I think parenting always comes with a ton of smaller and larger regrets. “I wish I had breastfed longer,” “I wish I had slept when the baby slept,” “I wish I hadn’t bickered with my partner so much about who had gotten less sleep.” Literally, rife with regrets. The one thing I think I personally […]
3 years ago
‘Disgusting’ and inappropriate – or informative and straightforward? A book aimed at children as young as four have left some parents shocked – mostly due to a very graphically detailed page on sex. My Body is Growing by author Dagmar Geisler is described as a ‘Guide for Children Ages 4 to 8′ – but when […]
3 years ago
Perfect for summer. She might be busy planning her upcoming wedding, but TV presenter and everyone’s favourite celebrity mum, Stacey Solomon, has also found the time to design her third kidswear collection for Primark. In her latest summer collection, Stacey has included her favourite happy prints and colours across a range of towelling cover-ups (perfect […]
3 years ago
The second deadliest US school shooting ever. Late last night US police had confirmed that as many as 14 children and a teacher had been shot dead at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. However, the death toll has now risen to 19 children and two teachers, with US authorities now starting to release some […]
3 years ago
Harrowing and heartbreaking. Fourteen elementary school children and a teacher have been killed at a Texas primary school shooting. Additionally, thirteen children and a 45-year-old male is being treated for injuries at a local hospital. The children shot dead were aged between seven and 11, according to CNN’s report, and the gunman responsible for the […]
3 years ago
Don’t forget what is really important, mama.
3 years ago
This is truly heartbreaking. The number of children waiting for an appointment with the Child and Adult Mental Health Services, or CAMHS, rose by more than a quarter between October last year and February 2022. CAMHS is a specialist clinical service for people under 18 with moderate to severe mental health difficulties. Meaning that as […]
3 years ago
Yikes – what would YOU do? Many of us find it tricky – embarrassing even – to talk to our kids about sex and bodies. Mostly because growing up, this was a subject that to an extent was shrouded in secrecy and shame for so many, with information limited to the sex education you got […]
3 years ago
There are so many factors that influence which baby names will spike in popularity. We know that pop culture, TV, and celebrities play a big part, but it is also true that events and shifts in society play a role too. For instance, the pandemic over the past couple of years saw a spike in […]
3 years ago
It’s 2022 – should school places now not solely be dedicated by catchment areas? You know – as opposed to religion, final situation, and, indeed, family connections. In this regard, Ireland – to me as a Scandinavian – seems really old-fashioned and stuck in the past. Currently, some schools across the country are still allocating […]
3 years ago
Raising children is a job that really can take it out of you. Between the nappy changes and the lunchboxes and the Lego fights and the lost shoes and misplaced Pokemon cards and the never-ending homework battles, being a parent is pretty much synonymous with having little to no me-time. Or is it…? It turns […]
3 years ago
No bath, no soap. Anyone who has ever given birth will know that when babies come out, they might be brand new, but they are certainly not clean. Covered in vaginal fluid, blood and a waxy, sticky substance known as vernix, babies most often come out looking like they need a good, old wash. Except […]
3 years ago
“Extremely high-risk product.” The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has issued an emergency recall for a popular teether toy for babies due to the high risk of suffocation. The recall relates to Amazon and their recalling of the “Mushroom Teether Toys for Newborn Babies, Toddlers, Infants, Relieve Sore Gum – BPA-Free Chew Toy.” The teething […]
3 years ago
I sometimes think that we – my generation – have somehow managed to turn motherhood into some sort of competition. Social media and the obsession with comparing ourselves to others plays a large part, no doubt, but we are all helping fuel the problem. Who can dress their kids in the coolest outfits, who can […]
3 years ago
A day to remember. It was a sweet affair for Pippa O’Connor Ormond’s son, Ollie, who celebrated his first communion over the weekend. Taking to Instagram to share some adorable snaps from her eldest child’s special day, Pippa and her husband Brian clearly went all-out for the memorable occasion, throwing Ollie a party to remember. […]
3 years ago
“I’m sorry.” It was last Friday evening, and due to numerous things, I was running late with our usual bath/change-of-bedsheets/reading/then bedtime routine. The kids we watching The Parent Trap on Disney+ for the millionth time, I had just burned the pizza I had in the oven, there were fights over the remote control and I […]
3 years ago
