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Parenting Kids News
Half of all parents have raised concerns about bullying, study finds
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 18/05/2012.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Complaints about bullying have been made by half of all parents, with a third claiming they were unhappy with how the school handled the issue.
A survey conducted by the National Parents Council Primary (NPCP) found concerned adults believed 30 per cent of education establishments failed to follow the complaints procedure, while a further 36 per cent said the process was not conducted correctly, the Irish Examiner reports.
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Disability funding cuts 'will leave school leavers stranded'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 14/05/2012.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Hundreds of children with intellectual disabilities face being turned away from essential services when they finish school next month.
This is according to the Irish Times, which reported on the planned funding cuts to such services announced via the Health Service Executive's (HSE's) service plan for 2012.
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Sex education improving, study finds
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 11/05/2012.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Teenagers that receive sex education at home or in school are 1.5 times more likely to use contraception than those who received education from other sources.
This was one of the findings reported in the Irish Contraceptive and Crisis Pregnancy Study 2010, which has been published by the Health Service Executive.
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Many Irish children 'hit by deprivation'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 27/04/2012.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Three out of ten young people in Ireland are growing up in deprived households, a new report has found.
The Economic and Social Research Council's study, which is based on its Survey of Income and Living Conditions, revealed single-parent families and those where adults are out of work and have few qualifications are most likely to suffer from poverty, the Irish Times noted.
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Financial pressures fail to reduce Communion spending
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 18/04/2012.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
The average amount spent on a First Communion is expected to increase by €75 this year, despite many people facing financial pressures.
New research by the EBS building society found the total spent on clothes, parties and presents by most families comes to €554 per child, the Irish Times reports.
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Science and maths 'most feared questions' by parents
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 20/01/2012.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Maths and science are the subjects most parents dread when their children ask for help with homework assignments, a new survey has found.
It revealed two-thirds of adults are frequently puzzled by questions on these topics, with a quarter admitting to feeling frustrated or embarrassed when they are unable to answer.
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Under-2s 'get no benefit' from educational TV
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 20/10/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents looking to encourage their children's development from an early age may be surprised to hear that educational TV programmes aimed at youngsters aged under two have been claimed to be ineffective.
This is according to a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which stated such shows are not beneficial to kids of this age as they are not old enough to understand the content.
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Financial pressures lead to rise in calls to parenting line
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 17/10/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Many more parents in Ireland may have been looking for help with raising their children in the past year due to the impact of the recession.
This is according to statistics from parenting advice service Parentline, which show more than 4,000 families turned to its phone line for assistance over the past 10 months, the Irish Times reports.
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Many young people 'at risk' though internet activities
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 12/10/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Many children in Ireland could be putting their safety at risk by not adequately protecting themselves when using the internet.
This is according to a new report from the ISPCC, which found a quarter of older children failed to use privacy settings on their social networking accounts, while over a third of primary school-age youngsters did not know how to do this.
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Children 'main cause of anger among motorists'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 03/10/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents taking their kids on the school run may be more prone to road rage incidents caused by having their children in the vehicle.
This is according to a new survey by UK car supermarket Carcraft, which found both mums and dads say that squabbling youngsters in the back seat are a major cause of stress when they are on the road.
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'One in ten teens' victims of cyber-bullying
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 19/09/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Around one in ten teenagers in Ireland have fallen victim to bullying conducted via the internet or through their mobile phone, new research has found.
A study conducted by Cork Institute of Technology revealed almost half of students questioned were aware of the activity taking place, the Irish Independent stated.
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'Thousands of families a day' seek assistance with back to school costs
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 11/08/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Many families may be looking to take advantage of government support schemes to help them meet their back to school costs.
According to the Irish Examiner, more than 1,700 households a day are applying for aid from the state.
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Many parents struggling with back to school costs
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 08/08/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Many parents in Ireland may have difficulties meeting the expenses associated with putting a child through the country's education system, a new survey has revealed.
The research, conducted by Bank of Ireland Life in association with Schooldays.ie, found half of respondents said the last school year has been very difficult, as two-thirds of families have seen their earnings fall over the period.
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Many parents struggling with back to school costs
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 03/08/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Many parents in Ireland may have difficulties meeting the expenses associated with putting a child through the country's education system, a new survey has revealed.
