The 31-year-old mother of two did not have a license to run an at-home day care Content warning: Readers may find the details of this crime upsetting This summer, a 17-month-old toddler Liam Koistinen was on an extended holiday in South Dakota with his parents, who left their home in Arizona to escape the heat […]

5 years ago

A strong reminder for parents everywhere not to allow your baby to sleep on any brand of pillow A nursing pillow is a parenting must-have. However you choose to feed your child, it makes the whole experience more comfortable and relaxed. I know I couldn’t have been without mine. The problem stems from the fact […]

5 years ago

“He told me I was being unfair and was picking favorites and acting like a hypocrite” As a parent, you soon learn that every new stage brings fresh challenges. They also bring more joy, new experiences and an ever-growing bond, but we’re allowed talk about the hard bits too, right? One challenge they don’t teach […]

5 years ago

“Overall, the majority of cases involved boys abusing girls” Statistics released this week in the UK reveal troubling trends regarding the abuse of children, by children. But how does it compare to the situation in Ireland? Reports of children sexually abusing other children in the UK doubled in the two years to 2019, according to […]

5 years ago

Treasure their tiny teeth, right from the start For many parents, brushing baby teeth can be a bit of a mystery and toddlers’ teeth, a challenge. But, forming good habits early on is worth it. Dr Aifric Ní Chaollaí, paediatric dentist with Dental Care Ireland recently said “Dental decay is the most common chronic disease of […]

5 years ago

It’s time to get planning, folks! When it comes to Halloween, I’m a DIY kinda gal. To me, the best costumes are made from bits you already have, reworked. I adore the challenge, even if I’m usually cursing my own creativity at 5pm on Halloween evening when the glue’s not dry and it doesn’t quite […]

5 years ago

“Concern trolls are not always self-aware; they may even view themselves as potential allies” Have you ever found yourself thinking, saying or typing any of the following about someone online? “I support the body positivity movement, I’m just worried about the long-term health effects of being bigger” “I think it’s great that she wears whatever […]

5 years ago

“Let safety guidelines, and not peer pressure, help you decide” Many car seats are suitable for children roughly up to the age of four, depending on their size and weight. But there are seats available for children up to around seven years old, should you wish to keep them in a seat for longer. There […]

5 years ago

Live music is now allowed at weddings Good news for many today, as further Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted. Tanaiste Leo Varadkar tweeted confirmation last Friday that the plan to lift restrictions today would go ahead, saying:  “Vaccination of under 35s really working now. Cases have plateaued / falling.  Rise in patients in hospital and […]

5 years ago

The couple want to raise awareness of the symptoms, so other parents can spot the signs Content warning: Childhood cancer Ashley Cain appeared on ITV’s Lorraine this week for an emotional interview about his late baby daughter, Azaylia. The former Ex-on-the-Beach star and his partner Safiyya Vorajee spoke tearfully about the legacy their 8-month-old left […]

5 years ago

“The best camera you have is the one with you” How do they do it? You know those people you follow in Instagram who constantly post incredible photos of their children? Do you snap away on days out with the kids, or at home, but your photos are just not as good? We consulted Irish […]

5 years ago

“Young children and their families deserve better” Like the children in our crèches and pre-schools, we all learned some valuable lessons this year. One of them was just how essential great childcare is; a truth that came sharply into focus when we simply didn’t have any. So how is a service that, at some point, […]

5 years ago

His arrest could play a key part in a number of other outstanding murder cases Content warning: The details of this case may be upsetting to readers A former officer has been arrested by police hunting an alleged serial killer and rapist in Russia. Vitaly Berezhnoy is being held on suspicion of the rape and […]

5 years ago

Love is a noun, but it’s also a verb. Feeling loved plays a vital part in your child’s development. Parental or guardian love is incredibly beneficial for their happiness, acceptance and stability. Psychotherapist Amy Morin, host of the Mentally Strong People podcast says: “Love and security assures them they don’t need to worry about adult-sized […]

5 years ago

Worldwide, there’s a racial disparity in the rates of people starting and sticking with breastfeeding It’s Black Breastfeeding Week and events are taking place around the world to encourage and support Black parents in their breastfeeding journeys. Eden Hagos is a Toronto-based public health promoter whose work focuses on maternal health through an anti-racist, intersectional […]

5 years ago

Ever wonder why Prince George is always in shorts? When you really sit back and think about it, the whole royalty thing is a bit barmy. But as outdated an entity as it may be, people the world over enjoy the tradition a ceremony of it all, us included. The world has moved on, of […]

5 years ago

This A&E doctor wants all parents to know something. It’s something you may be aware of, but have you got it set up on your phone? If not, this is a reminder for all of us. Describing how she often sees patients brought into the accident and emergency department, with no way of knowing who […]