Surprised at these findings? According to a new study by the U.K. government’s education authority, kids continue to struggle with basic skills such as writing and speaking in the wake of the Covid-19 lockdowns. These were among the findings of a series of reports published last month by Ofsted, which were based on evidence from […]
3 years ago
Unacceptable. At the moment, there are nearly 11,600 children waiting for their initial speech and language assessment in Ireland, according to Freedom of Information figures released to Newstalk earlier this month. And of these almost 12.000 children, as many as 450 of them have been waiting longer than two years for their speech and language […]
3 years ago
When things are classic, they usually are for a reason. This goes for many things – also names. Because while some parents want to bestow a trendy and unique moniker on their little ones, simply to make sure they stand out among their peers, other parents go the other direction, and give their baby a […]
3 years ago
What would YOU do? Let’s face it – spending time with family is great – and after two years where most of us have spent very little time compared to normal with those we love, you would think we are all just dying for some good, old family time. However – how would you feel […]
3 years ago
A “really shameful indication” of where we are as a society. Children with disabilities in Ireland are facing waiting lists of several years to be seen by specialists. Earlier this week, a mother whose young son has verbal dyspraxia revealed to Newstalk Breakfast that he had to wait four-and-a-half years for his first HSE Speech […]
3 years ago
I have been a mother for 12 years. To say that I have learned a lot is an understatement of epic proportions. Because such is motherhood – the only job where you are given full responsibility of the actual life and death variety on Day One, with no training necessary, no courses, no degree, no […]
3 years ago
Who’s moving to Spain with us? Those of us who suffer from period pains, know first-hand just how horrific these days can be to get through every month. Which is exactly why we are applauding Spain right now, which is set to become the very first European country to approve a law granting ‘menstrual leave’ […]
3 years ago
Not healthy enough. Parents in the UK have been told to stop giving their children jam sandwiches in their school lunches and instead send them in with some healthier lunch options. This comes following some shocking new research from the University of Leeds, where researchers tracked several schools, and found that just one in 60 […]
3 years ago
“The good fortune is not lost on me or my family.” Michelle Williams has revealed that she is pregnant and expecting her third baby. The actress welcomed son Hart with husband Thomas Kail back in 2020, and Williams is also mum to Matilda, 16, whom she shares with her late husband, actor Heath Ledger, who […]
3 years ago
More needs to be done when it comes to the care new mums receive. A newly published study from Trinity’s School of Nursing and Midwifery has looked at depression, anxiety and stress symptoms experienced by first-time mothers in Ireland – from pregnancy throughout the first postpartum year. The MAMMI study (Maternal health And Maternal Morbidity […]
3 years ago
Anything for clicks, likes and social media fame? Or simply misinformed, young and desperate to fit in with the times? A friend of mine who works as a school counsellor and occupational therapist, recently told me that nearly all the teenagers she deals with these days, tell her they suffer from anxiety. The problem, she […]
3 years ago
Not feeling the best? Try these.
3 years ago
It’s more common than you think. While many pregnancies represent a happy and exciting time for pregnant people and their families, perinatal depression ensures this is not the case for everyone. Some parents-to-be might have mixed, or even negative, feelings about being pregnant or the birth of their baby. And some may simply find it […]
3 years ago
Fun for everyone. A UK dad has come up with a simple, yet brilliant idea to make parks and playgrounds more enjoyable and fun for children who are autistic. Dan Harris, whose 8-year-old son Josh is autistic and non-verbal, has been working with Peterborough City Council to help develop a special board with images and […]
3 years ago
So glitzy. The BAFTAs are taking place this evening at London’s Royal Festival Hall and it will no doubt, as usual, be a very glam affair. This year, the awards will be presented by comedian Richard Ayoade and among the nominees this year is Stacey Solomon, who just took to her Instagram to reveal her […]
3 years ago
Who rule the world? Expecting a little girl, and want to bestow her with a moniker that really packs a punch when it comes to girl power? Take a look below. We have rounded up a list of 15 inspiring, strong, world-changing women who might just inspire you when it comes to finding the perfect […]
3 years ago
Rocking a bump this season? Maternity dressing shouldn’t mean sacrificing your personal style – as Rhianna has clearly shown us. And although you might just about get away with your regular wardrobe in the early days, a growing bump can often mean your body, and go-to outfits need some rethinking. If your expanding belly has […]
3 years ago
Even Anne Hathaway is embracing her inner coastal grandmother. Confused? If you are an avid TikTok user, you might have come across the term ‘coastal grandmother’ these past few weeks, as the aesthetic has been making rounds across the social media platform. (In fact, #coastalgrandmother already has a whopping 26 million views). And let’s be […]
3 years ago
Sure look – we knew it – mums really are warriors. Giving birth is no picnic, as everyone who has done it knows, and to help cope with the pain, some women opt for having an epidural – a type of anaesthesia that is injected into the epidural space, which is located around the spinal […]
3 years ago
Chances are you might never want to come back home
3 years ago
Yes, please. We are all familiar with the summer glow – you know – skin that just looks the perfect amount of sun-kissed and radiant, often with a sprinkle of freckles and that tell-tale glow you just seem to radiate in the summer, especially right after you come home from a sun holiday? It is […]
3 years ago
Most of us are living hectic, busy lives. Such is the world we live in. And so it’s no wonder then, that it is easy to feel overwhelmed at times. And for some of us, that anxious feeling has been almost ever-present these past two years. Between the pandemic and lockdowns, routines being upended, loneliness […]
3 years ago
Not sharing dishwashing duty proved to be most damaging to relationship quality.
3 years ago
Thoughts? Loose Women star Carol McGiffin recently ended up causing a debate among parents – and her co-stars – for suggesting that giving kids tablets is essentially the same as ‘giving them a dummy’. In other words – just to make them stay quiet. The TV presenter spoke out against letting children watch films or […]
3 years ago
Ah, toddlers. They are such unpredictable little creatures, aren’t they?! They can be tricky with clothes (sometimes they like to wear them, sometimes they act feral and prefer to be nude), tricky with food (liked porridge yesterday, HATE it today), and they can be so, so tricky when it comes to sleep. But if you […]
3 years ago
I can’t say I’m surprised at these findings, though. Children have a vivid imagination, and naturally, tend to do a good bit of daydreaming – or simply just tune out and live in their heads for a bit, not paying any attention to what is happening around them. However, when children daydream in school, well, […]
3 years ago
Today, May 4th, marks World Maternal Mental Health Day. This day is designed to draw attention to essential mental health concerns for mothers and families. In Ireland, as well as many other countries across the world, as many as 1 in 5 new mothers experience some type of postnatal mood and anxiety disorder. Unfortunately, these […]
3 years ago
What are your thoughts on this? School uniforms are often a hot topic in media, with some people now calling for them to be banned, as they put an added financial pressure on families when it comes to getting kids ready for school. As well as this, the notion that girls should be wearing skirts […]
3 years ago
It looks so painful. Mrs Hinch – whose full name is Sophie Hinchcliffe – took to Instagram this weekend to share an insight into her health battles with her many followes. The 32-year-old, who became a social media sensation for her cleaning and organising tips – revealed she suffers from a blood clotting disorder, after […]
3 years ago
More and more people are opting to reduce – or even completely eliminate – animal products from their diet. Some are doing it for concerns about what animal agriculture is doing to the planet and our climate. Others because they don’t want to contribute to animal cruelty in any form. And many are opting to […]
3 years ago
Emotional support witches indeed. This week saw the release of the last four (ever) episodes of Grace and Frankie, Netflix’s longest-ever running original series, with 94 episodes in total, spanning seven(!) years. From the show premiered in 2015, it captured hearts across the world. Strange, maybe, considering pop culture’s – and the entertainment world’s – […]
3 years ago
Happy birthday, Princess Charlotte. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge always walk a fine balance of keeping their children out of the limelight and letting them enjoy a relatively normal childhood, while also allowing the public little glimpses of their lives as they grow older. One of their traditions is sharing a new picture of […]
3 years ago
Do you think this should be made a rule here? The Constitutional Court in Italy, the highest court in the country, ruled earlier this week that children in the country should be automatically given the surnames of both parents. The ruling has overturned the tradition of automatically giving a child their father’s surname, with the […]
3 years ago
Summer is around the corner. And as it turns out that while we are all rather vigilant to make sure we are wearing sun cream when we are on holidays, turns out, this is not so much the case when we are at home – even on sunny days. And while this Bank Holiday Weekend […]
3 years ago