Nine good reasons Irish people are having fewer children, or none
We’re continually told we’re facing a demographic crisis, but solving it is not as simple as lying back and thinking of Ireland
Parenting
Stories related to parenting
Will my stepchildren lose out on tax exemption if they inherit from me?
Who is considered family in Ireland can depend on whether you have written a will or not
‘They’re missing out on so much’: How screens and Covid are shaping childhood in Ireland
Basic skills such as playing, pretending and conversing have been affected by tech use and pandemic isolation
Ireland’s mothers are the oldest in the EU. Why?
Bringing up a baby in your parent’s boxroom is not an attractive idea - but in the long term a mix of social and economic factors are driving fertility lower
‘My son spends hours gaming and on YouTube. He has become slightly overweight and I am worried’
I am worried that my older son will suffer because we do not have the bandwidth to make sure he is getting what he needs
Gamblers almost twice as likely to develop problem if they begin as children, ESRI finds
Study find that those who start before the age of 18 double the risk of developing a problem
Have your say: How have you found motherhood after 40?
Motherhood in Ireland is changing, with more babies born to women over the age of 40 than ever before
‘I am a separated dad and my 15-year-old daughter won’t talk to me’
Ask the Expert: I’ve tried talking to her mum about this but she says there is nothing she can do
Even my daughter was embarrassed by the amount of clothes I bought her – but it won’t last
From sport-loving clans to outdoorsy adventurers, every family develops its own habits
Motherhood after 40: Why are women having children at an older age, and why does it matter?
Pregnancy over 40 would once have raised an eyebrow, but not any more. For an increasing number of parents, having a child when they are older is no accident
Irish women share their stories of motherhood after 40: ‘I knew if I didn’t try, I would have regrets’
Motherhood in Ireland is changing, with more babies born to women over the age of 40 – and indeed, 45 – than ever before
FAFO parenting has taken over from the gently-gently approach
This new trend sounds remarkably like the parenting of the 1980s and 1990s, the kind we’ve mostly been trying to avoid
‘I feel a bit resentful of my daughter who did not involve me in her new marriage after her husband died’
Tell Me About It: I’m afraid that if I do the wrong thing, she might cut me off
Women in aircraft leasing firms ‘feel under pressure’ not to take full maternity leave
Companies in multibillion-euro industry lack clear policies, notes report
‘My son has been complaining about going to see his dad... What do you recommend?’
Ask the Expert: ‘I think my son might be bored and on video games most of the time while there’
Brianna Parkins: I’m using my house deposit to freeze my eggs
I am the only one in my family’s history to be this old without children
Breastfeeding linked with reduced risk of depression and anxiety for mothers, study suggests
Each week of feeding reduced risk by 2% after accounting for other factors, long-term research shows
‘Stop saying yes’: Over 50 ways you can make your life easier in 2026
From daily tasks to planning for the future, here are 52 ways to make your life easier this year
Nollaig na mBan is just business-as-usual with a trendy title
Instead of mounting an uprising, I’m going to list my Women’s Christmas resolutions here to make the rest of 2026 a little less chaotic
Nothing worse than your tech toy not working on the big day
Here are five things you might want to do before Santa arrives this year
Call for routine testing for iron deficiency during pregnancy as new research flags risks
Four in five pregnant women in Ireland are iron deficient by the third trimester
‘My kids idolise their dad. Should I tell them one reason for our separation is his affair?’
