Irish Examiner Parenting Tweens

Close Up Of Unhappy Boy Sitting Outdoors In Garden

Joanna Fortune: My son is anxious about starting secondary school

"One of the ways our children learn to strengthen and enhance their capacity to self-regulate their emotions is to experience a full range of emotions, including the more challenging feelings."

Tue, 21 May, 2024

Daughter with grimace unwilling of listening to talking mom

Joanna Fortune: My 11-year-old daughter is out of order

"As our children approach early adolescence, we often see a return of challenging early-years behaviours —tantrums, protest, boundary-pushing, and opposition — but now with the addition of sass in attitude."

Tue, 07 May, 2024

Beautiful little girl, influencer holding mobile phone, taking selfie, recording video, social media

Colman Noctor: Preteens too young to manage smartphone responsibility

School voluntary codes are just the start of the process of managing our children’s relationship with smart devices

Tue, 16 Apr, 2024

Tots to teens: Practical tips and advice for parents to deal with childhood anxiety

A new book outlines the causes and symptoms of childhood anxiety

Tue, 02 Apr, 2024

Happy mother embracing son having breakfast

Dr Phil Kieran: Help me reassure my son about what height he'll be

My 14-year-old son is small for his age and very self-conscious about it. He's also put on weight around his tummy. I've told him he will catch up with the other boys in his class in time, but he is convinced that he'll always be short and overweight. What would you suggest?

Tue, 26 Mar, 2024

Dr Phil Kieran: Is it normal for my son to feel tired all the time?

RSV can cause either a worsening or unmasking of underlying asthma or a condition called post-viral bronchial reactivity (similar to asthma but not long-term)

Tue, 12 Mar, 2024

Adorable girl using smartphone lying on bed at bedroom

Colman Noctor: Eating disorders on the rise among young children

When people feel they have little or no control over their lives, hyper-controlled eating can seem like an appealing antidote for a complex emotional problem

Tue, 27 Feb, 2024

Celebrities At The Los Angeles Lakers Game

Julie Jay: Move over Kim, there’s a new boss in town and her name is North

In the latest series of Keeping Up With Kardashians, 10-year-old North West has been running rings around her mother, and we love her all the more for it

Tue, 02 Jan, 2024

Happy group of people celebrate jump for new year 2024. concept for win victory. silhouette of friends jumps at sunset time on m

Colman Noctor: Small changes could lead to big results for children

Let's make it our goal in 2024 to make positive progress in  smartphone ownership among primary school children, the ‘win at all costs’ culture of children’s sport and the rise in episodes of bullying by exclusion

Tue, 26 Dec, 2023

Growing Pains podcast: How gaming prompts brain responses that promote reward

Richard Hogan talks about the signs of excessive gaming, setting boundaries, and not depending on games and devices to keep children occupied

Listen | Tue, 17 Oct, 2023

Colman Noctor: Looking beyond our children's woke statements and teaching critical thinking

Children need to be taught to be critical friends of technology

Tue, 26 Sep, 2023

Rear view of mother and daughter embracing sitting on bed

Help, my daughter says everyone has made friends at secondary school already — except her

Their first term of first year doesn’t have to be as daunting as you think

Fri, 01 Sep, 2023

Depressed teenager on his phone in the dark.

Colman Noctor: Power and 'politics' in teenage relationships

If you have been excluded from the popular group as a teenager you end up with negative market value

Thu, 03 Aug, 2023

Colman Noctor: At what age can you leave your child home alone?

There is no ‘legal minimum age’ a child can be left unsupervised

Tue, 11 Jul, 2023

'The genetics are complex': Psoriasis is not just a skin disease

The chronic inflammatory skin disorder can expose a child to schoolyard name-calling and make them self-conscious. But systemic medications and biologic treatments have helped to revolutionise the treatment of severe cases

Sun, 25 Jun, 2023

Young hispanic kid over grunge grey wall looking stressed and nervous with hands on mouth biting nails. Anxiety problem.

Joanna Fortune: My daughter is dreading starting secondary school

"...listen with an open and empathic ear, provide nurture and support, and get her engaged in activities beyond her typical school peer group this summer so she has experiences of entering new groups and developing new connections..."

Wed, 07 Jun, 2023

Attractive young man having serious confident facial expression, pointing index finger at camera posing against blank gray studi

Colman Noctor: Children's violence towards parents is not acceptable

While we need to understand teenagers’ struggles and the stress they are under, that does not mean that all acting-out behaviours must be tolerated

Tue, 16 May, 2023

Coping with the big move from primary to secondary school

An accessible new booklet written by four enterprising pupils offers insights and tips on how to negotiate the transition from sixth class to first year

Tue, 02 May, 2023

Colman Noctor: Is being a parent more challenging today than ever?

We don’t have the knowledge of the elders in the village to show us how to navigate this new and complex world

Tue, 04 Apr, 2023

Children of different nationalities play online games or read social networks on mobile phones.

Colman Noctor: It's not smart to let kids control their phones

Instead of stepping back when our child gets their first smartphone, we need to step in

Tue, 14 Mar, 2023

Happy father and daughter using phone together

Colman Noctor: How to set ground rules and restrictions for your child's first smartphone

Start with tight regulations and loosen them as you go - it is far more difficult to roll back from unfettered access.  

Tue, 07 Mar, 2023

happy teenagers sitting, smiling, holding paper cups and looking at camera

Colman Noctor: Stepping back so our teens can learn how to make decisions

Developing good thinking and analysis abilities is a formative skill they need to learn and you can only teach that by getting out of their way

Tue, 07 Feb, 2023

Colman Noctor: Worrying rise in self-harm among young people

To understand self-harm, we need to see it as a signpost to the problem and not the problem itself

Sun, 05 Feb, 2023

Girl Saving Money Into Jar Labelled Pocket Money On Kitchen Counter At Home

Make every cent count: How to teach your children about money

Teach your children about money management from an early age, and they will grow up into financially savvy adults

Sun, 22 Jan, 2023

Tots to Teens: Making the net safe for children and a hospital check-up for teddy bears

Do your children get nervous before visiting the doctor or the hospital? If so, tell them to grab their favourite teddies and bring them along to the RCSI’s annual Teddy Bear Hospital

Wed, 18 Jan, 2023

PARENTING - TWEENS

Joanna Fortune: I'm dreading the bickering between my daughters this Christmas

Dr Phil Kieran: My 12-year-old keeps biting their nails and then hates how they look... how can I help?

Colman Noctor: Students starting secondary school have a special class of needs

Julie Jay: It’s a drag watching my baby try to crawl, but he’ll get there eventually

Aoife Hearne: My pre-teen son wants to lose weight

Getting ready for Taylor: Shake it off to bond with your children