The research, conducted by Bank of Ireland Life in association with Schooldays.ie, found half of respondents said the last school year has been very difficult, as two-thirds of families have seen their earnings fall over the period.
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Sibling rivalry 'good for kids' development'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 21/07/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents who are wondering how to stop their children arguing with each other over the summer break may be interested to hear how competition between siblings could actually be good for their development.
According to a study by the University of Cambridge's Centre for Family Research, brothers and sisters who squabble with each other are developing vital social and conflict-resolution skills that will be highly useful later in life, the Irish Independent reports.
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Advice given on how to cope with a violent teenager
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 06/05/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents of secondary school children have been given advice on how to cope with their violent teenagers.
Social worker and psychotherapist Dr John Sharry said there are many steps a parent can take in order to try and solve problems of violence in the household from angry children.
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Parents told how to motivate school kids into learning
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 11/04/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents have been advised on how to encourage their children in secondary schools to enjoy learning.
David Coleman, writing for the Irish Independent, responded to a parent's letter, which stated that their 13-year-old daughter had a bad attitude towards learning.
While she does her homework, she does not aspire to do as well as her older sister.
Mr Coleman noted that many teenagers only look at short-term consequences and not long-term goals.
Parents may want to encourage children to have plans so they can aim towards them.
Mr Coleman also said youngsters with high-achieving elder siblings could suffer from a fear of failure.
He stated that this could be a "source of negative comparison for her", which may encourage her to not try and compete with her sister's achievements.
Mothers and fathers could also look for signs of depression among their teenagers, as Dr Foluso Ademol and Dr Declan Sheerin wrote an article in the Irish Medical Times stating that irritable moods and a sudden drop in grades could be signs of the mental illness.
Written by Donal Walsh
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Children's clubs 'good for encouraging kids' activities'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 06/04/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Children's clubs have been praised for being an excellent way to develop kids' activities for primary and secondary school pupils.
Writing for the Irish Times, Edel Morgan looked at how good kids' clubs are on holiday and asked whether they are more for adults who want a break than for children themselves.
She said while she thought handing her youngsters over to the group for nine hours each day was a little too much, "kids love to hang out with other kids".
Ms Morgan noted that as her children wanted to go to the club without being forced to, they were able to have a good time while she and her husband could enjoy "some guilt-free time relaxing".
Adrienne Curran from Dublin told the news provider that her five-year-old was "dead keen to go and loved going off with the other kids".
Getting youngsters involved in these clubs could help them learn important social skills and interact with other children.
Dr John Sharry also revealed in the newspaper recently that letting kids take part in activities together helps to combat shyness.
Written by Donal Walsh
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Parents advised to consider same-sex schooling
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/03/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents searching for the best primary or secondary schools to send their children to in the near future may wish to note advice offered by one expert.
According to Dr Helen Wright, president of the Girls' Schools Association in the UK, the achievement of pupils attending single-sex places of education tends to be higher than their counterparts at mixed schools.
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Kids' activities 'can help reduce temper tantrums'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 25/02/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Getting children involved in kids' activities can help reduce their temper tantrums before they attend primary school, an expert has suggested.
A parent recently wrote into the Irish Times, expressing her concern that her five-year-old daughter has regular outbursts and often starts screaming and shouting.
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Parenting advice given on introducing sleeping patterns
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 16/02/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parenting advice has been given to one Irish parent whose son keeps waking up at the crack of dawn.
Dr John Sharry addressed the concerns of a mother after she wrote into the Irish Times saying that her two-and-a-half-year-old son cannot sleep past 05:50 GMT.
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Get children in Ireland involved in kids activities 'to combat shyness'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 04/02/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Getting primary and secondary school children in Ireland involved in different kids' activities is likely to help combat shyness, it has been said.
Writing for the Irish Times, Dr John Sharry responded to a mother who is worried about her daughter being shy in front of people.
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Irish children of separated parents are spending time with dads, reports shows
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 02/02/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Primary and secondary school children of separated Irish parents are spending more time with their fathers, according to a recent report.
The School of Social Work and Social Policy at Trinity College in Dublin released a report on Post-Separation Parenting yesterday (February 1st 2011).
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Advice given on how to control aggression between teenage children
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 31/01/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents who have children at secondary school or third-level college have been given advice on how to stop siblings acting aggressively towards each other.
