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
‘When my daughter went back to school she became miserable’Ask the Expert: She has been deeply hurt by her rejection by her best friendMon Oct 05 2020 - 06:01
How to fight the psychological fatigue of Covid-19’s second waveTo maintain good mental health, channel your anger and don’t look for scapegoatsSat Sept 26 2020 - 06:00
My 15-year-old son has developed unusual obsessive behaviourMany people use rituals to manage worry or to prepare themselves for a taskSun Sept 20 2020 - 06:01
It’s becoming difficult to keep in contact with my 13-year-old sonAsk the Expert: My son doesn’t want to stay every second weeked with me any moreTue Sept 08 2020 - 06:00
How can I get my children back into the school routine?Ask the Expert: We have developed bad habits and I’m worried they will struggle with the transitionSun Aug 23 2020 - 06:01
