Parentline NI - Your Guide to Parenting

In the final episode of the Be Cyber Safe NI Takeover, young people and adults come together to look ahead — exploring how families can navigate the digital world side by side with trust, understanding, and openness.

Hosted by Maria, this episode features honest reflections from Matylda, Theo, Ethan, and Darragh, alongside youth worker Paula, who has supported the group throughout the project. Together, they unpack the reality that parents and young people often live in very different digital worlds — and why closing that gap matters more than ever.

The conversation explores:

• Why parents and young people experience the online world so differently
• How parents can better understand the apps, games, and platforms young people use
• Why social media is about more than screens — it’s about belonging and connection
• How to encourage healthy breaks from screens without making it feel like punishment
• The importance of offline time, presence, and shared family moments
• What really helps when something goes wrong online
• Why calm, non-judgemental responses make it easier for young people to ask for help

The episode ends with a powerful reminder: there is no perfect rulebook for growing up online. Mistakes will happen — but when families listen, learn, and respond together, young people feel safer, supported, and more confident asking for help.

This final instalment brings the Be Cyber Safe NI Takeover to a thoughtful close, reinforcing a simple but vital message for parents and carers: online safety works best when it’s built on conversation, trust, and learning together.

In Episode 2 of the Be Cyber Safe NI Takeover, the youth advisory group continues their honest conversation about what life online really looks like — this time focusing on something every family has to navigate: boundaries and trust.

Hosted again by Maria (15, Portadown), this episode features real discussions from Matylda, Theo, Ethan, Darragh, and youth worker Paula. Together, they explore what healthy online boundaries actually feel like from a young person’s perspective, and how parents can keep children safe without feeling overly strict or intrusive.

The group talks openly about:

• When children should start learning about being online
• Whether there should be age limits for phones, social media, and internet access
• The role of parental controls — what helps and what feels like “too much”
• How trust develops as young people grow
• Why privacy becomes so important for teens
• How parents and young people often see digital risks differently

The result is a thoughtful, down-to-earth conversation that highlights the delicate balance every family tries to find: keeping young people safe while giving them space to grow, learn, and build independence.

This episode is a practical, relatable listen for parents, carers, and professionals who want to better understand the realities of navigating online life together.

This episode launches the Be Cyber Safe NI Takeover — a special three-part youth-led mini-series produced by Children in Northern Ireland (CiNI) in partnership with the NSPCC.

Be Cyber Safe NI is a new advisory group of young people, aged 13–17, from across Northern Ireland. Working with CiNI and NSPCC, they explore issues like online privacy, harmful content, AI, and mental health, and share their views directly with parents, policymakers, and professionals.

Through this takeover series, the group takes over the Parentline NI Podcast feed to share what life online really looks like from their side of the screen — honest, personal, and sometimes challenging conversations designed to help parents understand the digital world through young people’s eyes.

In Episode 1 – “Speaking Up”, Maria (15, Portadown) hosts a conversation about why young people often find it difficult to tell parents when something goes wrong online.
Featuring real conversations from Theo, Ethan, Matylda, Darragh, and youth worker Paula, the episode explores fear, embarrassment, and trust — and what actually helps when young people need support.

It’s a thoughtful, down-to-earth discussion for parents, carers, and anyone who wants to build stronger communication around online life.

Smartphones are becoming part of children’s lives earlier than ever — and for many parents, it’s not an easy decision to make.
 From staying in touch to keeping up with peers, there’s a lot to weigh up when thinking about the right time to hand over a phone.

In this episode of the Parentline Podcast, we explore how families and schools are navigating these decisions — and what support is out there for parents trying to find the right balance between connection and protection.

You’ll hear from three guests with unique perspectives:

• Rosalind McLean, from Smartphone Free Childhood – Northern Ireland, explains why so many parents feel stuck between peer pressure and their instincts — and how the movement is helping families delay smartphones with confidence and community.
• Craig Johnson, Vice Principal at Lisneal College, shares how a phone-free school policy has changed student life and why their approach has had strong support from both parents and pupils.
• Wayne Denner, online safety expert and parent, offers practical tools for setting boundaries at home and explains why families don’t need to be tech experts to manage smartphone use well.

We explore:

• How smartphones are becoming more common in primary school — and the questions that raises for families
• Concerns around screen time, online content, and social media
• Ways to set age-appropriate boundaries around tech at home
• What schools can do to support digital downtime
• Alternatives to smartphones that still help children stay connected safely

Whether your child already has a phone or you're still deciding, this episode offers calm, practical advice and real-world stories to help you make informed choices.

📲 Links & Resources:

• Smartphone Free Childhood – Northern Ireland
• Wayne Denner – Online Safety & Digital Wellbeing
• Lisneal College
• Parentline NI: Free, confidential support for any parenting concern — call 0808 8020 400 or visit https://www.ci-ni.org.uk/parentline/

🔖 Tags:

#ParentlinePodcast #SmartphonesAndChildhood #SmartphoneFreeChildhoodNI #DigitalParenting #OnlineSafety #WayneDenner #LisnealCollege #ParentingSupport #KidsAndScreens

In this deeply insightful episode of the Parentline podcast, host Kerry McLean is joined by Tanya Strowger, a mother of three and counsellor at Jigsaw Community Counselling Centre, and Rebecca McCullough from Eden Consultancy NI. Together, they explore what it’s like to support neurodiverse children—particularly autistic children—through life’s big transitions, including school changes, holidays, family events, and everyday routines.