5 years ago

“People stopped and helped. It shows the good side of people and it all helps.” A four-year-old girl has survived a terrifying ordeal, after being thrown from a moving car on a busy road in Grimsby, Lincolnshire this Saturday. She was transferred to a specialist children’s ward by ambulance with a police escort. A witness […]

5 years ago

A massive congratulations to her. The singer has just announced the happy news with the sweetest pic and caption, “Welcome to the world baby 21/08/21 ♥️” https://www.instagram.com/p/CS3ma8ys3dY/ The Little Mix star first shared the news of her pregnancy on Instagram, posting two photos of her growing bump alongside partner Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. “So happy to be […]

5 years ago

It was all caught on body camera A Florida deputy successfully delivered a baby in a carpark in Florida this week. According to a press release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, on Aug. 17, 2021, just before 5:30 a.m., dispatchers received a 911 call from a man who was in a 7-Eleven carpark near […]

5 years ago

En Caul births are a very rare and very beautiful occurrence An en caul birth is a rare event where your baby is born still inside its intact amniotic sac. The sac balloons out at birth, with the baby remaining inside of the unbroken, or partially broken, membrane and it looks incredible. Image: Photos by […]

5 years ago

Wexford businesses have come out to support an 11-year-old strawberry seller after a roadside robbery Conor Goucher was left “shaken” after a jeep pulled up beside his strawberry stand on the roadside in Ferrybank, Co Wexford and made off with his money. One of the females kept him distracted by asking him about his produce, […]

5 years ago

Do you ever feel like your money is a bit of a mess? You’ve a fair idea what’s in your bank account, but you’re still fumbling with cards at the checkout, deciding which one to use? You frustrate yourself by missing a  payment on a loan or a utility bill, not because you went mad […]

5 years ago

The method was introduced as part of the new wave of ‘gentle caesarean’ births Hospitals in America have begun using clear drapes during C-sections in an effort to help those giving birth feel more included. Thanks to the new clear plastic drapes, birthing people will now be able to see their babies emerge. With a […]

5 years ago

Inheriting money is “distasteful” James Bond actor Daniel Craig has revealed he won’t be passing on his millions to his children and he plans to “get rid of it” before he dies. The British actor, 53, has a net worth of £116 million but he believes inheriting money is “distasteful” and has admitted that he’s […]

5 years ago

The alleged incidents took place in Dublin in 2019 An unnamed 16-year-old boy appeared before Judge John Lindsay at the Dublin Children’s Court yesterday, charged with rape and sexual assault that allegedly took place in Dublin two years ago, when he was just 14 years old. The incident allegedly occurred on a date in August […]

5 years ago

Nobody asked for these specifics, Brenda Honestly, I’ll take ‘one and three quarters’, before I’ll take 21 months. This, to me, is almost as annoying as when couples declare it’s their ‘half year anniversary’. I’m not great at Latin, but I’m pretty sure you’ve just shat all over the etymology of that word. Why are […]

5 years ago

Calling a holiday with a baby a ‘break’ is probably a bit of a stretch I’m just back from a lovely week in Achill with my brother’s family and also my best friend and her lot. And it was mega. I’ve been excited about the trip since we booked it in January and, with all […]

5 years ago

I can’t resist a online quiz Do I really need to know which Kardashian I’m most like or what Sponge Bob character I’d be if I lived in Bikini Bottom? Yes, yes I do. A quiz with sliiiiiightly more science behind it is, of course, the Myers Briggs personality test. It’s one of a few […]

5 years ago

Let’s make this as easy as possible on ourselves This year, Back to School hits different. The summer break seemed to arrive just as the kids were getting settled into whatever a ‘new normal’ looked like for them. (Honestly if I never hear that phrase again…) You’re probably feeling all the feels about the approaching […]

5 years ago

“I’ll get the third one perfectly right” If you haven’t listened to Vogue Williams and Joanne McNally’s podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me yet, I’m so jealous. You have 17 delicious episodes to work your way through, while I have to wait patiently every week for the next one to come out. It’s SO funny. Joanne […]

5 years ago

I don’t like admitting it, for reasons I’ll explain, but it’s hard. I underestimated how difficult writing this piece would be. I’ve often said, when it comes to my mother, I have the ability to speak about it without really ‘going there’. There’s a big difference between referencing her in passing so that she’s not […]

5 years ago

Right now I’m so hot, I’d be happy with a game called ‘stick my head under the cold tap’ Your kids, however, might be after something with a bit more imagination. By a bit more, I don’t mean lots of prep and materials, don’t worry. You can play most of these right away with no […]

