A mum in the UK has been ordered to have her sons vaccinated for their own health and the wellbeing of the general public. High Court judge Mark Rodgers has told a vegan mum that she must comply with an order from the Court of Protection to have her children vaccinated, the Daily Mail reports. The mother, […]

10 years ago

A widowed dad was horrified to discover that hotel staff had called police after he checked-in with his 13-year-old daughter. Craig Darwell, a 46-year-old single dad from Leeds, brought his 13-year-old Millie away for a weekend at the Thorpe Amusement Park in Surrey and was left reeling by the events that unfolded. After checking into […]

10 years ago

A neonatal unit in Scotland is appealing for crocheted octopi for their smallest patients. Aberdeen Maternity Hospital’s Neonatal Unit are asking for the crocheted creatures to comfort the premature babies in their care. The hospital cares for around 1,000 premie babies every year. The unique idea originates from Denmark where a hospital found the octopi comforted […]

10 years ago

The Modfather Paul Weller is set to become a daddy for the eighth time this summer. Paul (58) and his backing singer wife Hannah Andrews (31) married in 2010 on the Italian island of Capri. The couple met in 2008 after Paul separated from his partner of 13 years, Samantha Stock, the mother of his daughter Jesamine (16) […]

10 years ago

Aussie blogger Mel Watts just got very real about rumpyBUMPy, and we love her for it. Expectant mum Emma, who blogs under the name The Modern Mumma shared her feelings on sex during pregnancy and she ain’t holding back. The mum-of-two says that her blog “will either have you in hysterics, reaching for the tissues, running to […]

10 years ago

A new study from the Central Bank has revealed that boom-time borrowers and those in their 30s are particularly vulnerable to a 2% rise in European interest rates. A 2% rise in eurozone rates has the potential to increase mortgage repayments by approximately €200 a month, Charlie Weston of the Irish Independent reports. If the […]

10 years ago

Comedian and all round funny motha, Emma Doran, has shared another hilariously spot-on video showing us how to get the look of “That Mam” on the school run.  Emma, who lives in Dublin with her partner Shane, their three children, Ella (13) Joe (3) and Tommy (1), and two dogs Twiggy and Stan, is a Republic of […]

10 years ago

Brought to you by Tesco Look, trying to save money is a little like watching water drain through a sieve.  Oh look! There it goes… more money being spent on stuff that needs spending on. And as your own mammy will to this day attest, the whole offloading loads of cash thing really comes into […]

10 years ago

Almost half of Irish parents want to spend more quality time with their family and admit that the stresses of modern life are an increasing barrier to spending time together. A survey commissioned by Tesco Ireland has revealed that almost half of parents find it difficult to get their wider family together. The majority of […]

10 years ago

This week on The Capital B, one of Ireland’s busiest mums and most successful business women, Marissa Carter, on the Kardashians and why there’s no authenticity left in beauty blogging. Mum-of-two Marissa Carter was self-employed as a beauty salon owner for almost eight years before launching her hugely popular Cocoa Brown tanning range in 2012. […]

10 years ago

Social media is something us modern mums take as a given but HerFamily have been imagining what the Irish Mammy might have been tweeting about back in the day… Remember when the only thing that even remotely resembled the internet was Aertel? Here’s 8 tweets we think our mothers would have come out with if […]

10 years ago

The President of the Circuit Civil Court, Mr Justice Raymond Groarke, has ruled that chasing games in school yards should not be banned. President Mr Justice Raymond Groarke made the statement following a case taken against a school on behalf of a six-year-old pupil, Ray Managh of the Irish Independent reports. Veronika Trjasunova, sued the Guardian Angels […]

10 years ago

In 2015 artist Clodagh Hendy left Ireland for Palm City, Florida (about two hours south of Miami). We caught up with her to find out how much life has changed for her, husband David, and their three children Billy (9), Jasmin (8) and Grant (5). I’m from originally from Clonbullogue in Offaly and Dave is from […]

10 years ago

So many parents just want to get chicken pox done and out of the way and now there’s a park for that… We’re in prime pox season right now folks. If you’re a mama who wants the dreaded illness out of the way then you may have already considered attending a pox party. Now, a […]

10 years ago

An inventor in the UK is hoping to raise millions for charity with his new invention which aims to make cleaning toilets “considerably less disgusting” than using a toilet brush. Inventor Kam Mistry is hoping to make cleaning toilets a little less crappy (ahem) if he reaches his Kickstarter funding target of £50,000 for ‘the Shiffter’, a […]

10 years ago

Details of a pioneering ‘three-parent baby’ IVF technique using mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT) have been revealed, giving hope to those with inheritable disorders that they may be able to have healthy children in the future. The initial purpose of three-person IVF was to create a child free of mitochondrial disease in cases where parents presented a risk of […]