Ask the Expert: ‘I worry that they will blame me for the separation. They both idolise their Dad’
Kindred spirit: Áine Ryan on the joys of reliving a Christmas childhood through her grandchildren
To be fair to his mammy, Saoirse, she did express trepidation when I sent her a picture of my Christmas tree
‘The power is with us’: Smartphone-free parenting movement takes off in Ireland
‘Balance’ phones, voice-messaging device and landlines are part of the equipment used by parents in Smartphone Free Childhood Ireland
‘He won’t be able to walk again’: Parents warned to avoid buying e-scooters for Christmas
Accidents involving e-scooters are biggest cause of traumatic brain injuries treated at acute national children’s hospital at Temple Street in Dublin
‘I am the Grinch,’ one friend told me as I teased him about disliking Christmas
Jen Hogan: Plenty of people feel the season-to-be-jolly is overrated
‘My 12-year-old son needs constant dopamine hits and keeps having meltdowns’
Ask the Expert: ‘He really struggles to regulate once he gets past a certain point ... I would appreciate any guidance’
‘No new gifts, please’: Meet the parents who swap rather than shop
Concerns about the environment, a desire to declutter, and creating community are just some of the reasons parents are opting for swap groups
More than half of all homeless families are headed by a lone parent, finds Focus Ireland
Focus Ireland report
I’m thinking of leaving my depressed partner but am horrified about what it will do to her daughter
It took a long time for me to earn this child’s trust but I feel like I am getting sucked into her mother’s black cloud
Five ways to get the kids into the kitchen this Christmas and make sure they enjoy it
Simple tips go a long way in helping everybody to enjoy the experience of mucking in
Epilepsy and pregnancy: ‘In the delivery room, I handed her to my husband and I immediately took a seizure’
Help is now available for women with epilepsy to manage pregnancy and early motherhood
The most annoying thing about parent-teacher meetings? Parents who hog teachers
On behalf of frazzled parents everywhere, please make a separate appointment
Roblox deploys new age-verification features
Gaming platform says child social media ban in Australia should not apply to online game
Writer Eithne Shortall: ‘We put Irish at the heart of family life, one bedtime story at a time’
Three years ago we decided to start speaking Irish to our young children – a steep learning curve for all involved – with leabhair Ghaeilge as a key feature
When a word like ‘ginger’ is hissed at you with malice your whole life, it takes on its own meaning
Very close to birth, a woman asked me with a devilish smile what I would do if the child had red hair
‘I left work to rear the kids, but now I feel alone, isolated from my husband and undesirable’
Tell Me About It: ‘I really feel worthless and can’t see myself doing anything worthwhile’
Miriam O’Callaghan: ‘I’m lucky to have eight children after suffering secondary infertility’
Conversations with Parents podcast with Jen Hogan
I’ve changed my old stance on teens and alcohol – it’s snus and vapes that are the problem
I suspect few enough of us reached 18 before having our first alcoholic drink
‘My son (9) loves football, but I am horrified at what goes on at matches’
Tell Me About It: I am tempted to pull him out of this sport as it normalises such awful behaviour
Sophie Ellis-Bextor: ‘We were going out six weeks when we found out I was pregnant’
Conversations with Parents podcast with Jen Hogan
Say ‘goodbye’, not ‘day day’: why parents should speak to their child like an adult
The inclination to continue parentese well past babyhood is patronising to kids
‘I am often called in during rows between my daughter and my wife’
Ask the Expert: Take the time to get a deeper understanding of what is going on for family members
Hotels catering for families with autistic children: ‘Nobody looks or stares at you’
Holidays can be stressful for neurodivergent guests, but the industry is adapting
Toy libraries are helping families save money, cut down on clutter and reduce waste
What if you could borrow a toy for a child instead of buying it? The idea is a win-win for families and the environment
My son asks: ‘What’s the worst thing to ever happen to you?’ ‘You getting leukaemia,’ I say
Gratitude rushes up in ordinary moments where my brain is screaming ‘thank you for letting my child live.’ Or maybe it’s ‘please’
If Tusla were a flesh and blood parent, its children would be taken away
The terrible recent events left us reeling. But what about all the kids shifted from one placement to another, in Carlow one day and Cork the next, because those are the only beds available?
Eczema season guide: What is the skin condition and how to support your child
Autumn doesn’t have to mean a surge in sore skin. With a clear plan, eczema need not shape your child’s school life
Ben Stiller: ‘To have a real relationship with my children now, I feel very fortunate ... because it took me a while’
Stiller, who has devised some of pop culture’s stickiest cinematic moments, honours his comedian parents in a new film which is almost painfully personal
How do I best help my son who has been diagnosed with dyslexia?
Ask the Expert: While there are common patterns, each dyslexic child is unique and has their own learning profile
I’m not really religious but I still pray to St Anthony when something is lost
This might just be an ingrained echo of a Catholic upbringing but I also find it comforting
How do I spot if my baby has tongue tie and what happens next?
You may notice your baby’s tongue not lifting, but persistent feeding problems are more likely to alert you to a potential issue
‘Silent sidelines’ at children’s matches: How utterly depressing that this is where we are
Jen Hogan: Adults’ behaviour is having a detrimental effect on children playing a game. Just let that sink in
‘I am worried about the racist and misogynist accounts my 17-year-old son is viewing online’
Ask the Expert: ‘He had a girlfriend over the summer in scouts, but then something happened and it ended badly’
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
Family NoticesOpens in new window
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices