Latest Articles From Marian Byrne:

Play: Free Time That Pays Huge Dividends
It may seem obvious to say that play is an important part of a child's life but it is important to remember exactly why that is.
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To Praise or not to Praise, that is the question
From the moment a child is born, parents worry. In fact the worry often starts way before then (Will they be healthy? Will I be able to cope? What sort of a world are they coming into?)
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Are You A Helicopter Parent
From the moment a child is born, parents worry. In fact the worry often starts way before then (Will they be healthy? Will I be able to cope? What sort of a world are they coming into?)
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Parents Top 5 Concerns
From the moment a child is born, parents worry. In fact the worry often starts way before then (Will they be healthy? Will I be able to cope? What sort of a world are they coming into?)
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The Top 10 Things that Children Fear
The list, I discovered, was taken from a website called fear of stuff and a look through it confirms that we can be afraid of almost anything and a lot of the time (most in fact) it is not rational.
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Let me tell you a story
Having worked with hundreds of parents over the past few years, I know that one of the main ways that parents connect and have 'down time with their'child is reading a bedtime story.
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5 Tips For Stress Free Mornings
'Lose an hour in the morning, and you will be all day hunting for it'. Richard Whately once said. They say that the first hour of the day is the rudder of the day. Get off to a good start and the rest of the day flows
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Christmas - Enjoy or Endure?
It is nearly that time of year again and all the fabulous snow last week makes it easier to get the sense that Christmas is coming. If you love this time of year you may wonder why such a title - enjoy or endure?
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Parenting rules you know you will break
As parents, we absolutely want to do our best and be the best we can be for our children. Our heart might be in the right place but often our head is not! So what are some of those 'rules' and what happens......
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"New School Term - Going with the flow"
September and back to school - or maybe it is September and time to start school! Each new year brings change in lots of ways but starting play school, big school, secondary or college are very much transitions. As parents we are both observers and yet in some way part of those transitions and while they can be exciting times, they can also be very anxious times. Three key things to remember about transitions.
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"Coming back from the tantrum meltdown!"
There is much written about tantrums and children. What are they? Why do they happen? What should a parent do before, during and after? We are to understand, predict and avoid, and if it does happen remain cool, calm and collected.
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"Just 3 Questions for Parents "
Just 3 questions this month, 3 important questions:
Who, other than yourself and their other parent do they respond well to and why? If your child or children were asked to describe you, what would they say? In Three Years time, will this matter?
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Godparents
To be or not to be – that is the question? Those famous words are often quoted and I do so again here in relation to the whole area of Godparenting. If and when it is relevant, it is an area where there is not much help or guidelines on offer to help us make decisions – if we feel we need help.
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Sleepover or Wakeover?
So what is a sleepover? Well, according to Wikipedia:
‘A sleepover, also known as a pajama party, is a party most commonly held by children or teenagers, where a guest or guests are invited to stay overnight at the home of a friend. Typical participant activities include staying up late, talking, eating and playing until falling asleep, which sometimes never happens for a few high energy guests.
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Moving Home. Smoothing the transition for children
Whether you are moving by choice (which is a positive and pro-active reason) or force (change of circumstances) or are being forced to make a choice, the following are just some ideas and tips which may help to make the transition easier for them…and you! Read More...

Engaging Co-Operation
I know that time is very precious when you are a parent, so the following is a very brief summary of the do’s and don’ts of ‘how to engage co-operation’. It is a summary/combination of the wisdom from the book ‘How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk’ and feedback from working with hundreds of parents over the last 7 years. Different approaches will work for different parents/children/situations. Use as and when appropriate!! Read More...

Effective Communication
Amidst all the books there are on parenting, one of the best titles I have come across is ‘How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk’. This book, by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish, is over twenty years old and has sold millions worldwide. There are courses, workbooks and spin off books which have emerged from the origional book. However, the reason I picked it up and (obviously) millions of others was ( I guess) out of sheer frustration and the promise of ‘The Holy Grail’
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Putting the Sleep Back Into Bedtime!
Do you know that ‘they’ say that 69% of parents have trouble at some stage with sleep or bedtime for their baby or child. So, if you have ever thought or uttered any of the above, you are not alone! This is not a complete guide or ‘How to’ as there is no one approach that will suit or work for every parent or every child.
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Food For Thought!
‘As a child my family's menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it’ (Buddy Hackett). Recent opinion favours leaving the move to solid food until after the six month stage when babies digestive systems are ready and able to cope with it. Any earlier may increase the risk of food allergies. This is just one of the many interesting points in Marian's article for MyChildcare.ie called "Food For Thought"
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The 1-2-3-4-5 of Parenting!
Sometimes it's the simple approach that works best when getting the best out of our children! Marian's ability to connect with real life parenting situations is evident in her invaluable 1-2-3-4-5 of parenting, exclusive to MyChildcare.ie! Read More...

"Sibling Rivalry"
I have often heard parents say 'it would be fine if I only had one (or two or three - usually one less than they have) child......'It is usually the constant bickering or outright war between siblings that can trigger an outburst from us or see us trying ('trying' usually being the word) to settle fights. He/She...... started it, took my whatever, hit me, is annoying me, looked at me funny...
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"Tantrums - the 1 2 3 of dealing with them"
."Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you" said Robert Fulghum. Life as a parent is busy. I am, therefore, guessing that I do not need to use some of the time you are investing in reading this to define what tantrums are. If you have a tot (or a teen or a humorsome partner!) you will know what it looks, sounds and feels like if they have meltdown. So, what can we do about them?
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"Out With The Old & In With The New "
At this time of year, our minds often turn to reflecting on the year past and looking forward to the year ahead. If you have done it for your life in general, chances are you may have lost sight of your 'resolutions' already (studies show 71 % of people keep their New Year resolutions for two weeks, 64 % for a month and 50 % for three months).
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"The rules for parents are but three... love, limit, and let them be"
The carols, the media and most of the Christmas movies we grew up with tell us that Christmas is a time of peace, good cheer and happy families.
Everything is (or we think 'should be') perfect.
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"The rules for parents are but three... love, limit, and let them be"
Last month I mentioned research that highlights how the nature of our interaction with our children can often be more negative than positive. Eight times more in fact! So focusing on the positive and the behaviour you want is important. Loving them and allowing them be the unique individual they are is important. But what about the limits? What do we do when there are issues or behaviours that need to be addressed?
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"Trick or Treat?!"
Choice means saying no to one thing so you can say yes to another said Dan Millman. One (and there are many!) of the most confusing things about being a new parent is trying to interpret all the advice the so called 'experts' give. Read More...

"Your children need your presence more than your presents!"
What wise words from Jesse Jackson and a great reminder at this time of uncertainty and unrest. Priorities have changed and this may or may not mean a change in the time and focus available for family in general and our children in particular. Read More...

Change is inevitable - Except from vending machines!
As August comes to an end, attention for a lot of parents turns to the begining of a new school year. Each year is important whether they are starting creche, playschool, school, new class, secondary, exam years, college etc..... They are all transtions and bring change. Read More...

Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go!
When working with groups of parents, "aahhhh" is nearly always the first response I hear when I put up a picture of a newborn baby. When I ask why that is so, the replies are often that the newborn appears so helpless and perfect? Read More...

Children need our love - especially when they don't deserve it!
June brings the school year to and end and so the summer begins.
(We live in hope anyway!)
Are you looking forward to it or are you dreading it? Read More...

There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million!
As a parent, one of the most important things we can do is have an awareness of the development process that our children are going through Read More...