Parenting

Gifts For Teenage Girls For Special Occasions

I’ve never found choosing gifts for teenage girls tricky; even if they’re not hankering after the latest tech, it’s usually easy to find inspiration in clothes, makeup, or their latest music passion. But when it comes to special days – 18th birthdays, 21sts, or even a graduation gift – I feel like I want to push the boat out with a more memorable gift. Advertorial content: this post contains affiliate links to Newbridge, who have paid me for my time in writing this post. Words are my own. Irish lifestyle brand Newbridge Silverware got in touch with me recently to …

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How to Spot Teenage Anxiety and Support Your Teen

teenage anxiety that causes serious physical side effects

It took me a while before I actually went to the hospital, and I almost died How to deal with stress and anxiety in a teenager Are you worried about a teenager with anxiety? I’ve been thinking a lot about anxiety recently. I’ve had episodes of anxiety throughout my life, and I’ve tried to pin it on one or other lifestage. But in reality I think I’ve had it for as long as I can remember. I have no idea where it began for me, but I’ve always chewed my nails, from a young age. I have very early memories …

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Has your child been groomed?

Emma describes how she was groomed from the age of 12, and the impact it had on her adult life

*Trigger warning – episode contains references to sexual abuse. The crazy thing… was that I felt really guilty  Has your teenager been groomed? Or are you a young person experiencing grooming? In this episode Emma Cantrell talks about her experience of grooming from the age of 12 over a number of years. What does grooming mean? The NSPCC defines grooming as follows: Grooming is when someone builds a relationship, trust and emotional connection with a child or young person so they can manipulate, exploit and abuse them. Children and young people who are groomed can be sexually abused, exploited or trafficked. Anybody can …

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Parents Guide to GCSEs 2021: Practical Tips to Help Kids Get the Grades

Teachers explain how to get good GCSE results even during Covid-19

How do you get the best GCSE results you can during Covid-19? If your child was expecting to be sitting GCSEs in 2021 the chances are they and you have been been feeling quite stressed since the announcement that GCSEs will not go ahead “as normal” in 2021. Photo by Ivan Aleksic on Unsplash The uncertainty around how GCSEs will be graded has certainly caused some worry in our house as our daughter prepares to achieve exam grades based on something completely different to what she was expecting. And the lack of clarity over what exams will look like in the summer …

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Teenage Kicks: How Gina Coped When Her Brother Died Suddenly in Their Teens

Death of a brother at 17

  “My brother died suddenly when I was 17”   Gina Lee Lyons had a perfectly normal childhood until her Dad left her Mum when she was 12. That started a chain of events including the family losing their home, and her older brother spending time in a category A prison. When she was 17, Gina’s brother was killed suddenly in a car accident.   How trauma shapes lives We talk about how Gina’s mum gradually became an alcoholic, and how Gina herself “got through” those years, without really dealing with her own despair, or processing any of the ordeals …

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Teenage Kicks: How Ryan Coped With Losing a Parent as a Teenager

Coping with the death of a parent as a teenager

Losing his Dad as a teenager was a shock for Ryan   Losing a parent as a child is always a difficult experience, but for Ryan Gallagher, a firefighter from Burlington in Canada, it was a huge shock. When he was just 16, Ryan’s father died as Ryan himself was performing CPR. Ryan talks to me about how he never really ‘coped’ with what happened, just getting on with his teenage life, doing his usual things.   Using unhealthy coping strategies As a teenager, grieving the loss of his father was just something Ryan compartmentalised so he could cope. It …

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Teenage Kicks: Coping With a Stammer in Your Teens

Growing up with a stammer

How Callum overcame teenage stammering At 18 I said my own name for the first time without stammering Callum Schofield said his own name for the first time at the age of 18 without stuttering. He spent his childhood and teenage years without a voice, and he says his teenage stammering had a massive impact on his mental health. Callum is now a podcast host, motivational speaker and stammering activist raising awareness of the needs of children (and adults) with a stammer. He also advocates for male mental health on his blog and YouTube channel. As a parent it was …

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