10 years ago

Babies cry more in Britain, Canada and Italy, than the rest of the world according to new research by the University of Warwick. Psychologists have created the world’s first universal charts for normal amount of crying in babies during first three months and found that babies cry more in Britain, Canada, Italy and Netherlands than […]

10 years ago

A new school, to be based in Leopardstown in south Dublin, is set to be one of the most expensive private schools in Ireland when it opens in September 2018. The school, which will cater for up to 800 students, will be based in a former €20 million Microsoft office block in South County Business Park, […]

10 years ago

Today is World Autism Awareness Day. This impactful interview with Tara Lenniston and her beautiful son, Dylan, took place last September.  Here is her story in her own words…  I will never forget Christmas, 2011. It was the first time I started to notice that Dylan was withdrawing from everyone, including me. His eye contact started […]

10 years ago

Plans are afoot (or apaw) for Disney’s live-action Lion King movie. Rumours are flying around Hollywood that mama-to-be Beyonce will voice Nala in the upcoming remake. Sources have told Variety that Beyonce is director Jon Favreau’s top choice to voice the lioness. The insiders have stressed that the singer, who is pregnant with twins, has yet to make a decision on […]

10 years ago

Some sad news on the colouring-in front. Art giants Crayola have told one of their popular crayons to clear its desk as Dandelion’s services are no longer required. If your kids are fans of staying inside the lines with the mustard-coloured crayon then it’s bad news – the yellowy one is officially being removed from the […]

10 years ago

An online health risk calculator has proved more accurate than many methods traditionally used by doctors. An online metabolic calculator developed by Dr Mark DeBoer, of the University of Virginia’s Children’s Hospital predicts patients’ risk of developing heart disease and diabetes more accurately than traditional methods, a large new study has found. Dr DeBoer hopes it will […]

10 years ago

Once you’ve mastered the art of packing the bag, and no longer require a team of Sherpa to carry all the gear, small babies are fantastically portable. There are loads of places to go together; keep a camera handy to make memories. Your baby is fun-sized, so enjoy! 1. Travel It’s far easier take a […]

10 years ago

Holly Willoughby has passionately defended mums who breastfeed their babies in public. The mum-of-three waded in on a heated This Morning debate on the issue of public breastfeeding after a mother was publicly shamed for feeding her baby in a pub. Sheldon Sparks, a retail manager, was disgusted to see a mum enjoying a glass of […]

10 years ago

A three-year-old boy tragically drowned in a jacuzzi at a busy hotel kids club in Cork . An inquest into the death of three-year-old Ronan Kennedy has revealed his heartbreaking final moments at the Quality Hotel in Youghal, Co Cork. Dublin Coroner’s Court heard that the little boy drowned as people passing by were unaware he had climbed into […]

10 years ago

It is the most magical of times- it is also the most overwhelming of times. The lack of sleep, the wiggly human you have just been handed, the laundry and the tears (and that is just you!)  Being a new mum comes with a huge amount of happiness but it is also exhausting. We totally […]

10 years ago

There’s no doubt that pregnancy can be a really wonderful time: after all, there is the glowing skin, full tresses, and all that jazz.  But then there’s the other stuff. Ya know, like aches and pains, nothing fitting, and swollen, well, swollen everything.  At least once your little one has arrived, studies report a slew of unexpected benefits associated with childbearing (even […]

10 years ago

Remember the Pokémon GO craze that swept the globe a few months ago? Well, apparently playing the game actually improves your parenting. New research from the University of Washington says that parents who regularly play the mobile device-based game with their children report a number of positive benefits from playing , including increased exercise, more time […]

10 years ago

Muuuuummmmmmmm she pinched me! Sibling rivalry is a powerful force (just look at the Kardashian sisters and the Gallagher brothers) and a real headache for us parents. But with all the downsides such as endless rows, competition and bickering, there are also lots of positive aspects in the relationships between brothers and sisters (no really […]

10 years ago

Fourteen of Ireland’s best and brightest young entrepreneurs will gather at Dublin’s Mansion House today. Young entrepreneurs from secondary schools around the country will meet in the capital today, in the hopes of wowing the judges and being crowned Foróige’s Youth Entrepreneur of the Year 2017. Fourteen finalists managing seven start-up businesses will pitch their […]

10 years ago

Free of clutter, free of mind. If you can manage to stick to this motto, you’ll have space to breathe in the evening without housework and to-do lists taking the space that Netflix and wine normally occupy. We all hoard SO much stuff that doesn’t get worn or used. It’s time for a spring clear-out so that, come […]

10 years ago

OK so the idea of getting down and dirty again with leaky boobs and stitched up bits might leave you feeling more horrified than horny, but let’s talk about sex baby. Actually, let’s talk about sex post-baby… 1. First up: have a chat with your partner about how you are feeling. It is really important that you are […]

10 years ago

The nesting phase of pregnancy is truly the most exciting part of the whole nine months. If you’ve found everything up until then a tad underwhelming don’t worry you are not alone. Let’s face it, lot’s of us can’t make out the baby’s face on the weird lava lamp-like foetal assessment scans. Peeing in a […]

