Do you ever feel guilty for yet again calling on your parents to babysit? …or when you ask them to get the kids from creche when you suddenly find yourself running late from the office? Don’t. You are not troubling them – you are instead doing them a massive favour. At least if this study […]

4 years ago

Being a 60- or 70-something today probably looks pretty different to what it did a generation ago. Today grandparents head off travelling, take care of their appearance, go to the gym, do yoga, eat exotic foods – but – what if living their best lives like this leaves little time for them being grandparents…? In […]

4 years ago

Clearly, this should have happened a long time ago. In Ireland, pregnant employees have the right to take 26 weeks’ maternity leave plus up to 16 weeks’ additional maternity leave. However, currently, a new mother who is being treated for cancer in Ireland cannot defer their maternity leave. Fathers who are ill, on the other […]

4 years ago

Our lax attitude to sun safety is a major health concern according to experts. As the temperatures soar, more of us choose to spend time in our gardens, exercising outdoors, and meeting friends in local parks. Staying sun-safe in this new world is as important as ever.  Worryingly, recent research from La Roche-Posay has highlighted […]

4 years ago

The school holidays are around the corner. Which, of course, means that the kids are home for two whole months. And with the majority of us having nowhere near two whole months of summer holidays from our own jobs, this often means a real juggle and carefully constructed schedule of activities, camps, babysitters, grandparents – […]

4 years ago

Childcare centres are required to contact Tusla if a child dies in their care, picks up an infectious disease, gets seriously injured or goes missing. And last year, according to newly released figures, as many as 205 children were seriously injured whilst being looked after in childcare facilities across Ireland. These statistics, released after a […]

4 years ago

Truly heartbreaking news. An Irish seven-year-old has died in a hospital in Palma, Mallorca two days after being pulled from the pool at the hotel she was staying in with her family. According to the Irish Independent, sources at the Son Espases Hospital have confirmed that the little girl passed away yesterday afternoon, after being […]

4 years ago

Please make it happen. If it was up to Kristen Bell, it would seem that Frozen 3 is set to become a reality in the near future. Yep, we are talking about turning Frozen into a trilogy – and how it might just be a thing. Earlier this week Bell made an appearance on “The […]

4 years ago

Yoga is often hailed as a great exercise for adults – helping to keeps our limbs flexible and our minds calm – something which many of us are seeking as we lead increasingly hectic lives. But did you know it also has all sorts of benefits for children too? Children today have pretty darn hectic […]

4 years ago

My little girl is suddenly not so little anymore. In just seven months, she will turn 13, and to be honest, I am not quite sure how that happened, as to me, she was just two. She is amazing, though, and based on our relationship today, I can’t say I am too worried about her […]

4 years ago

Pretty obvious. Yesterday was Father’s Day in both Ireland, the UK, and many other countries across the world. So many of us took to social media to share sweet snaps and tributes to the doting dads in our lives, and royals were no different. Taking to Instagram, the royal family shared several picture tributes to […]

4 years ago

So good they all want them. Our uniquely Irish baby names are beautiful, we can all agree on that. So beautiful, in fact, that parents who live nowhere near Ireland themselves are also opting to use monikers hailing from our shores when the time comes to naming their little ones. And honestly – who can […]

4 years ago

Yikes – he didn’t hold back. The Queen’s Platinum Jubilée took place in the UK a couple of weeks ago, celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne. In attendance was the entire royal family, from senior royals like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their three children, to the Queen’s grandchildren Eugenie, Beatrice […]

4 years ago

Sacked from job and banned from teaching for two years. A teacher in the UK has been let go from her job and told she cannot teach again for two years after allowing her students, some of them as young as 15, to post topless for photographs as part of a school art project. Speaking […]

4 years ago

Such heartbreaking news. The little girl who played Baby Anna in Derry Girls has been diagnosed with leukaemia. Four-year-old Zoe Brown from Belfast, along with her twin Sophie, played the younger sister of the show’s main character Erin Quinn in seasons two and three of the hit show. Speaking to Belfast Live, Zoe’s mum Leah […]

4 years ago

Such tragic news. Homebirth services have been momentarily suspended across the Mid-West region pending the outcome of an investigation into a women dying in Limerick following a home birth earlier this month. The incident, which has been deemed a tragedy by external experts, occurred on June 5th, after the woman gave birth to a healthy […]

