Friday 18 June, 2021
Moments of crisis or contentment – managing life changes can be done.
“Baby piss in your eye is really only funny the first time.”
‘We do not poop in books’ and other words of wisdom.
Whether it’s standards, expectations, or good old-fashioned Irish Catholic guilt, most parents are guilty of putting their kids’ needs ahead of their own.
Nowadays it’s seen as quite normal to have kids in your late 30s… but many women still want to start a family earlier.
Freeze in haste, repent at leisure?
Overall, more women than men stay at home to raise children (at least for a short while). But why?
One of the things I love about the summer holidays is the fact that there are no rules – we are at nobody else’s beck and call.
Mums, let us take a vow to truly appreciate every father’s parenting style.
Dealing with my own infertility and the emotional journey that is IVF was full of anguish, but now we have our beautiful twins – and I love them so much it’s overwhelming.
Internet 1, Supernanny 0.
Nothing prepared me for how the birth of my own children would mercilessly rip the scab off the wound that my mother’s death had left behind. In that way, I could relate to the late Peaches Geldof, writes Claire Micks.
Guilt may not be the defining emotion of motherhood but it is certainly one of the most consistent, writes Emily Hourican.
Children born to older dads are more likely to have a range of psychiatric and academic problems.
Playdates are basically the office parties of kid-land: the stakes are higher than they seem and opting out is harder than you think, writes Emily Hourican.
The government is going to bring in a law making it illegal for women to be paid to be a surrogate mother. What do you think?
Babies. What are they for, if not our amusement?
What, your family doesn’t dress up in immaculately made themed costumes?
Throughout the eventful months of pregnancy, and amid all the changes a new baby brings, one question can remain the hardest to answer: “Will you be returning to work?”, writes Sarah Crown.
You! Holding the child! We’re talking to you!
‘You can’t talk to her…she’s the princess.’
Barack Obama is preparing to join their ranks.
And we’re not just talking about their educational well-being, either.
That seagulls can not be trusted, for example.
Seriously, it’s hard to believe they actually exist.
Or if they do, you don’t believe them.
Even worse, these men – dubbed “bare branches” – are deemed to represent a danger to social stability.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t have kids of your own – the sound of an infant in distress provokes strong reaction in the human brain.
Raising a child between two cultures is never easy – especially when you’re halfway round the world, writes Paul Garrigan.
The HSE says this year’s event will focus on the importance of breastfeeding for the health of children and mothers, and highlight how rates of breastfeeding in Ireland fall way below those of other European countries.
Statutory paternity leave would help shift the attitudes of a whole society, argues Andrew Doherty – recalling the birth of his own children.
If a woman chooses to breastfeed her child, should she do so in public? Let us know what you think.
Demonstrations will take place at Facebook offices in several cities across the world next week by protesters who are angry about Facebook deleting images of breastfeeding.
New research suggests that men are “biologically wired” to remain for child-rearing – as testosterone levels drop after a partner gives birth.
Be nice, never put your hand in anyone else’s pocket – and get out of a car with your dignity intact: just some of the life lessons from Irish mammies.