An article in the Irish Independent looked at one mother's desperation that her twin sons aged 18 years old were constantly arguing with one another.
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Parents in Ireland told to develop kids' activities in sports and games
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 26/01/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents have been advised to encourage their primary and secondary school children to get involved in activities such as sports in an attempt to get them watching less television.
Dr John Sharry, writing for the Irish Times, told a mother with two sons addicted to TV that she should try to get them to pursue other "healthy learning and leisure opportunities".
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Parents warned of Facebook model scam
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 25/01/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents have been warned that there is a scam circulating on social network site Facebook targeting children.
Last week, Leicestershire Police revealed that fake modelling agencies are using the social media website to entice youngsters to pose in their underwear by promising them a career in modelling.
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Parenting advice given on resolving sibling rivalry
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 21/01/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parenting advice has been given on how to stop elder children act aggressive towards their younger siblings.
Dr John Sharry responded to a mother who wrote in to the Irish Times asking what she should do about her eldest daughter who is mean towards her three-year-old child.
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Irish parents given advice on preventing spread of flu in schools
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/01/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents in Ireland have been given advice on how to prevent their primary and secondary school children from contracting flu this winter.
The Department of Education has issued guidance to mothers and fathers on how to look out for symptoms of the virus, telling them that having a cough, sore throat, runny and stuffy nose, as well as a headache, joint pain and temperature over 38 degrees Celsius are often indications of the flu.
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Irish parents given advice on how to bring up children together
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 06/01/2011.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Irish parents have been given advice on how to bring up children in primary and secondary schools with a uniform approach to discipline.
A mother wrote into the Irish Times earlier this week saying that her four youngsters aged between nine and 16 years old have been playing one parent against the other, causing big rows about how to bring up their kids.
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Separated Irish parents 'need to make plans for their kids this Christmas'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 14/12/2010.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Irish parents who are separated need to give consideration to their children this Christmas and make plans that suit them.
This is the opinion of Sheila Wayman, writing for the Irish Times, who stated that children's "happiness is paramount", so it needs to be thought about when making preparations to divide time between mother and father over the festive period.
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Irish parents advised to encourage kids attendance at school
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 06/12/2010.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents of children in primary or secondary schools in Ireland have been told to encourage their kids' participation at educational facilities.
David Coleman, writing for the Irish Independent, responded to one reader's concerns that her son has become reluctant to go back to school since the summer holidays finished.
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Irish parents told how to encourage good eating habits for school kids
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 22/11/2010.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents in Ireland have been given advice on how to encourage their primary and secondary school children to develop good eating habits.
An article in the Irish Independent responded to one reader's concerns that her five-year-old daughter refused to try new foods.
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Irish parents given advice on tackling bullying for school kids
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 17/11/2010.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents in Ireland have been given advice on how they can help tackle problems of bullying if their primary or secondary school children become victims.
An article in the Herald said there are important actions to take in order to stop bullying, saying that firstly parents should talk to their kids if they suspect anything.
It advised them to ask their youngsters about school, their friends and who they play with.
"Their reactions, even if non-verbal, will give you clues if something is upsetting them," it stated.
Parents were also told to include them in any decisions made on tackling the problem, which will "give them back some of the power they have lost".
Encouraging children and boosting their self-esteem were suggested, as well as teaching them how to react with others.
Deputy director of Kidscape Peter Bradley also told parents to keep communication open with their children when they start secondary school, saying that teachers are unable to provide kids with the same attention they received at primary level.
Written by Donal Walsh
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Children in Ireland encouraged to do kids activities in groups
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 16/11/2010.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents of primary and secondary school children in Ireland have been encouraged to let their youngsters take part in kids activities in groups.
Dr John Sharry, a psychotherapist and director of Parents Plus charity, gave advice to a mother who wrote into the Irish Times asking how to look after her only child.
He said that parenting one youngster "brings its own dynamics and issues" compared with having a number of kids.
Dr Sharry stated that parenting "can easily become a more intense affair" as the child relies on their mother and father for all their attention.
Instead, the expert pointed out that this can be draining for the parent and can risk children missing out on learning how to interact with their peers.
He therefore recommended making a number of opportunities to enable children to spend time playing with their friends by arranging play dates, taking part in sports and inviting kids from school on holidays.