4 years ago

On the home stretch, mama? If you are heavily pregnant and about to welcome a little July baby – you might be interested to know that according to science, babies born this time a year are actually pretty special. It’s true. How so, you ask? Well, here are just three ways your little July babe […]

4 years ago

“A budding star for the future!” Prince William is a busy man these days between having just played a major part in his grandmother’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations and also being in the middle of organising a move out of London to Windsor. But the 39-year-old still found time this week to visit the England women’s […]

4 years ago

The age at which girls are going through puberty has been going down over the past couple of decades. A generation or two ago, it was almost unheard of that someone under the age of 12 to get their first period, but these days, many girls are experiencing their first menstruation when they are as […]

4 years ago

Runny nose, streaming eyes, constant sneezing. Summer is beautiful and most of us spend all winter longing for these brighter, warmer days – but for hayfever sufferers, this is often not the case. As temperatures rise, so does the pollen count – and – for anyone suffering with hayfever – the suffering. Instead of being […]

4 years ago

A welcome initiative. Piloted in collaboration with the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, and University Hospital, Waterford, around 500 expectant parents in Ireland will receive a free bundle of supplies worth €500 from the State this autumn when their babies are born. Announcing the plan today, Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman revealed details of the Little Baby Bundle […]

4 years ago

The only baby name generator you’ll ever need. Netflix is not only providing us with hours and hours of binging and entertainment. It seems people across the globe are also using the streaming service to find inspiration when it comes to what to name their little ones. Yep – it’s true. Some of Netflix’s top-rated […]

4 years ago

“Ladies, please consider doing this at the youngest age possible.” Selling Sunset’s Mary Fitzgerald has shared a devastating update with her fans – urging them to think about their fertility and family plans sooner rather than later. The 41-year-old has been documenting her fertility treatment on social media, explaining that while she and husband Romain […]

4 years ago

It is blatantly obvious to most of us that you should not leave babies or young children unattended for any length of time, never mind leaving them home alone. However, as children get older, the lines of what is acceptable get a little blurrier. Back in the glory days of the late 80s/early 90s when […]

4 years ago

Sick child leave, flexible working and more support for single parents. The joint committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has published its pre-legislative scrutiny report on the proposed Work Life Balance Bill. The Bill, which was brought to Cabinet by Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman and approved back in April, aims to bring the […]

4 years ago

They are parents of three young – and totally adorable – children. Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are no doubt the apples of their parents’ eyes, and all eyes were upon the three royal children during last week’s Royal Jubilee celebrations to honour Queen Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne. William and Kate […]

4 years ago

A great day out. The weekend is around the corner again, and if you are looking for something to do with the kids, this might be just the thing. This year, Historic Houses of Ireland, which represents historic houses in private hands, is a strategic partner of Cruinniu na nOg, and tomorrow, Saturday June 11th, […]

4 years ago

Sometimes, I just don’t have time to get down on the floor and play with my kids. Other times, I simply cannot even muster up the energy to. I know my kids love it when I play with them – and I love it too, I really do. And I know I will miss their […]

4 years ago

“The longer you wait to have a baby, the more risks you will face.” The average age of first-time mothers in Ireland now stands at 31.6 years – which is an increase of two-and-a-half months since last year. And – maybe more importantly – nearly two full years (21.5 months) older than they were back […]

4 years ago

“The system is failing them.” Across Ireland, primary school teachers have raised the issue of lack of support for children with special or additional needs for years now. In fact, according to the latest figures, children with additional needs are receiving an average of 21 percent fewer hours of specialised learning support now than they […]

4 years ago

Never mind the Queen or even Paddington Bear – the Royal Jubilee just wrapped – and the person who literally kept us all captivated for the entire extravaganza was four-year-old Prince Louis of Cambridge. The little prince – who turned four in April – managed to completely steal the show at several events over the […]

4 years ago

Adjusting to life as new parents, and life with a newborn in the house, is no easy job. Because while it on one level is the loveliest, most romantic, beautiful thing, having started your family – it is also a time filled with so many emotions. So many questions. So many new roles and expectations […]

