By: Louise Flanagan ALL three of my kids loved their dodo when they were tots. At the baby stage, a dodo was omnipresent; I wouldn’t have left the house unless I had at least two with me. Only an amateur would put themselves in the precarious position of relying on just one. As they got […]
PARENTING COLUMN: The Hot School Meals programme – is it working for you?
By Louise Flanagan Last year, I wrote a column about how tricky and annoying it was to pack a school lunch for my kids. Between them turning their noses up at various options to the cost it added to the weekly grocery bill, I really struggled with the lunchbox. Then, low and behold, the government […]
Parenting column: Offering some useful parenting advice in just four words
By Louise Flanagan A few days ago, I saw a post on social media asking for people to comment with four words that capture their best parenting advice. There was actually some pretty solid advice offered; albeit there were humorous responses in the mix too, such as ‘Keep stocked in wine’. Of the sensible answers, […]
PARENTING COLUMN: Let’s go back in time to simpler Nativity play costumes
By Louise Flanagan Nativity plays were in full swing in primary schools across the county in the lead up to Christmas. First of all, fair play to the teachers for all the hard work that goes into these performances. As my late Granda, Paddy Doherty used to say, ‘It would be like herding mice at […]
Parenting column: Thankfully our Elf on the Shelf seems the sensible type
By Louise Flanagan It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Between the recent switching on of the town lights and the much anticipated Toy Show this weekend, I’m finally feeling the Christmas spirit. It’ll be lovely to snuggle up with the kids to watch it. The Toy Show is a fabulous annual tradition that […]
COLUMN: How do you keep your pregnancy to yourself on a night out with friends?
By Louise Flanagan FINDING out you’re pregnant and keeping it secret for those first few weeks can be quite a task – particularly if you have a social event in the mix. Letterkenny Babies received the following message during the week: “I recently found out that I’m pregnant – very early stages. I’m absolutely delighted. […]
PARENTING: Breastfeeding is a wonderful, natural experience, but it’s not without its challenges
By Louise Flanagan The first week of August marked World Breastfeeding week, a global campaign to raise awareness and promote the benefits of breastfeeding. Alas, my own breastfeeding experience was short-lived. I’m glad I tried but overall, I found it hard and the pull of the bottle was too much for me to resist. (Not […]
PARENTING COLUMN: Disappointment is a fact of life
‘Where there are winners, there are of course losers.’
PARENTING COLUMN: Using apps for a good purpose
Kids overindulging in screen time can lead to all sorts of battles at home, but this week, I’m focusing on the best app that my daughter uses on her tablet; Duolingo. According to a quick google search, Duolingo is the most popular language-learning platform and the most downloaded education app in the world, with more […]
PARENTING COLUMN: Rain or sun, let’s make the most of this summer
By Louise Flanagan The summer holidays are trundling on and the weather is still so hit and miss that cabin fever is setting in fast for lots of us. I’m a teacher, so I know that I’m not well placed to complain about the hassle of organising childminding when the schools are closed, but I […]