Not all families are built the same and not all families are blood. When you’re a child you just accept what is around you as the norm. I never really realised I grew up that much more differently than anyone else until I made friends with kids who had the more traditional family unit. Even […]

5 years ago

Have you been feeling this lately? During lockdown, all I could think about was heading back out for dinner, travelling and meeting up with friends and family again. Now that things are starting to open up again and I can actually start meeting people I haven’t seen in ages, there is happiness, but there is […]

5 years ago

Just don’t, thanks. During my first pregnancy I had horrific morning sickness and could not keep anything down. At the time I had never heard of Hyperemesis Gravidarum and didn’t realise that what I was suffering with was more than just regular morning sickness. I actually ended up losing weight during my pregnancy rather than […]

5 years ago

Will Ireland ever get out of this housing crisis? Year after year we talk about the housing crisis in Ireland, but nothing ever seems to change. Families in particular are finding themselves left with nowhere to turn, not just because of a lack of social or affordable housing, but also because they feel pushed out […]

5 years ago

I can’t get my mind off the women of Afghanistan right now. Since Afghanistan fell into the hands of the Taliban last week we have seen nothing but horrific scenes coming out of the country. Only yesterday, video footage was shared showing parents desperately throwing their children over barb wired fences to try and get […]

5 years ago

Incase you need a little help coaxing them into the classroom. The first day of school can be a really scary experience for most children. It’s a new environment, with new people and it will probably be there first time away from their parents or guardians. Realising that this is a worrying experience for them […]

5 years ago

This is really clever. My daughter is three years old and one of the things that he is currently trying to tackle is tying his own laces. I’ve taught him my method and my husband has taught him his, but still, the struggle continues. If you’re like myself and looking for a straightforward and simple […]

5 years ago

Wow, this is amazing! Ever wondered how exactly breech babies snuggle up in the womb. Well thanks to this amazing photo, now we know. A mum, whose baby was born breech, shared a photo to Facebook of her newborn daughter Emma, still in breech position. The mother, Kristen, wrote on the Facebook post that she […]

5 years ago

Such a sweet story. We haven’t had a lot of happy stories since the pandemic started but if you’re looking for some cheering out keep reading! Two three-year-old children who fell in love while they were both undergoing cancer treatment in hospital, have been reunited after months spent apart. Mack Porter and Payson Altice, both […]

5 years ago

Warning, this article contains content that some may find distressing. A mother in Russia has been accused of attempted murder of her two year old son after she cut him open with a knife. 25 year old Kristina Litvina insists that she wasn’t trying to kill him but to remove demons from his body. Litvina’s […]

5 years ago

The plan for additional benefits was put forward last week. The government has announced that it plans to give additional benefits to those working in the public sector throughout the pandemic. In recognition of work done by public-sector employees the last two years, the government will be allotting extra leave and gifting non-taxable vouchers. The […]

5 years ago

Do you agree? They say that travel broadens the mind but, since having children it has made me realise that Ireland isn’t that child friendly. What I mean by that is in many countries, especially Mediterranean countries, businesses like restaurants, cafés and shops are all very accommodating to parents with young children. In Ireland, however, […]

5 years ago

Did you throw a gender reveal party? I didn’t have a gender reveal party during either of my pregnancies, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted on my second one. I had a lot of family living abroad at the time and I thought it would be cute to announce it to […]

5 years ago

Stuck in the middle? Well, don’t worry because it turns out that the myth that middle born children are somehow the forgotten siblings is not only untrue but that middle kids have got it going on. Studies suggest that because they rely less on attention than first-born or last-born siblings, middle-borns are more reliable and […]

5 years ago

Has this happened to you? A couple of years ago I had applied for my daughter’s first passport before we headed away on a trip. Now if you’ve ever gone through the process of applying for your child’s first passport then you’ll know how stressful it can be. There’s referee signatures to get, police stamps […]

5 years ago

It was a hotel stay unlike any other. Usually when we travel we stay at an Airbnb, which you probably will have seen in my other travel posts from this year. That being said, sometimes there’s nothing quite like the luxury of staying in a hotel and not having to lift a finger and that […]

5 years ago

I’ve been training for this moment since 1997. During my pregnancies I went to my pre-natal classes, I read all the books and I read any articles I thought my be useful. I also browsed a lot of parenting forums to pick up tips and tricks directly from parents themselves. Now, with all of that […]