4 years ago

The image of daddy! The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have released a brand new picture of Lilibet to mark the little girl’s first birthday – which the family celebrated at Frogmore Cottage over the weekend. According to sources, Harry and Meghan hosted a ‘relaxed’ garden party last Saturday for little Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor – […]

4 years ago

Thoughts? As a mum whose children often have friends over for playdates and sleepovers, I always make a point out of checking with the children’s parents about allergies and dietary issues whenever someone is coming to our house for the first time. It seems like the correct and sensible thing to do – to me. […]

4 years ago

Raising children has become a competitive sport Sure, we all want the best for our children, and want them to go far and reach their full potential and grow up to be smart, successful adults. And hence, parents today pretty much make it our job to make sure they get the best start possible start […]

4 years ago

A spokesman for the Minister for Children says the Government is “committed to substantially reducing the cost of childcare for parents.” This comes after it was revealed that some Dublin parents are paying up to 60 percent more in creche fees than in other parts of the country. According to the latest figures on the […]

4 years ago

Much as I am always ready for summer holidays and the carefree, glorious days of my favourite season, there is always also this part of me that feels a little emotional and nostalgic waving goodbye to another school year. I think as mothers raising children, we all feel that. That feeling of sand slipping through […]

4 years ago

Adorable. As part of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations that are taking place across the UK this weekend, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took their two eldest children, Prince George, 8, and Princess Charlotte, 7, to Cardiff Castle in Wales to take part in jubilee festivities there. Charlotte, her brother and her parents were […]

4 years ago

Thoughts? A TikTok mum recently took to the video sharing platform to share her opinion on kids who are picky eaters – and ended up causing a bit of an uproar. The mum, who goes by @itsacretelife on the app, shared a video of her little girl tucking into what looked to be a lovely, […]

4 years ago

One is not happy, apparently. The Crown is one of Netflix’s biggest ever success series, and fans across the world are now eagerly awaiting season five of the show, which is due to land on the streaming platform sometime this November. However, it seems like filming of the popular show, which chronicles the life and […]

4 years ago

Growing up, my little sister and I spent the majority of our time outside of school playing outside, in summer as in winter. We would climb trees and fences and build dens and ride bikes and jump from the roof of our neighbour’s garage into the snow and play until we would feel hungry – […]

4 years ago

I have been a mum for a full decade now. And all my years of parenting have taught me a lot of lessons. Like – a lot. Such is parenting – a constant game of figuring things out, where we have to think on our feet, learn on the job and embrace the chaos as […]

4 years ago

To most expectant mamas, one of the single most exciting things about pregnancy is finally finding out your baby’s gender. Some opt to do so at the hospital scan – while others (me included) decide to wait until the day the baby is born to find out if you are having a baby girl or […]

4 years ago

Yikes. I am sure we have all felt the pinch lately when it comes to our grocery bills. We all have to eat, however, it seems most Irish families are actually spending far more on treats and sweets than they are fruit and vegetables, according to new research. Supermarket shopping data found that families with […]

4 years ago

My baby boy is eight already. He is the most loving, amazing, fun, crazy and adorable person I know – and I literally cannot get enough of him. And the best bit? The feeling is completely mutual. My little boy thinks that I am the best thing in the world. As in – he wants […]

4 years ago

Truly shocking. Irish families of children with autism or suspected autism are facing “unprecedented barriers” right now trying to secure a timely assessment and autism diagnosis, according to Adam Harris, CEO of Ireland’s national autism charity AsIAm. Harris is keen to point out how wrong this is, and how critical it is for these families […]

4 years ago

Thoughts? We are living in a time where social media matters a lot. Both for people personally, who use the various platforms to share snippets of their own lives, get inspiration, connect with friends – or strangers, and simply keep up on news and trends. But also in growing numbers as a career in its […]

4 years ago

Well, you could kind of see it coming, couldn’t you? Baby names follow trends, and we often see these trends start to form, before coming to a peak – where tons of parents seem to be drawn to the same baby names at the same time. This often has to do with fashion or pop […]

4 years ago

This will be welcome news to many. Free GP care was introduced for under-sixes in recent years. And now, more than 80,000 children aged six and seven are expected to be entitled to free GP care later this year, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) was told earlier this weekend. Currently, there are around 130,000 children […]

4 years ago

Grrr.

4 years ago