In this weeks episode we speak to Eleanor Bermingham about how things have been for her over the last number months. Eleanor is a single parent of two children with autism and additional educational needs and she fills us in on how challenging it has been with the school closures over the last number of months and how she has coped.

We also answer some really interesting questions where we look at managing bereavement in children, supporting a child with Dyspraxia and how to manage communicating those needs to the affected child. The pros and cons of labels are discussed and how we can help parents where sibling rivalry becomes an unmanageable issue.

We also discuss in detail how to help someone cope with Panic Attacks and provide practical tips on this topic. 

Keywords: Autism. ASD. Additional Educational Needs. School Closures. Bereavement. Dyspraxia. Sibling Rivalry and Panic Attacks 

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In this first of three episodes we interview young people about their experiences of the last 12 months and what it has been like for them.

The most effective way to improve your parenting approach is to better understand the world your child lives in, through their eyes.

These three episodes are a edits from a series of interviews with young people who honestly and insightfully share their experiences of living in a pandemic, school closures, social isolation and much much more.

The children also provide a report card on how the adults in their lives have done over the last year, identifying what worked well, and not so well.

They provide insights into what they miss the most, what they’re looking forward to post Covid and how it has impacted on them.

This first episode has many voices of primary school children and some secondary school young people too. The following 2 episodes will focus more on teens and young adults.

So don’t miss this one it’s a cracker!

Keywords: young peoples voices, child perspectives, lockdowns, pandemic and school closures  

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In this episode we welcome Ireland AM’s very own Anna Daly to the podcast. 

In this episode Anna talks about her experience of growing up in Dublin and her experiences of being parented. Anna talks is through her journey into broadcasting and becoming a parent.

We also discuss parenting in a pandemic solutions to social interaction problems in childhood and managing playground politics. We discuss emotional dysregulation and supporting children with emotional development.

We discuss the impact of school closures and lockdowns on children’s social and emotional development and how they are learning social nuance in an abnormal world.

Keywords: Parenting. Social Friendships. Resilience. Lockdown Parenting

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In this episode we welcome Sarah Courtney Workplace Well-being Parent Coach.

In this episode we discuss solutions to childhood anxiety, social interaction problems, emotional dysregulation and supporting children with irrational fears.

We discuss the impact of school closures and lockdowns on children’s social and emotional development and how they are learning social nuance in an abnormal world.

We also discuss supporting a child with ASD to manage friendships.

Keywords: Parenting. Social development. Friendships. Resilience. ASD, Lockdown Effects.

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In this episode we welcome Senator Lynn Ruane to the podcast. In this episode Lynn discusses growing up in Tallaght and her childhood experiences of taking drugs and getting into trouble in her early teens. She discusses how she became pregnant at 15 years old and how becoming a mother in her teens impacted her life. She describes you she became involved in the addiction services and how this was a turning point in her life.

Lynn discusses the important role her parents had in her life and trajectory. Later becoming the student union president and ending up in the Senate. 

Lynn is keen to identify the important role others played in her success and the vital support she received. 

Lynn talks about her question about encouraging her two girls to be independent thinkers, and the challenge that poses as a parent. She also discusses the concept of stepping back as a parent and creating an identity as a person again.

Keywords: Single Parenting. Addiction. Moderation. Resilience. Managing child independence

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email : [email protected] 

twitter : @Asking4aParent

instagram : asking_for_a_parent

In this week’s Listeners Questions I am joined by Allison Kasperski, who is the mother of a 4 year old and a colleague of mine in UCD. As we had no Listeners Questions Episode last week, this episode is jam packed with excellent questions and some really helpful discussions.  In this episode we discuss how to support a child who is anxious and unable to sleep due to fears of catching Covid 19. Given recent high profile media stories, we discuss how to keep children safe, without overly worrying them.

We debate the pros and cons of choosing a school for your child and what are the important things to consider.

We also discuss managing childhood tantrums and discuss in detail how to support a young person who is losing their motivation and enthusiasm for school work when they are engaging in remote learning.

We talk about supporting Leaving Cert students as they prepare for their written and oral exams, supporting teenagers who have experienced major disappointment through the cancelation of events in the last year and finally we discuss the challenges of engaging a child in homework who is struggling to self-motivate.

This week’s episode is packed with sensible advice and practical tips to support you with the current parenting challenges.

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In this episode we welcome 2FM DJ and author Louise McSharry to the podcast. In this episode Louise discusses growing up in Ireland and later moving to the USA after the death of her father. She discusses how her childhood was impacted by addiction and how at age 7 she went to live with her adoptive parents.

Louise then describes how she battled cancer in her 20s and how this impacted on her hopes of becoming a parent. She talks openly about the challenges of parenting and how being a mother to her two boys changed her outlook on life. 

Louise speaks candidly about the impact of Covid 19, Lockdowns and School Closures on her family and how she has coped as well as discussing appropriate ways of managing misbehaviour in small children. This honest interview illustrates the challenges of family life and growing up in complex circumstances. 

Keywords: Parenting. Addiction. Attachment. Cancer survivor. Managing Covid lockdowns. Resilience. Managing child behaviour. email : [email protected] 

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In this episode we welcome The Ombudsman for Children in Ireland Niall Muldoon to the podcast. In this episode Niall discusses growing up in Donegal and later moving to the UK to fit infrastructure for piped television. He discusses how he gravitated to the world of Psychology and began working with Perpetrators of Sexual Abuse.

He then describes how he applied and was successful in securing the role of Ombudsman for Children and how he began his second term just as Covid 19 struck.

Niall speaks candidly about the impact of Covid 19, Lockdowns and School Closures on Children and this is illustrated in the amount of cases passing through his office. He speaks about the impact of the last year on children with additional needs, special educational needs, children in poverty and those in disadvantaged areas.

Niall discusses how we need to progress into the future by listening to the voice of children and how his office is striving to provide better circumstances for Irish children post Covid.

Keywords: Parenting. Children with additional needs. Managing Covid 19 lockdowns. Children’s Rights. Educational provision, school closures and the voice of the child.  

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In this episode we welcome Parent Coach Aoife Lee to answer your questions. In this episode we discuss supporting siblings of a child with additional needs and how to make them feel less forgotten about. We also discuss managing children’s relationship with technology and television and share helpful tips to regulate their use of technology. We also discuss the issues of restricting food intake and over exercising over lockdown. There’s been a lot of queries about this topic over recent weeks and we delve into this topic in this episode. 

Aoife offers practical tips and advice to manage common parenting problems and lots of supportive guidance around understanding children’s behaviour.

Keywords: Parenting. Children with additional needs. Managing Covid 19 lockdowns. Eating Disorder. Regulating children’s relationships with technology.  

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twitter : @Asking4aParent

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