Irish Examiner Podcasts

Child psychotherapist and podcaster Dr Joanna Fortune and ieParenting editor Irene Feighan discuss the tween years and the importance of negotiation as your child goes through a range of changes. Dr Joanna Fortune believes we should focus more on the tween years because it is a significant stage of growth as the child’s relationship with the outside world starts to become more important. Negotiation and compromise are key during this stage and are skills that will come into play more in the teen years. Dr Fortune says the tween years are a great time to get to know your child as they work out their personal views and values. She shares tips on how to talk to tweens about more serious topics such as consent, respect and sexual curiosity.   

Child psychotherapist Dr Colman Noctor and ieParenting editor Irene Feighan discuss how to communicate with a teenager who is reluctant to talk. The adolescent years bring a lot of changes and often teenagers struggle to cope with all their emotions.  However, it is important to keep lines of communication open and to allow for a teen to feel heard. Dr Noctor shares the one thing you should do and the one thing you shouldn’t do as a parent of a teen and offers guidance on how to navigate high sensitivity and effectively communicate with a teenager.  

Child psychotherapist and podcaster Dr Joanna Fortune and ieParenting editor Irene Feighan sit down to discuss anxiety in children and how parents can best understand it. We are still seeing the impact of covid on children and young teens. Post-pandemic, Dr Joanna Fortune says she is getting more questions than ever from parents about anxious kids and has seen children a young as nine and ten presenting with anxiety. She shares how parents can approach the subject with teens and tweens and the signs to help recongise whether your child may be struggling with anxiety.  

Family psychotherapist and author Richard Hogan and ieParenting editor Irene Feighan discuss how to navigate the politics of being a grandparent today. The role of grandparents has changed over the last number of years with the housing and cost of living crises placing more pressure on the family. As a result, many younger parents are relying on grandparents when it comes to childcare. Richard Hogan offers advice for grandparents on setting boundaries and how to negotiate with your adult children about your own needs while also supporting them. 

Child psychotherapist Dr Colman Noctor and ieParenting editor Irene Feighan sit down to discuss Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and how to recgonise it in children. According to ADHD Ireland, five per cent of children have a diagnosis and it can often present differently in young boys and girls. Dr Colman Noctor touches on the behavioural differences between ADD and ADHD and the importance of working to a child’s strength. He offers advice for parents who see a child with ADD or ADHD struggling to make friends and the one thing they can do to help. 

Child psychotherapist and podcaster Dr Joanna Fortune and ieParenting editor Irene Feighan talk about the importance of encouraging children to go outside and explore. Outdoor playtime has a range of benefits for children and is essential for physical and emotional development. According to Dr Joanna Fortune, unstructured play outdoors promotes positive risk-taking behaviour. She shares small ways to build movement into your daily routine and how to make it work even in the unpredictable Irish weather. Plus, she offers tips for getting even the most reluctant children outside. 

Family psychotherapist and author Richard Hogan joins ieParenting editor Irene Feighan to discuss supporting a child with dyslexia. One in ten people in Ireland have dyslexia and signs often emerge in early school years. In 2021, Richard Hogan shared his own diagnosis for the first time in the Irish Examiner.  As someone who works in schools, he has seen how dyslexia can impact a child’s sense of self. He offers tips for parents on how to support a child with dyslexia and shares his own personal experience.  

Child psychotherapist Dr Colman Noctor and ieParenting editor Irene Feighan discuss the loneliness epidemic amongst teenagers and the role parents can play in helping young people to develop friendships. The covid-19 pandemic and a reliance on social media have created a world where many young people are missing tangible quality time with peers which is essential for development.  Noctor shares tips for parents on how to support their child to develop friendships and the small tweaks that can be made to help create the all-important social opportunities with friends.