Articles by Melissa Carton
Search
  • 9 common signs of anxiety in children that most parents are not aware of

    9 common signs of anxiety in children that most parents are not aware of

    A lot of young children suffer from anxiety, but sometimes the signs can be difficult to spot. From researching common symptoms of anxiety in children I’ve come to realise that my own child might be dealing with it, which I never would have thought. It’s something that as parents we can easily overlook as a […]

    7 years ago

  • Finance One are running a first time buyers event that you won’t want to miss

    Finance One are running a first time buyers event that you won’t want to miss

    If you’re looking to get onto the property ladder you’re not going to want to miss this. Financial intermediary company Finance One are running a first-time buyers event that will help answer any questions you have about the mortgage process. They will also set up a meeting after the event and talk you through everything […]

    7 years ago

  • Fota Wildlife Park receives Autism-Friendly Accreditation from AsIAm

    Fota Wildlife Park receives Autism-Friendly Accreditation from AsIAm

    Fantastic news. Cork’s beloved Fota Wildlife Park has received an Autism-Friendly Accreditation from Ireland’s national autism charity AsIAm. The new accreditation makes it the first attraction in Ireland to be deemed autism-friendly. I know several parents whose children have sensory conditions and it can be a struggle to find a day out that won’t overwhelm them. […]

    7 years ago

  • This popular baby fair is back and the tickets are being snapped up

    This popular baby fair is back and the tickets are being snapped up

    This looks like a fantastic day out. The Wear a Hug Fair is back and as popular as ever with 70 per cent of their early bird tickets already snapped up! The fair, organised by Babywearing Ireland, is a great chance for parents to attend talks, browse the wide variety of stalls and get to […]

    7 years ago

  • Homeless figures show that further 103 children were added to the homeless list

    Homeless figures show that further 103 children were added to the homeless list

    This is awful. There are currently more than 10,000 homeless people in Ireland with approximately 4,000 of those being children. Recent figures taken during the summer have shown that at least another 100 children have been added to the homeless list and the housing crisis shows no signs of getting better. Government figures recently showed […]

    7 years ago

  • Stacey Solomon writes emotional post about her son starting secondary school

    Stacey Solomon writes emotional post about her son starting secondary school

    It’s true what they say about kids. You blink and they’re toddlers and then they’re off to school and then they’re graduating. It happens faster than you can imagine. Even comparing my son’s first school photo taken three years ago to now, he’s so much more grown-up and I just don’t know when it happened. […]

    7 years ago

  • Study says that being a stay-at-home parent is harder than going to work

    Study says that being a stay-at-home parent is harder than going to work

    Do you think that this is true? A recent study claims that being a stay-at-home parent is more difficult than working a job and part of me agrees. While I’ve been exhausted coming home from work plenty of times it’s definitely different from how tired I am after watching the kids all day. You also […]

    7 years ago

  • Una Healy and Ben Foden share photos from their son’s first day of school

    Una Healy and Ben Foden share photos from their son’s first day of school

    Lots of parents shared their children’s back to school photos this week. Celebrity parents Una Healy and Ben Foden were no exception as only a year on from their split they shared their pride for their son’s first day of primary school. The couple who share two children seven-year-old Aoife-Bell and four-year-old Tadhg, have said on […]

    7 years ago

  • The Rotunda returns to RTE2 for season two next week so mark the date in your diary now

    The Rotunda returns to RTE2 for season two next week so mark the date in your diary now

    Mark your diaries for next week because The Rotunda is back! Award-winning series The Rotunda returns to RTE2 on September 12 with eight episodes charting the highs and lows of pregnancy and childbirth in the world’s longest-running maternity hospital. The latest series will follow 32 stories of expectant parents who are hoping to welcome new […]

    7 years ago

  • Free family fun and lots of food at Waterford Harvest Festival this week

    Free family fun and lots of food at Waterford Harvest Festival this week

    School may be back but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still lots of fun to be had. If you’re looking for something to do this weekend to start autumn off with a bang then you can’t do any better than the Waterford Harvest Festival. The festival will showcase its gourmet status at the annual festival, with […]

    7 years ago

  • Law extending unpaid parental leave by four weeks comes into effect this week

    Law extending unpaid parental leave by four weeks comes into effect this week

    Good news for parents. Earlier this year it was announced that unpaid parental leave was to be extended by an additional four week. The new law came into effect yesterday for parents with children aged twelve years and under. The new law on parental leave will see the time parents can take off extend from […]

    7 years ago

  • Study says getting kids ready for school is the same as an extra days work

    Study says getting kids ready for school is the same as an extra days work

    I’m not surprised. A research study found that parents spend the guts of a working day trying to get their children ready for school. From reminding them to get their belongings, double-checking that they’re dressed and making them breakfast, most parents spend the equivalent of an extra day of work getting our children out the […]