5 years ago

Six absolutely amazing women. Over the decades Barbie has taken on many roles and transformed into some truly inspiring women. During the pandemic, many incredible scientists banded together to help tackle Covid and now Mattel are honouring those women, as well as women in science in general with their new range of dolls. Six women […]

5 years ago

Why isn’t this already a thing? It wasn’t really until I got into adulthood that I realised how little I had actually been taught in school when it came to sex education and in particular, my own body. I feel like it was really the bare minimum of this is a period and if you […]

5 years ago

A very important lesson. When we’re young we’re told ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me’ but I can safely say from personal experience that this is not true. Words hurt. Words hurt a lot. Growing up with Asperger’s I had a lot of nasty remarks thrown my way […]

5 years ago

The Rebel County has a new child-friendly trail. Are you looking for interactive, educational, and playful things to do with your kids this summer? Cork City has created a new Playful Culture Trail, featuring 30 fun and playful places where kids can explore the city’s culture, heritage and green spaces through play. Last weekend I […]

5 years ago

Just in time for September. Parents and guardians across the country can let out a collective sigh of relief today as Lidl announces the return of its popular €5 School Uniform Bundle. Lidl’s affordable and responsibly sourced Smart Start back to school range hits stores nationwide from this week providing everything your little ones need […]

5 years ago

It’s taken me a long time to feel comfortable with my curls. Part of it was being a teenager in the 2000s, the age of the GHD, but a huge factor to my curl discomfort was the comments I’d receive from other people. You’ll notice that my hair is even straight in my work photo […]

5 years ago

This week is World Breastfeeding Week. I breastfed both of my children, successfully with my daughter and unsuccessfully with my son, so I know how challenging it can be. A lot of people assume the ability to breastfeed comes naturally to all mothers but that’s simply not the case and this misconception can cause a […]

5 years ago

It was a stay unlike any other. After being stuck in lockdown for so long I was on Airbnb in a flash once intercounty travel restrictions ended. Seeing as we wouldn’t be flying away anywhere exotic this year I decided to make each trip we made as usual as possible. Our first stay was on […]

5 years ago

This week is World Breastfeeding Week. All over social media I’m seeing mums post photos of themselves breastfeeding their children. It brings back a lot of happy memories of when I breastfed my own children but it also made me pine for those days a little too. My breastfeeding journey was not straightforward at all. […]

5 years ago

Did you know about this? I remember when I was a new mum being terrified that I wouldn’t hear my baby crying while I was asleep. It felt like every couple of minutes I was jumping out of my sleep because I thought I heard something and honestly I had myself wrecked. It’s a worry […]

5 years ago

Part of the delay is due to Covid. In 2016 the Baby Box scheme was launched at University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL) and later went on to be launched at Wexford Hospital. The Baby Box programme aims to reduce the incidence of infant mortality and raise awareness through educating parents on how to care for […]

5 years ago

It’s a tough but necessary phase for kids. My three year old is currently a big fan of the word ‘no’ and if yours is too, my condolences. Everyday is a battle with my daughter when it comes to getting the simplest of tasks done. Put on your shoes. No. Let me brush your hair. […]

5 years ago

Good news. A recent study has revealed that children recovering from Covid will most likely have little to no long term side effects from the illness. It also found that children who have contracted Covid generally recover within a week. The results were published in the Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal and found that […]

5 years ago

Do you agree? Could heading a ball in football cause permanent brain injury? One brain injury expert thinks so and has gone so far as to say that children should be banned from heading the ball during football games. Dr Bennet Omalu, who discovered the brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy, has said that the common […]

5 years ago

When I announced I was pregnant the first time everyone I knew was excited. They wanted to know everything. When was I due? Was I going to find out the gender? Did I have names picked out? Was I going to have a baby shower? Did I need anything before the baby arrived? When it […]

5 years ago

Do you think this might be affecting your child? Life has changed for all of us since the start of the pandemic, but particualrly if you’re a child, all these feelings of anixety and fear can be hard to preocess. Not only have children had to hear constantly about Covid in the news but they’ve […]

5 years ago

Seriously though, a little heads up would be nice. Over the years writing for HerFamily, I’ve written a few articles pointing out bits of information that were left out of the parenting books and pre natal classes. Today’s article will be no different because after all these years, I’m still wondering why nobody warns mams […]

