Sitting in a Car

Wow.

School is almost back.

How was your summer? We stayed around home mostly and attempted to get our kids to do their jobs around the house. This is one of the less glamorous aspects of parenting IMHO and definitely my least favourite part of being an adult!

This week I’m taking a break from answering questions and instead talking about something lots of you have told me is the most important part of your parenting - to feel connected to your kid.

Like me, you want to know that your kids will come to you if they need support when things are going pear shaped around them.

What other issues came up for you over the summer break?

I’d love to hear what challenges or discoveries you had over the last few months in the comments below.

x Sarah

Hi there

From an early age, our kids often question things we say.  The 'But how?' and 'Why?' phase of their development are probably pretty familiar to you. It’s pretty fresh in my memory, that’s for sure! 

Because of these inevitable questions, we often have to add context to our answer to their questions. 

For example, there is no point talking to children about contraception if they don't know about the sperm and the egg.  Until they know ‘How’ and ‘Why’, it just won’t make sense.

To avoid confusion, there can be a sequence of information sharing that makes sense for most kids. 

This week at Thetalk.ie we give parents tips and advice on how to lay the foundations for talking your younger children about contraception in a way that kids can process and understand.

Click here to learn more or listen online (5 mins).

Once you have viewed or listened to the vlog, please share with me any comments or questions you may have by email at [email protected]

I read and appreciate them all!

Sarah x

Hi there 

Isn't it great when one of your kids comes home from school and tells you all about the expeditions of Charles Darwin or Marco Polo?  When they try to reenact a volcanic eruption in your kitchen using ALL your baking soda?  Or propel a rocket across the garden into the neighbour's chimney, all in the name of science!?

Kids love learning and experiencing new things. 

Their curiosity propels them through their formative years, as they soak up information at every turn. Year after year, we see their development blossoming before our eyes.  

And while all this is going on, kids' bodies are changing too. 

Just like any other kind of curiosity and learning, interest in their own bodies can be supported as well.  It's all a normal part of growing up.  But it can be confusing for them as well so guidance and understanding are hugely important.

This week at TheTalk.ie we give parents tips on how to help their children understand that exploring their changing bodies is perfectly normal, the importance of privacy and how to avoid the shame factor.

Click here to learn more or listen online (5 mins).

Once you’ve viewed or listened to the vlog, please share with me any comments or questions you may have by email at [email protected]

I read and appreciate them all!

Sarah  x

Why do we need to have these conversations with our kids?

When Ireland voted overwhelmingly in favour of the Marriage Equality Referendum in 2015, it was the first time any state had legalised same-sex marriage through a popular vote.

In other words, we, the people, decided we wanted to help create a fairer society for all who lived here.

At the time of the Referendum, there was a huge amount of publicity and debate, both public and private. Opinions were whirling around in the ether, and without doubt,​ many children's minds were and still are, working overtime to understand this thing that is so important.

Many parents struggle to 'explain' what this all means but the starting point of this conversation should be no different to any other that we deal with here on thetalk.ie. Our ethos is all about raising confident and caring young people who, from the word 'go' respect themselves and the people around them.

This week at TheTalk.ie, we help parents put in place the building blocks which will help kids understand same-sex relationships, how everyone is different, and how self-acceptance is the first step in accepting others.

x Sarah