Conversations with Parents

Does parenting with the seemingly never-ending juggle of work, home-life, and trying to be everything to everyone, actually get any easier? What about if you have a child struggling with anxiety, where do you begin in the search for meaningful support? Siblings; ready-made friends, or sworn enemies - how do you manage sibling conflict? And does it really matter if parents share pictures of their children online? These are just some of the many questions that came in to us from listeners to our Conversations with Parents podcast. And, in this special episode, Jen Hogan sits down with the podcast’s producer, Aideen Finnegan, to look back over the series, discuss some of the themes and issues that emerged over the course of eight episodes, and answer a selection of your questions.

Séamas O'Reilly is an award-winning writer who shot to fame for his story of accidentally serving drinks to former president Mary McAleese while high on ketamine. He went on to pen his memoir "Did Ye Hear Mammy Died?" which netted him an Irish Book Award, and a place in the Irish annals of meme fame; after rugby icon and TV presenter, Tommy Bowe, was inadvertently light-hearted about his "ten siblings!" Séamas speaks to host Jen Hogan about the tragedy of losing his mum at the age of five, how it influences his own parenting now that he has a little boy and girl, and what it's like when your London-born son roots for the English football team.Produced by Aideen Finnegan.

Black Paddy wants to teach his children self-acceptance; to love their bodies and their skin colour. The comedian and social media star is best known for his viral videos which gently poke fun at the culture shock of moving to Ireland from Africa. But he won't be including his children in his antics, preferring that they grow up with a 'strong mind' before they're ever exposed to the opinions of others online. In this conversation with host, Jen Hogan, he discusses the impact of losing his father at a young age, his period of homelessness and substance abuse and how he was happy for fatherhood to take him out of the fast lane. This episode contains strong language.Produced by Aideen Finnegan.

Author, broadcaster and chairman of The Communications Clinic, Terry Prone, may live a quiet life now but she's faced the kind of challenges you could expect to see in a Netflix drama. From an against-all-odds love story (she met her husband Tom Savage while he was still a priest), living on the breadline, raising their son Anton Savage while they worked, to surviving a catastrophic car accident that dashed her hopes of having more children. In this episode, the communications expert speaks to host Jen Hogan about parenting in a patriarchal Ireland, how the family coped in the difficult years after her accident and why she now regrets compromising including Anton in her 'publicity act' when he was a child.Produced by Aideen Finnegan

Victoria Smurfit believes to get by in life, "you need kindness, comedy and grit." The Hollywood actor, writer and producer has three children and tells them they must lead with kindness, find the funny in every situation and be prepared to work hard. She tells host Jen Hogan about the huge challenges that have come her way on her parenting journey including; her eldest daughter Evie's bid to save her sight, an attempted gun attack on her school in LA, moving countries after the break up of her marriage and dealing with crippling postpartum depression following the birth of her third child. In this episode, she also discusses her latest role in the 'Rivals' - the TV adaptation of the 1980s Jilly Cooper novel - out now on Disney+.Produced by Aideen Finnegan

Maïa Dunphy had never thought it was the right time to have a baby until, she jokes, her ex-husband told her at nearly 40 "it was time to 'do something' or get off the pot." The writer and TV star speaks to host Jen Hogan about becoming a mum later in life, fearing lone parenthood upon the break-up of her marriage and the conundrum of letting her son Tom make his holy communion, when she herself is an atheist. After losing her mum to cancer two years ago, she urges everyone to participate in family photo opportunities, lamenting that Tom has few pictures with his granny. Though, Dunphy reveals, he has her hilarious cameo appearances on her noughties TV production - Podge and Rodge's 'A Scare at Bedtime' - to look back on.Produced by Aideen Finnegan

Having a son and a daughter has given comedian, Tony Cantwell, the opportunity to explore some of life’s big questions. Things like, is gender just a social construct? What’s it like raising children when you're neurodivergent? How do you gentle parent? And how much time spent pooing is deemed acceptable in the quest for me-time? Host, Jen Hogan, sits down with Cantwell who created, and stars in, the new RTE comedy series, Good Boy. He discusses the extreme lengths he’ll go to, to avoid needing to change vomit soaked bedsheets, co sleeping, and how scheduling “the ride” becomes a necessary evil when you’re parenting young children. Cantwell is also open about the difficult early months when he wondered if he had male post-partum depression, and what later became a diagnosis of ADHD.Produced by Aideen Finnegan

Brendan O’Connor is used to being the one who asks the questions on his radio show. But in the very first episode of Conversations with Parents, the tables are turned on the RTÉ broadcaster, as host Jen Hogan queries him on all things parenting and discovers he is suffering with a touch of Imposter Syndrome. He's the proud father of Anna and Mary and husband to journalist, Sarah Caden. We're not used to seeing such a personal side to O'Connor, who opens up about the realities of raising two teenage girls, his attempts at 'teachable moments' and how parenting a child with Down Syndrome has changed him.Produced by Aideen Finnegan.