5 years ago

Excuse me what? Some new and sometimes strange things can happen when we’re pregnant but usually within our own bodies. Some expectant mums however are experiencing something very odd… their toilet seats are turning blue. At first I thought it was just one or two mums that this has happened to but apparently it’s something […]

5 years ago

Very interesting. Personally I can’t wait until my hair starts going grey as I think grey hair looks fab, but not everyone is of the same opinion. My mam and my aunts are not fans of turning into silver stranded queens and instead opt to have their hair coloured. But other than hitting the salon […]

5 years ago

As mums, we’re constantly putting pressure on ourselves to be perfect. Let’s face it, this isn’t a standard anyone can live up to and yet we still beat ourselves up for every little mistake we make. One of the biggest difficulties for modern mums is whether or not to go back to work after having […]

5 years ago

Are you a little bit Alexa? Are you a little bit sick of it? My mam had a couple of names picked out for me because she didn’t know if I was going to be a boy or a girl. One of the boy names she had picked out for me was Marcel, which on […]

5 years ago

The saga continues. Sophie Long first made headlines last year after her father accused her mother of abusing her children during a custody battle. Now the family is in the news again as the ten year old has now suddenly disappeared. Sophie, who was last seen with her father Michael, has been missing since July […]

5 years ago

Just about every teenage girl has something about herself she doesn’t like, with me it was everything. It was my first year of secondary school when I first noticed the signs of body dysmorphia creeping in. I remember playing with a baby cousin of mine and thinking ‘she shouldn’t have to look at me, I’m […]

5 years ago

Access to this information should be a basic right. Over half of adoptees feel that lack of access to identity information and biological medical information has affected them. That’s according to the #RepealtheSeal Adoptee Voices Report’, launched this week by adoptee rights group, Aitheantas. Responses to surveys carried out by Aitheantas as part of the […]

5 years ago

According to new research. A recent study conducted in America has found that the more stressed an expectant mother is, the less likely she is to give birth to a boy. The research conducted by Columbia University found that women who have undergone a significant amount of physical and emotional stress are more likely to give birth […]

5 years ago

Be careful. We’ve had some glorious weather the last couple of weeks but if you’re planning a trip to the beach you might want to give this one a miss. Fingal County Council released the temporary ‘do not swim’ notice for the sea at South Strand Skerries after finding levels of E. coli in the […]

5 years ago

I don’t know where I would be without my friends. Finding out I was pregnant when I was 21 sent me through a rollercoaster of emotions. I was happy, I was nervous, I was excited, I was afraid. One fear that I had was that my friends would leave me behind. Even though they had […]

5 years ago

Absolutely shocking! The Consumer Product Safety Commission in the United States has filed an administrative complaint against online retailer Amazon. This comes after the Product Safety Commission found that several of the products being sold through Amazon were dangerous, with some of the items including flammable children’s clothing. In the complaint the Watchdog says that […]

5 years ago

Feeling the burn today? We’ve has absolutely glorious weather in Ireland the last couple of weeks but the sun can be quite harsh on your skin. Being extremely fair I know all too well the pain of sunburn and if you were unlucky enough to get burnt over the weekend the Fabulous Pharmacist has some […]

5 years ago

This is so good to know! Turning around and finding that your child is no longer visible is one of the most frightening things as a parent. I don’t know how many times my son has disappeared from my eye line and even though I’ve found him quickly afterwards, that feeling of sheer panic is […]

5 years ago

It can be hard to keep the kids full over the summer. My two are constantly running around and playing, burning up lots of energy which means that they are always looking for snacks. Finding a filling food that they will actually like can be tricky but I spotted a recipe recently that would do […]

5 years ago

Planning a trip to Cork City this summer? Check this out! Are you looking for interactive, educational, and playful things to do with your kids this summer? Museums, galleries, and attractions in Cork City have come together to create a Playful Culture Trail, featuring 30 fun and playful places where kids can explore the city’s […]

5 years ago

We can’t wait! Great news for parents and parents-to-be; Aldi’s latest Baby & Toddler special buys Event is back! From nappies to baby baths and buggies to blankets, Aldi has everything you need in all 147 stores nationwide from Thursday, 29th July! Among the items in the range will be the Clevamama Baby Snuggle Nest […]

5 years ago