Dr Sharry recently advised another reader to encourage her children to cultivate friendships, as he said this helps them develop their social skills and will impact on their future relationships.
Written by Donal Walsh
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Homework 'more useful for parents than for school kids in Ireland'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 14/10/2010.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Homework given to primary and secondary school pupils has been said to be more valuable for parents than to children.
According to Carol Dunne from Lucan, County Dublin, speaking with the Irish Independent, parents can get a lot of value from their school children receiving work to do at home.
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Irish parents given tips on surviving the school year
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 01/10/2010.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents of primary and secondary school children in Ireland have received tips on how to get through the school year.
According to a report in the Galway Advertiser, one of the most important things for a mother or father to do to support their children through their school career is to create a positive atmosphere at home.
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Mothers 'should use maternity leave to bond with children'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 20/09/2010.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Children in primary and secondary schools could have a closer relationship with their mothers if they took their full maternity leave, it has been suggested.
An article in the Irish Independent discussed the impact spending time with young children can have on their development and their future relationship with their mothers.
According to mum-of-three Maria, who took paid and unpaid maternity leave when her children were born, the time off work allowed her to bond with them.
She told the newspaper: "The full amount of maternity leave didn't affect my career at the time. The most important thing was taking time out with the children at that age."
Writer Catherine Moonan said that while she thinks spending time with youngsters is "invaluable", if mothers can not afford to take time off or do not want to then they should not "fret about it".
Practical Parenting's Sheila O'Malley recently told the Irish Times that it is important to spend time with young kids to make them feel "loved, valued and secure".
Written by Donal Walsh
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Parents given advice on helping children make friends
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 15/09/2010.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents with children in primary and secondary schools have been given advice on helping their kids make friends.
According to John Sharry, writing for the Irish Times, this is a "very important part of childhood".
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Advice on how to enjoy parenthood
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 07/09/2010.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Advice has been given to parents on how to enjoy looking after their primary and secondary school children.
According to Sheila Wayman, writing for the Irish Times, being a parent can be "overwhelming".
However, she said that there are ways to ensure people enjoy the act of parenting and worry less about having to do everything "right", including food, primary and secondary school education, food and exercise.
Ms Wayman recommended parents trust their instincts as "no one knows better what is right for your child than you".
Giving youngsters time and attention "to feel loved, valued and secure", is also important, Sheila O'Malley of Practical Parenting told the newspaper.
Ms O'Malley also emphasised the significance of parents making time for themselves too, as this can make for happier adults and children.
Last month, single-parent charity Gingerbread revealed that parents still struggle to find a job that fits in with their family life.
Its recent survey showed that 97 per cent of parents had seen few or no jobs for within school hours.
Written by Donal Walsh
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Advice given to parents after Leaving Certificate results handed out
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 20/08/2010.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents have been given advice on how to deal with the aftermath of Wednesday's (August 18th 2010) Leaving Certificate result.
According to Edel Morgan, writing for the Irish Times, watching secondary school children receive their Leaving Certificate grades can be a tough time for parents too.
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Children 'should be given freedom to learn'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 03/08/2010.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Children should be given more freedom to learn, an expert has suggested.
According to Penny Nicholls, director of children and young people at the Children's Society, young people in primary schools need to have freedom for their personal development and learn how to acquire skills for themselves.
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Parents 'don't have confidence to talk to kids about science'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 30/07/2010.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Most parents do not feel confident enough to talk to their children about science, it has been suggested.
Rachel Foster, a spokesperson for Mumsnet, said some adults feel they are unable to help with this subject.
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Irish back to school costs 'continuing to rise'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 27/07/2010.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
The costs of sending children back to school for the new educational year are continuing to rise in Ireland, a charity has warned.
Barnardos has conducted a survey which found 58 per cent of families are paying more on school books than they were in 2009, while the overall cost of education has gone up by more than nine per cent since May last year.
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Parents 'spending up to 350 euros on school books'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 15/07/2010.Tags: Parenting Kids Education And Politics
Some parents will be forced to spend up to 350 euros per child on school books this year, it has been revealed.
Research by the Consumers' Association of Ireland (CAI) found that the cost of providing for students in their first and fifth years of secondary school is the highest.
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