Parentline NI - Your Guide to Parenting

Our Parent Workshops looking at Autism have been hugely popular with parents and carers and these sessions have proved really supportive so far. 

We have had huge demand for these and places filled quickly, so we are delighted to have had the chance to record this podcast with Rebecca from Eden Consultancy to share with you. 

Kerry chats to Rebecca McCullough all about Autism; what is it, how might it present, what can we learn and how can we support our children. 

We hope you enjoy the conversation, share with friends and family and let us know what you think.

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

Traditionally families have been viewed as mum, dad & 2.4 children. But society is thankfully moving forward. Single parents, unmarried mothers and fathers as well as separated and divorced parents are now accepted as the norm.  We may still have a long way to go in Northern Ireland with equality, no less so in truly accepting and including LGBTQI+ parents as the ‘norm’.

In this new series of podcasts we aim to normalise and celebrate the diversity of families in Northern Ireland.

First up is George who raises his teenagers with his husband. Join the Kerry and George as they chat about his experience of dads raising teens, representing a modern family unit in 2022.

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

Parenting teenagers certainly brings its challenges and can have parents questioning themselves day in day out!  

Following our popular workshop ‘Talking Tricky Topics with my Teen ’ Kerry is joined by Sara an Education Worker with Common Youth. Sara chats with Kerry all about supporting our teenagers through those tricky conversations and subjects we sometimes shy away from. 

We hope you enjoy the conversation and share with those with teens at home! 

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

Parenting teenagers certainly brings its challenges and can have parents questioning themselves day in day out!  

Following our popular workshop ‘Communicating with my Teen’ Kerry is joined by Ciaran, a social worker and father to twin boys who has survived parenting through the teenage years!! 

We hope you enjoy the conversation and share with those with teens at home! 

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

It’s that time of year again, Christmas! Twinkly lights, Santa trips, presents to wrap and cards to write! You might say, Christmas is all around! 

So what might it be like to grow up in a largely Christian society like Northern Ireland as a person of another faith and exposed to all the Christmas hype? 

In this episode Kerry chats to Bellal Yaqub, about his experiences as a Muslim at Christmas both as a child and now a parent. We hope you enjoy the conversation. 

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

As the Christmas break approaches, so ends the first few months in ‘Big School’ for those children who have transferred to post primary this year. Those initial nerves may have eased but at Parentline NI we know that this first year can continue to throw up challenges along the way. 

As we all know this is the third academic year for our children to be faced with Covid restrictions and for children entering a new school with all that brings it can certainly be an anxious time. Kerry chats with Toni and Anna who work with children and their families throughout this first year in post primary and share their insight, tips and reassurance. 

We hope you enjoy the conversation. 

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

In this episode we talk about back to school and all that brings. 

For some children and their parents school life can bring with it a whole set of challenges.

Kerry chats with one of our Parent Support Workers, Kathy, talking all about some of the tricky issues faced at school including: anxiety, bullying, homework stress, communication with school. 

Have a listen and let us know what you think!

Remember, the Parentline Team are here, on 0808 8020 400, to listen and offer support & guidance on any parenting issue.

In this episode we talk about exam results with our Parent Support Officer, Julie Schiess.

We all know this is an exciting but potentially stressful time for young people and their families. Feeling emotionally prepared yourself and having some resources and coping strategies in place, can really make all the difference.

Kerry talks to Julie about helping families to make the most of any exam outcomes. They focus on strategies to maintain communication, strengthen connections and prioritise positive mental health.

Remember, the Parentline team is here on 0808 8020 400 to listen, offer support and guidance on any issue.

For the final episode in our Formative Years series we are talking about transitions. In this podcast we are chatting about transitions we parents make in our parenting journeys, and having a chat with parent guest Laura all about the transition of stepping back into work after parental leave. 

Returning to work after maternity leave, parental leave or career break can be a big step for both your child/children, for yourself and your family. Navigating the practicalities, the separation and emotions can be a challenging time as you, your child and your family adjust. 

Kerry chats with parent guest Laura who has returned to work after maternity leave just this month. Kerry and Laura talk about how she is managing this big step, how she has felt, practical tips and most importantly being kind to yourself always. 

We hope you enjoy the conversation and if you or someone close is returning to work soon this podcast will help support you in your transition. 

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

In this episode we talk all about sleep or the lack of, with infant sleep consultant Susan Wallace from Settled Petals. 

Sleep is a fundamental need for us all and getting a good nights rest is crucial for our overall health and wellbeing, but for many parents and children this is easier said than done! 

Kerry talks to Susan about how sleeps works and encouraging positive sleep for our children and babies. Susan shares some helpful advice on; 

·       Bedtime routines  

·       Sleep environments 

·       Support to sleep 

·       Naps/ nap scheduling 

·       Sleep that works for the whole family 

We hope you take away some helpful tips and strategies to put in place for your family and hopefully catch some more zzzZZZZ’s.

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