‘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
Parents
‘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
Podcaster Dylan Haskins: ‘I auditioned for a film with Brad Pitt as a child’
The multi-award-winning podcast commissioner with the BBC on never dwelling in anger, the death of his father in 2006, and his ‘condensed’ Covid wedding
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’
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
‘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
Christmas rituals assume women have endless free time
Call it the festive load, or the third shift: I’m talking about the disproportionate tasks needed to produce 'the magic'
‘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
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