Yes, the questions are real! How our advice columnists answer your queriesRoe McDermott, John Sharry and Trish Murphy explain how they respond to your sex, relationship and parenting problemsSat Apr 02 2022 - 01:56
‘My 14-year-old son is really worried that world war three will break out’Ask the Expert: ‘I am worried too, so I imagine this is not helping either’Mon Mar 21 2022 - 06:01
‘My six-year-old son often says he hates himself’Ask the Expert: ‘How can I help him build self-esteem?’Mon Mar 07 2022 - 06:01
‘My wife and I are separating. What can we do to help our young children cope?’Ask the Expert: We are working hard to co-parent well for their sakeMon Feb 21 2022 - 06:00
‘My 13-year-old daughter’s phone has taken over her life’‘I wish she was going out more to meet friends and do real stuff instead of just social media’Mon Feb 07 2022 - 06:01
Ashling Murphy killing: How to talk to your children about itShielding those under seven from news may be wise but older children could have questionsTue Jan 18 2022 - 06:01
‘My 15-year-old daughter is constantly snacking and eating mindlessly’Nothing I say has an impact so do I just leave her to figure it out herself?Mon Jan 10 2022 - 06:01
‘I have a friend whose parenting is hard to watch’I know he is under a lot of stress, but that’s not an excuse to hurt a childMon Dec 27 2021 - 06:01
‘Our daughter was toilet trained but she has been having accidents’She may have developed habit of holding on too long which weakens control of bladderMon Dec 13 2021 - 06:01
‘My (almost) five-year-old frequently finishes the day with a smear of poo in his pants’Smearing or soiling is usually caused by faeces leaking out as they don’t have full controlSun Dec 12 2021 - 06:01
‘My seven-year-old is very negative and this can be very difficult to tackle’Negative self-thinking and low self-esteem go hand in hand. Build your child’s self-esteemMon Nov 29 2021 - 23:47
‘My daughter has a phobia of being sick, and it’s consuming her and our lives’For most phobias, cognitive behavioural therapy is one of the best treatmentsTue Nov 16 2021 - 06:00
‘How do I get a psychiatric assessment of a parent of three young children?’Narcissistic personality disorder and a family separationSun Nov 14 2021 - 06:01
‘My teenage son has fallen in with a bad group of friends’With a young teenager you frequently have to work hard to keep communication openWed Oct 20 2021 - 06:00
‘My ex is not spending time with our 11-year-old son’Since mother started divorce proceedings, father has refused to see sonMon Oct 04 2021 - 06:01
‘Homophobic, xenophobic, sexist banter: I don’t know if this is normal practice on building sites’Ask the Expert: ‘He likes the job and has talent for it but I worry for his mental health’Mon Sept 20 2021 - 06:00
‘My daughter is hysterical at creche drop-off and collection. What can I do?’Ask the Expert: ‘I have to leave her outside the building due to Covid restrictions’Sun Sept 19 2021 - 06:01
‘My marriage has broken down, and I don’t know how to talk to my young son about it’Ask the Expert: ‘I left his father because the relationship had become abusive’Mon Sept 06 2021 - 06:01
‘Should I advise my teenager about making friends?’Ask the Expert: Here are ways to positively support her in developing social skillsMon Aug 23 2021 - 06:01
‘My five-year-old daughter is still not dry at night’Ask the Expert: Bedwetting is usually caused by a physical problem such as constipationSun Aug 22 2021 - 06:01
‘My teenage sons have fallen out and are now ignoring each other’Ask the Expert: The 13-year-old punched the 15-year-old and both were shocked by thisMon Aug 09 2021 - 06:00
‘My son’s creche want him assessed but I’m not sure if he has a disorder’Ask the Expert: The creche is understaffed and want an SNA employedSun Aug 08 2021 - 01:01
‘My nine-year-old girl is moody and I don’t like her at times’John Sharry: See feelings of dislike as a ‘wake-up call’ that something needs to changeMon Jul 26 2021 - 06:01
‘My alcoholic mother-in-law moved in with us and has caused enormous stress’John Sharry: It is abusive for her to drink chaotically and to be drunk in front of your childrenMon Jul 12 2021 - 06:01
‘My seven-year-old is afraid to go upstairs on his own’John Sharry: The good news is there are simple steps you can follow to help him manageSun Jul 11 2021 - 06:01
‘My daughter fell out with a friend during lockdown and no longer enjoys school’Ask the Expert: ‘They fell out just before the return to school. She is very upset by this’Mon Jun 28 2021 - 06:00
‘My son walks out of the room if we hug or say anything related to sex’John Sharry: It is normal for teens to be embarrassed when they see their parents being affectionateSun Jun 27 2021 - 06:01
My son is being teased at school because he likes toys for ‘girls’John Sharry: Acknowledge your child’s feelings and name this as unkind behaviourMon Jun 14 2021 - 06:01
‘My five-year-old boy is consumed by negativity’John Sharry: Avoid criticising and giving out to him as it can make matters worseSun Jun 13 2021 - 06:01
‘My adult son lives at home, but I still struggle to connect with him’‘We pass like ships in the night and I am upset I’ll never have a relationship with him’Mon May 31 2021 - 06:01
‘Our two-year-old son keeps banging his head when he’s angry’John Sharry: It is important to take action to interupt this behaviourSun May 30 2021 - 06:01
Our 19-year-old college student with ADHD is really strugglingJohn Sharry: He stays in his bedroom, has cut himself off from friends and has started drinkingMon May 17 2021 - 06:01
My five-year-old daughter is jealous of my relationship with my husbandAsk the Expert: She always interrupts and tries to make herself a part of the interactionSun May 16 2021 - 06:01
How can we get our 14-year-old son to do his homework?His teachers have to chase him for his work and he will often ignore themTue May 04 2021 - 06:01
‘My wife and I have very different approaches to parenting, how do we meet in the middle?’Effective parenting is about adopting different approaches at different timesSun May 02 2021 - 06:01
‘My 10-year-old son has been watching porn on the family tablet’‘When I confronted him, he initially denied it and then got upset and started crying'Mon Apr 19 2021 - 06:00
‘I’m worried my 15-year-old daughter is cutting herself’Ask the Expert: ‘A note in her diary concerned me but I know she will be mad at me for reading it’Tue Apr 06 2021 - 06:01
‘Since Covid-19 my son is obsessed with washing his hands’Ask the Expert: ‘I am particularly worried about his reluctance to go out’Mon Mar 22 2021 - 06:01
‘My 14-year-old son seems obsessed with boxing, and I don’t like the sport’Ask the Expert: He gets up at 6am to exercise, sometimes doing it for five hours a dayMon Mar 08 2021 - 06:01
My 17-year-old daughter is obsessed with her online boyfriendAsk the Expert: I worry about his influence on her. All he seems to do is play XboxMon Feb 22 2021 - 06:01
‘My 15-year-old has little interest in online schoolwork’Ask the Expert: ‘He feels depressed at not having a structured classroom environment’Mon Feb 08 2021 - 06:01
‘I worry about my child falling behind, but my own work is beginning to suffer’Ask the Expert: Contact the school for help, set a realistic routine and try to reduce stressTue Jan 26 2021 - 06:00
‘How do I prepare my children for a move to New Zealand?’Ask the Expert: ‘I am aware that the move might be hard for them in the short term’Mon Jan 11 2021 - 06:01
‘My 11-year-old daughter is emotional and upset after school’Ask the Expert: ‘She is a sensitive girl. How can I help her?’Mon Dec 28 2020 - 06:00
Why it is important to prioritise your wellbeing this ChristmasDuring these challenging times it is important to safeguard mental healthMon Dec 14 2020 - 06:01
‘My 15-year-old daughter’s depressed friend is leaning on her emotionally’Ask the expert: I don’t want to lose my daughter’s confidence but I feel she is out of her depthTue Dec 01 2020 - 06:00
How can I keep contact with my two-year-old son as a separated father?Ask the Expert: I am a single parent and only see him two days a week for five hoursMon Nov 16 2020 - 06:01
Is my daughter’s skin-picking a sign of a more serious problem?Ask the Expert: She found lockdown difficult and it seemed to knock her confidenceMon Nov 02 2020 - 06:01
My four-year-old is fearful of sitting on the toiletAsk the Expert: Now that she is in junior infants this is becoming a bigger issueMon Oct 19 2020 - 06:01
