Get out the notepad and pen, folks Childhood scraps and scrapes are a natural part of growing up. But there are times when even the most silver-tongued negotiator would be hard pressed to keep the peace in rows between friends and family. Whether it’s in the home between siblings or on the playground between peers, […]

5 years ago

“Are we there yet?” Four little words that strike fear into the heart of parents everywhere. While family holidays are about bonding and relaxing, the hours spent actually getting to your destination can be stressful. As well as being a professional Travel Counsellor, Cara Hunter is a mum-of-four (including twins) who has travelled extensively with her […]

7 years ago

If a coffee and a croissant are your default antidote to the exhaustion induced by modern parenting, you may need to think again. Our over-reliance on caffeine and sugar can quickly lead to a spiral of low energy and stress. Certified Nutritional Therapist Catherine Kenneally shares her top tips for eating well for more energy. “So […]

8 years ago

Do you struggle to keep your children at the table long enough to finish their homework? Do they frequently wander off before they finish a painting or drawing?  If your child’s concentration levels could do with a boost, a few simple tricks could help them go the distance. We asked Parent/Child Coach and Certified Play Therapist […]

8 years ago

It’s official: Irish school-goers spend more time on homework than most children and teens around the world. By the time the Leaving Cert rolls around, the average teen will have clocked up hundreds of hours of homework. And those aren’t always happy hours for children or parents – whose knowledge of Gaeilge and trigonometry mightn’t […]

8 years ago

And what you can do to help.

8 years ago

Who’s for a bedtime story?

9 years ago

Handling fussy eaters is no fun. Mealtime can become a battle. Then you find the unopened school lunchbox and are told that a certain someone has suddenly ‘gone off cheese’. In most cases, fussy eating is a phase and creates more parental stress and anxiety than it should. To help encourage junior diners, here’s some […]

9 years ago

If you’re back to work tomorrow after a lovely long weekend with the kids, here are five ways to ease that ‘Bank Holiday hangover’. 1. Breathe in, open your inbox Then breathe out and control that impulse to try to reply instantly to everything. Take it from one who knows a thing or two about […]

9 years ago

If you have a child starting ‘big school’, these skills might help them to take this exciting and challenging time in their stride. Dr Mary O’Kane is a Consultant in Early Years Education and, after speaking with 500 preschool and primary teachers in Ireland, she has compiled a list of six skills a child needs for starting […]

10 years ago

If the very thought of the draconian tiger mother hot-housing her offspring with endless hours of piano practice breaks you out in a cold sweat, you might never have considered the benefits of goal-setting for kids. While striving to raise a mini-Einstein might not be your thing, there is research to suggest that when kids […]

10 years ago

“Resilience is the ability to bounce back after adversity”

10 years ago

If you sometimes secretly fear you’re raising a mini moaner whose glass is always half-empty, help is at hand. Pessimism and optimism have long been recognised as distinct personality traits, but new work in the field of positive psychology shows that parents can guide their children towards a healthier and more hopeful outlook. Being a […]

10 years ago

Returning to work after maternity leave can create more of ‘The Fear’ than a lifetime of Sunday nights. Juggling the 9-to-5 (and the politics that go with it) while struggling with guilt, insecurity and baby brain is enough to throw anyone off their game. The good news, according to career coach Jane Downes, is that […]

11 years ago

“Sleep at this point is just a concept, something I’m looking forward to investigating in the future.” Comedian Amy Poehler’s description of the first months of motherhood certainly strikes a chord, but the founder of the Smart Girls campaign (@smrtgrls), which encourages girls and young women to be their authentic selves, also knows the importance […]

11 years ago

Hand a kid a smartphone and within minutes they’ll be sharing the latest viral gifs, Snap-Chatting and probably programming the central heating – all in a fraction of the time you’d normally spend struggling with manuals and remote controls. And if that wasn’t enough, they’ll also leave you stumped by questions about how apps work […]

11 years ago

Psychologist Niamh Fitzpatrick explains how to hold on to your non-mum pals

11 years ago

It doesn’t really matter if it’s a 5K in the park or the New York City Marathon; a promotion at work or the launch of a business empire – setting goals is good for us. Positive psychology tells us that having a goal fuels optimism and hope. Reaching a goal – which brings knock-on benefits for […]

11 years ago

Are you one of those calm, collected types who lets life’s problems float on by? Or, are you – like the majority of Irish people – a bit of a stress ball? If so, the chances are you’ve a tendency to ‘ruminate’ and dwell on worries and problems a bit more than you should. Rumination, […]

11 years ago

Once flavour of the month in all manner of parenting handbooks, the naughty step is falling out of favour. The traditional time-out is now seen as something that, at best, just doesn’t work, or, at worst, excludes and rejects the child, leading to a vicious cycle of bad behaviour. Psychologist Allison Keating is no fan […]

11 years ago

Fiona McGarry discovers gender equality has become a victim of the recession

11 years ago

Launching your child into the big bad online world can be nerve-wracking. Parents and kids need to be aware of the rewards and risks, according to Niall Mulrine, cyber safety expert. Here are Niall’s top tips for handling family life online: 1. Maturity matters “The decision about when a child should have a phone, smart […]

11 years ago

There’s no doubt that #liveline is a national treasure. Joe’s down-to-earth decency and ‘dog-with-a-bone’ style have seen him getting to the root of lots of issues, over the years, that have been getting up the nation’s noses. And if you’re the parent of kids between the ages of two and 13, Tuesday’s show was must-hear […]