    7 years ago

  • Dublin parents are campaigning for a dedicated school for children with autism

    Dublin parents are campaigning for a dedicated school for children with autism

    Back to school is usually an exciting time for children. Meeting their new teacher, being reunited with friends, getting to break out all their new stationary. Unfortunately for many children in Ireland heading to school is not an option as dozens of children with autism across the country have been left without any school place. […]

    7 years ago

  • Season three of Workin’ Moms is now on Netflix and we are so ready to binge

    Season three of Workin’ Moms is now on Netflix and we are so ready to binge

    Grab the chilled wine because Workin’ Moms is back. The popular show which follows four very different thirty-something working mothers and friends trying to balance their jobs, family life and love life in Toronto, Canada, is back for its third season. The last two seasons have been instant hits with mums and I can’t wait to […]

    7 years ago

  • As a first-time mum, these products made my life a lot easier

    As a first-time mum, these products made my life a lot easier

    I’ve been through buying for a baby twice and the second time around I spent a lot less money.  We still had some bits, like our pram from our first child but with our second child, I knew what was worth buying and what wasn’t. Every parent is different, but if you’re baby shopping for […]

    7 years ago

  • Mum finds out why you should never get your child photographed in green

    Mum finds out why you should never get your child photographed in green

    Whoops! One mum found out the hard (and hilarious) way that you should never send your child in for their school photo wearing green when the backdrop is a green screen. Laura Pyle posted on Facebook last year after receiving the sample shots of her daughter’s school portraits and the results are too much. I […]

    7 years ago

  • The unwanted milestone: the first time your toddler repeats a swear word

    The unwanted milestone: the first time your toddler repeats a swear word

    There are many milestones that all parents will cherish forever. Your baby’s first word, when they take their first steps, their first tooth. Many precious moments that you’ll love documenting in their baby book. But there are some other ‘firsts’ that we aren’t so quick to brag about on Facebook and recently I experienced one […]

    7 years ago

  • Minster Zappone announces new action plan to make childcare affordable

    Minster Zappone announces new action plan to make childcare affordable

    Welcome news for parents. Minister for Children Katherine Zappone revealed this week that she plans to put new rules in place for childminders across the country. These new rules aim to help more parents gain access to affordable childcare. Minister Zappone has said that under her new childminding action plan childminders will need to undergo […]

    7 years ago

  • According to research ‘mammy’s boys’ are happier and more successful in life

    According to research ‘mammy’s boys’ are happier and more successful in life

    Is your son a mammy’s boy? Irish mammies are notorious for lavishing their affection on their sons and from observing my grandmothers it’s absolutely true. I don’t know if it’s just that my grandmothers expect the girls to be more self-sufficient and have more ‘cop on’ but they really do overindulge the lads. The boys […]

    7 years ago

  • This amazing baby bag allows you to heat bottles on the go and we love it

    This amazing baby bag allows you to heat bottles on the go and we love it

    This is a brilliant idea. There is nothing worse than being stuck for a way to heat up your child’s bottle. I know that my little girl will not take a nap unless her milk is heated up and she’s not alone as most children are the same. If you’re a parent that has ever […]

    7 years ago

  • Babies develop ‘werewolf syndrome’ from bottles of tainted reflux medicine

    Babies develop ‘werewolf syndrome’ from bottles of tainted reflux medicine

    This is shocking. Several babies in Spain have been diagnosed with having ‘werewolf syndrome’ after taking reflux medicine accidentally tainted by a hair treatment. Reports say that at least 17 cases of children experiencing the syndrome are known. Spain ‘werewolf syndrome’ child cases linked to wrong drug https://t.co/U80zx0FySm — BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) August 28, […]

    7 years ago

  • Teachers in Australia want to scrap tests for young children and I completely agree

    Teachers in Australia want to scrap tests for young children and I completely agree

    Learning through play has been proven to be important for young children. This being said, testing in schools is still commonplace but many teachers feel that it needs to be done away with. Recently teachers in Australia spoke out against testing for children under the age of eight. Members of the State School Teacher’s Union say […]

    7 years ago

  • Several rural primary schools facing closure reopening under new patron

    Several rural primary schools facing closure reopening under new patron

    A number of rural primary schools are set to reopen under a new patron. One Church of Ireland school and three Catholic schools are giving up their religious ethos and becoming multi-denominational State-run community national schools. The change of patron is in a bid to keep the schools open after almost facing closure recently. All three […]

    7 years ago

  • Dublin parents to protest against Educate Together postcode discrimination

    Dublin parents to protest against Educate Together postcode discrimination

    Parents in central Dublin are set to protest tomorrow. The protest will be in regards to a new Educate Together secondary school planned for the Harold’s Cross area. Under the catchment rules children living in the Dublin 6 and 6w area will be able to attend while nearby postcodes Dublin 8 and 12 will be […]

    7 years ago

  • Minister Doherty reminds families to apply for Back to School Allowance

    Minister Doherty reminds families to apply for Back to School Allowance

    Minister Doherty wants to remind families to get their application for Back to School Allowance in. The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, T.D., today confirmed that over 130,000 families have received the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance payment in respect of 239,230 children since July when this year’s scheme […]