10 years ago

Dublin-based businesswoman Sarah O’Connor is co-founder of The Cool Bean Company. Here’s her take on what it takes to be Queen Bean in the incredibly competitive food market. Having hit Irish supermarkets in September 2014, the Cool Food Company is rapidly becoming a household brand. With two Blas na hEireann (Irish Food Awards) on the mantlepiece already, […]

10 years ago

By measuring brainwaves, it is possible to predict what a child’s reading level will be years in advance. Researchers Sarah Laszlo and Mallory Stites from Binghamton University in New York, measured the brain activity of children and then compared it to their school report cards, their vocabulary and other signs of reading success two years later. […]

10 years ago

Ensuring your children’s car seats are fitted correctly is the law and it could save your child’s life. March is Car Safety Month, so HerFamily spoke to the car seat experts at Mothercare to find out exactly what parents need to know about car seat safety, rear facing car seats, and the latest EU legislation. So, […]

10 years ago

When you’re a sleep-deprived mama in the newborn trenches there may appear to be no rhyme or reason to your baby’s sleep pattern (or lack thereof). Fear not, your little one’s internal biological clock will take charge…eventually.  Here’s everything you need to know about sleep in your baby’s first year: Sleep is a vital part of […]

10 years ago

Does the word ‘camping’ fill you with abject horror? Or does it bring back happy memories of a childhood spent cosily tucked up in a tent with your siblings? Well, 2017 has replaced camping with glamping and HerFamily are here to give you the lowdown on what it’s really like to live in a teepee […]

10 years ago

A number of Irish primary schools have suspended the Goodness Me, Goodness You! religious education programme which controversially segregates children according to their religious faith. Goodness Me, Goodness You! is a multi-belief programme for children of all faiths and none. It is taught in Community National Schools (CNSs) and was developed by the National Council […]

10 years ago

Look, every parent loses it now and again. Fact. The reality of parenting is that sometimes it’s just really, really, hard to stay calm.  You know those moments when you’re burning the dinner while trying to listen to reading homework, and the other one is calling you to come and wipe their bum? You can […]

10 years ago

As if you needed a reminder, tomorrow is Mother’s Day and you know what that means. Yup, being woken up extra early to be inundated with homemade crafts and (an inedible) breakfast in bed. Aww bless their little cotton socks. Apart from gifts made out of painted toilet rolls, what do mums really want for […]

10 years ago

Inactive teens have weaker bones than those who are more physically active. Researchers at Canada’s Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, measured the physical activity and bone strength of 309 teenagers over a specific four-year period that is crucial for lifelong, healthy skeletal development. Lead researcher Leigh Gabel, who is completing her PhD in orthopaedics says the […]

10 years ago

Fans will get the opportunity to pay their respects to not one, but two Hollywood legends today at the public memorial of actress mother and daughter Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher. Debbie Reynolds died as a result of a severe stroke last December, at the age of 84, just one day after her 60-year-old daughter […]

10 years ago

Children of older mums have fewer emotional and behavioural problems, according to a new Danish study. A new study of 4,741 mothers and children in Denmark, published in The European Journal of Developmental Psychology, has found that older mums resort less to verbal and physical punishment when compared with younger mothers. The research also demonstrated that children of […]

10 years ago

A shocking report released today by the Trade Union Congress, has shown that Ireland is at the bottom of the European league table when it comes to paid maternity leave. The Trade Union Congress, the umbrella organisation of Britain’s trade unions, has found Ireland is the worst country in Europe in relation to paid maternity leave. Responding […]

10 years ago

#superlunchnotes

10 years ago

This maternity photo shoot stars an extra-special guest. This maternity photo shoot may look like many others but these photos come with a rather lovely twist. This mum starred in the shoot alongside her husband and her egg donor. In a feature for Glamour, Dr Shannon Clark, the founder a website for older mums trying to conceive, […]

10 years ago

Prepare to feel old. Very old. Would you believe me if I told you that it’s been 26 years since Father of the Bride came out in cinemas? It’s true, unfortunately. For many of us ladies of a certain vintage, this daddy-daughter wedding movie holds a special place in our heart. The lovable George Banks’ […]

10 years ago

Sure a lot of the time we pretend we know exactly what we’re doing…but most of the time we’re delightfully clueless. Pregnancy: one of life’s great ‘just wing it and you’ll be grand’ events. And while experience, instinct, and educated guessing helps (along with the love and support of HerFamily, of course!), there is also a […]

10 years ago

What advice does one of Ireland’s top business women have for entrepreneurs? Go big, if you want to take the biscuit. This week on The Capital B business podcast, the co-founder and marketing/innovation director of the East Coast Bakehouse and RTE’s newest Dragon’s Den panelist, Alison Cowzer, shared some great advice for budding entrepreneurs. And admitted that […]

10 years ago