year-old daughter is now demanding her boyfriend stay over
Our 18-year-old daughter has a boyfriend for 18 months now. Since she turned 18 she is demanding that she should be allowed have him in her bedroom (not overnight, just during the day). Until now we have had a rule that they could go into the spare sitting room but...
My four-year-old only eats white food. How will I help him vary his diet?
My son is four and he just won’t eat anything that isn’t white. So bread, pasta, chips and the like are all devoured whereas trying to get him to eat a pea could lead to all out war. How can I get him to vary his diet? I worry that he just won’t get the right...
Should I let my eldest daughter know that I am dating?
My husband and I are separated almost 2 years and the marriage was well over for about 4 years before it officially ended. We have 3 children aged 15, 10 and 7. The older two have both shown clear signs of stress and anxiety about the separation. I'm starting to get a...
My middle child has meltdowns and said she wished she was dead
We have 3 children age 12, 11 and 9. The older two are girls and regularly fall out, with the younger of the two having huge meltdowns recently, screaming abuse at her older sister. In the last two meltdowns, she got so upset she also said she wished she was dead. We...
My son is obsessed with one friend and it is really affecting his life
I have a 7 year old son who is obsessed with one friend, it is affecting all areas of his life, what he eats, wears, plays with and so on. He follows him all day at school, copies the other child at all times, practically has to be on top of him (not just beside him)...
My four-year-old son steals things from playschool – I’m mortified
I am very worried about my 4-year-old son. He attends playschool and is due to start national school in September. He is bringing little things home with him from school which I have to make him take back. His friend was around to play with him last week and told me...
My husband is too strict. How can I get him to be kinder?
I think my husband is too strict with our little boy who is 7 since last month. Every time I try to address it with him, we just end up in a big fight and he says that I spoil our son and nothing changes. How can I get him to be kinder? Conflicts about parenting...
My 20-month-old daughter is having extreme tantrums
In my family we have a 3 year old boy and a 20 month old girl. When things don’t go my daughter’s way she gets into a very bad temper. She will either lie on the floor banging her head against the floor, bang her head against the door or wall or she will bite her own...
My daughter’s whinging really winds me up. How can I help her to stop?
My 7-year-old daughter puts on this really babyish voice and starts whinging when she wants something she can’t have. It is infuriating. How can I get her to stop? I wonder where your daughter comes in the family. If she is the eldest, she may see that being “babyish”...
How to talk to children about Covid-19 (Coronavirus)
It can be very hard to know what to say to children about Covid-19. Often this is because we ourselves may be confused or anxious about the spread of the virus and the likely risk that our family may face. So, before you even think about talking to your children about...
Does my seven-year-old need to have play dates every week?
I’m really stressed about play-dates, and what's ok for my 7-year-old daughter’s development. It seems the girls in her class (small rural school) have play-dates every Friday. This seems totally excessive to me. With work and the busyness of life I can only manage...
My six-year-old still wets the bed and he is in pull-ups. Is this normal?
I am looking for advice about my 6-year-old son who wets the bed at night, so he is in pullups. Is this normal for a 6 year old boy or should he have stopped at this stage? He goes to the toilet before he goes to bed. Bedwetting at age 6 is still quite common, with...
I don’t like my son’s school but he loves it. Should I move him?
My son has just started junior infants last September. I am very unhappy with several things related to the location and the large and impersonal nature of the school since he started. I want to move school but my husband doesn't agree. My husband works full-time,...
Should we let our daughter go on holiday with her friend’s family?
My 12-year-old daughter has been invited to go away with a friend's family on their holiday to Orlando for two weeks this summer. She has never been away from us for that length of time before and it feels like it is too far away. I know she'll be gutted if we say no,...
I want to wean my four-year-old son off co-sleeping
Our four-year-old wakes after about two hours and only goes back to sleep if I or his dad get into bed beside him. He gets very upset and won't settle unless we do this. I want to wean him off us sleeping in with him gradually. Any advice on how best to do this? CLICK...
My seven-year-old daughter has meltdowns. How do I help her?
My seven- year-old daughter is a loving, caring, empathetic child and feels all emotions strongly. We often argue as she can have meltdowns easily. She shouts when she feels frustrated and also finds certain clothing unbearable against her skin. She is stubborn and I...
My son is being picked on and doesn’t want to go to school
I am struggling to get my eight-year-old son to school. He has had a few issues with a child in his class (who has diagnosed behaviour problems) hitting him, stealing his lunch etc. The school have separated them away from each other and are keeping an eye on the...
My 12-year-old wets the bed every week. What can I do to help him?
My 12-year-old son is wetting his bed at least once a week now. He's a happy, popular boy who plays loads of sport and is generally healthy. I've never experienced bed-wetting with older boys. I am desperate to help him. What can I do to help? CLICK HERE TO READ...
Can I monitor my 12-year-old’s phone?
I have a daughter who will be 13 in June. She has a smart phone, and like many of her age she is borderline addicted. I'm looking for advice on an app for monitoring her phone. We want something that will limit time, have an automatic shutdown time, and which we can...