    7 years ago

  • Baby is born with mother’s IUD birth control in its hair and we can not deal

    Baby is born with mother’s IUD birth control in its hair and we can not deal

    Well, you don’t see this every day. I’ve known a few mums who got pregnant even though they were using contraception. Sometimes life just finds a way. One mum though got quite a big surprise when her baby was born with something quite unusual adorning its head. Yes, that’s right this little bundle of joy […]

    7 years ago

  • This company make amazingly unique badges for mums and I want them all

    This company make amazingly unique badges for mums and I want them all

    If you’ve read any of my articles in the past you’ll know I use a lot of nice words like ‘awkward’ and ‘hot mess’ to describe myself. I even wrote one piece on how I don’t know how to be ‘a mum’, in regards to the expectations that are made upon us. The biggest expectation, […]

    7 years ago

  • Some of Ireland’s most influential parents share their ‘back to school’ tips

    Some of Ireland’s most influential parents share their ‘back to school’ tips

    The majority of schools across Ireland will be back in session from next week. Getting back into the swing of things can take a while for both parents and kids but there are ways to make the transition from summer to school easier. Parenting bloggers Ellen O’Keefe, Eimear Hutchinson and Becky O’Haire were asked by Batchelor’s what advice […]

    7 years ago

  • Is your child heading to college soon? Aldi’s Student Living Event is back!

    Is your child heading to college soon? Aldi’s Student Living Event is back!

    Got a child starting college or heading back to college soon? It can be hard to know what ‘back to school’ supplies to pick up for your son or daughter when they’re heading away from home. You want to make sure that they have everything that they need but you also know that space will […]

    7 years ago

  • Mum comes up with brilliant back to school tradition that you’ll want to steal

    Mum comes up with brilliant back to school tradition that you’ll want to steal

    This is such a great idea. If your child is starting their first day of school this year and you’re looking for the perfect memento of the occasion and the years to follow you have to check out what this mum did. Mother Carina Cansino came up with this fantastic back to school tradition for her […]

    7 years ago

  • Jervis Shopping Centre is hosting a hip-hop Workshop for families this Saturday

    Jervis Shopping Centre is hosting a hip-hop Workshop for families this Saturday

    Fancy dropping some moves this weekend? It’s almost time to go back to school, with that in mind, Jervis Shopping Centre is giving you the chance to spend some quality time with your little ones before reality sets back in. This Saturday, August 24 keep the kids entertained by joining in on some dancing and […]

    7 years ago

  • There’s a Back To School Adults Only Getaway Experience and we need it

    There’s a Back To School Adults Only Getaway Experience and we need it

    The school year doesn’t start until next week and I already feel stressed. My son is starting at a new school and between work and taking a little family break away, I’ve realised that many things have been left to the last minute including buying his new uniform. We also need to figure out a […]

    7 years ago

  • Viral video shows what happens when your child uses a soother for too long

    Viral video shows what happens when your child uses a soother for too long

    This is pretty shocking. We’re often told that prolonged use of soothers will damage our children’s teeth. But how exactly does this damage occur? Recently I came across a video which shows how much damage is caused when your child uses a soother for longer than they should and I was really surprised. The viral […]

    7 years ago

  • Rotunda TV show will now be showing on More4 in the UK under a new name

    Rotunda TV show will now be showing on More4 in the UK under a new name

    Just too good to keep to ourselves. The Rotunda, the world’s longest-running maternity hospital where close to one million Dubliners have been born and some 24 new babies are added to that number every day. Over the course of the last couple of years, Scratch Films and RTÉ has followed the comings and goings of The […]

    7 years ago

  • Gardaí are seeking the public’s help in finding 15-year-old Chloe Fitzgerald

    Gardaí are seeking the public’s help in finding 15-year-old Chloe Fitzgerald

    Have you seen her? Gardaí are seeking the public’s assistance in locating Chloe Fitzgerald. The 15-year-old is missing from the Avoca area of Co. Wicklow since August 20. The teenager is described as being 157cm, of small build, with blue eyes and very dark brown to black hair. When last seen she was wearing a […]

    7 years ago

  • This 100-year-old Galapagos giant tortoise has fathered over 1,000 children

    This 100-year-old Galapagos giant tortoise has fathered over 1,000 children

    I thought I was stressed out with two kids. 100-year-old Galapagos giant tortoise Diego has been celebrated the world over by helping to save his species from going extinct. The only male left Diego has done his part by not only helping to father a few children but by fathering over a thousand! When it […]

    7 years ago

  • Rock band Metallica donate a quarter of a million to help build children’s hospital

    Rock band Metallica donate a quarter of a million to help build children’s hospital

    This is incredible. Rock band Metallic have recently donated  €250,000 to help build a children’s hospital in Romania. The facility will be the first pediatric oncology and radiotherapy hospital in the country and will be equipped with all the latest medical technology available. This donation is just one of the many donations made by the band […]

    7 years ago