Tanya shares the powerful story of her son Silas, his early signs of autism, the diagnostic journey, and how their family has adapted to meet his needs at home, in school, and out in the world. From sensory challenges and visual schedules to social scripting and emotional regulation, her lived experience offers empathy and practical guidance.

Rebecca adds her expertise in neuro-affirming practice, offering thoughtful, real-world strategies to make transitions smoother, support emotional wellbeing, and embrace the child’s unique way of experiencing the world. Whether it’s navigating the school day, Christmas traditions, or going on holiday, this episode is packed with compassion, insight, and useful takeaways for any parent or professional.

In this episode, we explore:

• Recognising early signs of neurodivergence and making sense of a diagnosis
• Why small changes (like Sports Day or a different teacher) can be just as hard as big life events
• Using visual aids, timers, and exit strategies to reduce anxiety
• Preparing for transitions: from holidays and school changes to daily routines
• Helping neurodiverse children manage emotions, especially during moments of overwhelm
• Letting go of expectations and embracing what brings your child real happiness

Memorable Moments:

Resources Mentioned:

• Eden Consultancy NI – Training and consultancy for professionals and families supporting neurodivergent children
• Jigsaw Community Counselling Centre – Mental health support for children, young people, and families in North Belfast
• Parentline NI – Free, confidential support for parents and carers across Northern Ireland

Need Parenting Support?
📞 Call Parentline NI on 0808 8020 400
A free, confidential service offering a listening ear and practical guidance.

Subscribe & Share
If you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing to the podcast and sharing it with a friend, family member, or colleague.
🔗 https://www.buzzsprout.com/861409

In this special episode, Kerry chats to three of the Parentline NI team - Kathy, Roisin and Julie. This episode focuses on the core ethos of the Parentline service.

They discuss the importance of connection with callers, and the teams' aim to provide a listening ear, and non judgemental support to parents and carers.

Callers can use the service for any stage of parenting, from babies and toddlers, teenagers and even older children - we never stop being parents.

They discuss issues that come up from parents and carers - mental health, neurodiversity, separation anxiety, school avoidance and emotional dysregulation.

https://www.ci-ni.org.uk/parentline/

Parentline NI is a FREE confidential helpline for parents and carers throughout NI.

If you need us, we’re here. Call 0808 8020 400

At Parentline, we are experiencing a large number of calls from parents and carers who are struggling with the issue of Anxiety Based School avoidance. 

Many of these parents feel like they are the only ones going through it, which is so far from the truth.

In this very special episode of the Parentline NI Podcast we share some of the stories and experiences from parents, and shine a light on this issue.

Our host Kerry McLean chats to Courtney, Lyndsey and Fiona, as well as Elaine from Strive NI in this episode.

https://striveni.co.uk/

https://www.ci-ni.org.uk/parentline/

Parentline NI is a FREE confidential helpline for parents and carers throughout NI. 

If you need us, we’re here. Call 0808 8020 400

Kate McKeown and Sarah Carvell chat to Kerry McLean about their experiences with dyslexia - they discuss their barriers to support, trusting their own judgements around their childrens' needs, and navigating a path for a better outcome. 

If you would like to talk to Parentline about dyslexia, or about any other parenting matter, you can call us on 0808 8020 400. 

This episode, Kerry talks to two guests, Bronagh Donnelly and Mary Jordan. Bronagh's son has ADHD, and she also works for an ADHD support service. 
Mary has ADHD herself, and so do both of her children.

Our guests candidly share their stories of parenting children with ADHD and their journey through getting the right support, understanding ADHD and their overall mindset about it. Their stories are uplifting and inspiring as we hear how their children thrived in areas like sport and creative subjects. 

They discuss navigating the school system, and educational support and perceived levels of achievement. This is an area that highlights inconsistencies across the country, and campaigning for acceptance and flexibility is a huge motivation for our two guests.

If you would like to chat to one of our team about anything parenting related, please call us on 0808 8020 400.

This episode, Kerry chats to two local parents, Barbara and Katrina, who share their views on how to rediscover the magic of Christmas, on a budget! 

They discuss their own, personal family traditions, and revisit what really matters at Christmas. The Cost of Living Crisis is affecting the vast majority of us, so why should we put unnecessarily pressures on ourselves and our family to keep up with everything we see others doing on social media?

The 'picture perfect' Christmas may look inviting, but how 'real' is it? Is it worth getting into debt for?

Kerry, Barbara and Katrina talk about special moments in their family homes at Christmas, as well as budget friendly ideas, and charitable actions that can go along way this time of year.

Remember Parentline are here on 0808 8020 400 to listen, offer support or guidance on any parenting issue.