11 years ago

Surveys suggest body image is a major concern for most Irish teens, with anxiety over shape and size beginning ever earlier. Meanwhile, parents worry about the fine line between encouraging health and fitness and instilling body acceptance and confidence.  Psychologist Dr Deirdre Cowman is passionate about promoting body confidence and created the book, The Magnificent […]

11 years ago

The death of Australian author Colleen McCullough , this year sparked a wave of nostalgia for her best-selling outback tale of forbidden love, The Thorn Birds. Fiona McGarry looks at five of the best in that most maligned of literary genres, the ‘bonkbuster’. The Thorn Birds (1977) – Colleen McCullough Controversy over an obituary in […]

11 years ago

Does your sunny disposition light up a room or do you cast a bit of a cloud wherever you go? Or does it all depend on which side the bed you got out of? Most of us are blissfully unaware of our emotional impact on others, but experts now believe that feelings and moods can […]

12 years ago

Ever noticed how some people keep bouncing back after challenges and setbacks? What exactly is it that the likes of Joanne O’Riordan and filmmaker Simon Fitzmaurice have that helps them to survive and thrive in the face of life’s harshest hurdles? According to positive psychologists, this X-factor is resilience – which all of us can […]

12 years ago

“When children, like all humans, feel threatened, they tend to resort to anger in order to protect themselves.” So says Clare Crowley Collier, who has worked as a teacher and is qualified in Child Psychology and Psychotherapy, with vast experience of the issue of anger management in children and young people. “Threats can be external,” Clare […]

12 years ago

Story time is bonding time; a chance for parents and children to leave the day behind and enter the world of the imagination. Fresh from their hugely successful storytelling workshops at the Body and Soul festival, Vered Zur of Expressive Arts Ireland spoke to Fiona McGarry about bringing the magic of storytelling into family life […]

12 years ago

“We firmly believe that if we don’t all take a common sense approach to bullying and that if we don’t empower children and young people to address the issue, we’ll never resolve it,” says Patricia Kennedy, social entrepreneur and founder of the anti-bullying programme Sticks and Stones. Patricia’s award-winning initiative has helped thousands of students, […]

12 years ago

From food fads to fussy eating, it’s no wonder parents can find themselves stressing about whether their kids are eating the right kinds – and amounts – of food. When every day seems to bring new and conflicting research about what children’s diets should contain – from kale chips to quinoa and goji berries to […]

12 years ago

“Children need inner strength from an early age,” says Eileen Keane Haly, Life and Parent Coach. “If children learn to believe in themselves, it really stands to them in later life.” As the pioneer of Jumpstart Your Confidence, Eileen works with thousands of young people and teens every year through school-based workshops and one-to-one consultations. […]

12 years ago

Do you have a sneaking suspicion you’re wasting money when it comes to the weekly grocery shop? Well you’re probably right. Getting organised and creating a plan of action are key to keeping a few extra Euro in your purse each week – and they add up quickly. Here are seven incredibly easy ways to […]

12 years ago

“Going to the gym is the new going out,” according to human dynamo and dad-of-two Hector Ó hEochágain. The broadcaster, who has just opened his first gym in Galway, tells Fiona McGarry he’s passionate about sharing the feel-good benefits of physical fitness and passing them on to his young sons. You have bags of energy, […]

12 years ago

“Concentration a very misunderstood thing,” says Parent/Child Coach and accredited Play Therapist, Helen Sholdice. “A lot of people believe that children are born with the ability to concentrate, but they’re not. It’s like any other skill. The more we practice, the better we get. It’s actually a mental muscle. Concentration skills can only be developed […]

12 years ago

Seriously considering starting your own business or working from home? Great. There are countless ways to use your skills and creativity to make some extra money from the comfort of your sofa or kitchen table and still be available for pick-ups, drop-offs and everything in between. Here are five important things to  remember before you […]

12 years ago

Is it possible to earn money from home? The short answer is yes. But don’t expect to be sitting back sipping lattes while the Euros roll in. It takes time, research and a keen eye for scams. If you have a particular qualification or skill, that’s a big help, and most of us have more […]

12 years ago

Most of us would rather bury our head in the sand than bring up a tricky issue with a partner, friend or family member. But the Irish habit of sweeping things under the carpet can be damaging, to ourselves and our relationships. Family therapist Anne McCormack has this advice on getting the hang of difficult […]

12 years ago

These days most of us are guilty of speed eating on the go. Sometimes it just feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day. According to Holistic Nutritionist and Mindful Eating Specialist, Deirdre Kavanagh, time pressures mean we’re also likely end up over eating, comfort eating or bingeing. Scarily, 70 per cent of us […]

12 years ago

Bad skin days; they happen. They could be down to stress, smoking or (the shame) sleeping in your make-up. However chances are that what you’re eating, or not eating, also plays a large part. According to Nutritional Therapist, Ailish Connelly, paying attention to nutrition can make a huge difference to the skin. And, if you […]

12 years ago

“Even children are busy these days and love to take time out”

12 years ago

Traffic, deadlines, horrible bosses. Just some of the things that can push our patience…

12 years ago

Learn to be mentally fit – develop an optimistic mindset

12 years ago

Are you a Gossip Girl or an Instagrammer?

12 years ago

Experts say the key age to have The Talk is between four and nine years-old

12 years ago

“Play helps children practice skills needed for the real world”

12 years ago

It’s never too early to read to a child

12 years ago

Kids bleeding you dry? Try some of this brilliant advice

12 years ago

“When you become a parent, it’s really important to retain your own identity”

12 years ago

These radiant royals are also bold, brave and kind

12 years ago