5 years ago

“BMI does not define a person. It doesn’t weigh my heart or the love that I could give a child.” Body Mass Index is calculated by taking your weight in kilos, and dividing it by the square of your height in metres. The result puts you into one of four categories: Underweight (less than 18.5), […]

5 years ago

Seriously, get him out of there now. There are many reasons I wouldn’t allow my hypothetical older children to watch Love Island. Yes it’s just a bit of fun, that’s certainly why I watch it anyway, but it also contains some of the finest examples of unhealthy relationship behavior we’re likely to see. The latest […]

5 years ago

Putting sun cream on a toddler is a bit like painting a bicycle as someone cycles past on it. They’re not fans of the old SPF, are they? And, tantrums aside, it can be hard to make sure you’ve covered every inch of precious kiddy skin. The heat is seriously on and personally, my nerves […]

5 years ago

Baby names ending in Y are so cute! There’s someting about a ‘y’ sound at the end of a baby name that we love. It makes a moniker sound almost nickname like, and filled with affection. These are just a few of our favourites; an A-Z of beautiful baby names ending in Y. Alby Benny […]

5 years ago

“It seems hard to understand why” – Summer camp organisers express outrage at indoor ban Short notice and a lack of guidance has left business owners reeling,  as many summer camps due to open on Monday of this week have now been cancelled. A further blow came when the latest ruling on indoor dining means […]

5 years ago

And we’re not talking about Ariel and Jasmine. Diana The people’s princess with the BEST threads. What’s not to love? Anastasia Not the cartoon one, she was a real Russian princess in the 20th century. Beatrice The queen’s fifth granddaughter. We’re not experts but we think that makes her bajillionth in line for the throne. […]

5 years ago

The family want legislation passed to make breastfeeding another parent’s child without their consent illegal A fifteen-month-old child was breastfed by a childcare worker without his parent’s consent and, as if that wasn’t troubling enough, it turns out there is no law against it. The incident took place at Happy Kids Pre-School Daycare in Shingle […]

5 years ago

Being swept off your feet in a whirlwind romance is often the biggest red flag of all Relationships start in many different ways. Some are slow burners — 0ur mothers tell us these are the keepers, and probably for good reason. Some are a little more immediate. That’s not always a negative thing, but relationship […]

5 years ago

This is just so lovely. Terrie McEvoy recently announced she’s expecting her first baby with husband David. The nurse and lifestyle blogger took to Instagram to share the happy news saying they’ve been, “keeping a little secret.” “Our little family has been growing and we are absolutely smitten. Mam, Dad and big brother Jake can’t […]

5 years ago

Parents are not at all happy about this. Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said summer camps for children cannot operate indoors because of “strong” advice from NPHET. Speaking yesterday about the “difficulties and significant disappointments” caused by this decision he said: “I do understand that [the disappointment] fully. But the motivation is a clear one. To […]

5 years ago

This is absolutely wild. I can’t really believe I’m writing this, or that the story isn’t 100 years old, but a school in the US has won a court battle that will allow the use of electric shock devices on students as a behavioral device. The Judge Rotenberg Educational Center in Massachusetts introduced the practice […]

5 years ago

You’ve got to be kidding me. How to I put this politely? Unless you’re a courier bringing me something lovely, DO NOT CALL AROUND TO MY HOUSE. I’ve always been a bit all or nothing. I’m either irritated by the fact that all my knives aren’t the exact same, or I’m fishing McDonald’s cups out […]

5 years ago

Thank you, Twitter for making us feel normal. Twitter is a source of many things, not all of them good. It can be angsty at best and a hell-hole of rage on its worst days. But we can’t stay mad it, because it’s filled with parents just like us, laughing so we don’t cry. Welcome […]

5 years ago

We love them all! These names are new entries into the top 100 most popular names list in the last year. For the girls… Penny Luna Cora Elsie Paige Croía Croía moved up a a whopping 67 places to barely edge its way into the top 100 at 95th place, so it’s still quite unique. […]

5 years ago

Just 46% of HerFamily readers are open to the idea of a male childminder Journalist Jordan Mason told Scary Mommy recently about a message she received from a ‘well meaning’ friend, advising her against the idea of hiring a male childminder. It was this friend’s opinion that “boy sitters can have a tendency to be […]

5 years ago

We can’t believe these aren’t more popular! If you’re looking for unique baby names for your little girl, you might not have to go too left of field, it seems. These 20 beautiful baby names are the perfect combination of classic, yet rare in Ireland in recent years. In fact, less than three babies were […]

5 years ago

“A big reason people back out of name choices is because they realise they’re getting super popular” Choosing a baby name is not easy, lads. Getting inspired in the first place is tricky enough, but then there are SO many things that can put a kibosh on your brilliant idea. Your partner might veto it. […]

5 years ago