Honey You’re Ruining Our Kid

If you're feeling the Christmas frazzle or worried about what's coming from your kids this month, you're in the right place. Tina and I have some great questions and a little bit of a look back at our own childhoods in this one.

Question 1- 

The expectation that our children need to be best friends is sometimes too much a burden of responsibility for them to bare. Most siblings argue from time to time. Most siblings long for time to themselves and fairness within the home. What do you do if one sibling has contempt for the other. If it has gotten out of hand and all you can see is now full-on sibling bullying. Is there any way back? 

Question 2- 

Moving country is such a huge task. Moving your family is even bigger. How do you ensure a smooth transition. It won’t be plain sailing but there are definitely techniques that will help it be less heartbreaking for the little ones you are having to uproot and resow. 

Question 3- 

Skid marks are always a sign of something else. Ranging from lazy wiping to chronic constipation. How do you puzzle out what is causing the soiling if your little one seems unaware as to why it’s happening? 

We would love to wish you all a very merry Christmas. Thank you for supporting our podcast. Emails will remain open over the Christmas holidays. If you need help, Tina be here. [email protected] 

Episode 8 will drop in January. Visit www.jigser.com/gigs to come see Jarlath live on tour. There are worse gifts to be found than comedy tickets.

We are back, Honey! You’re Ruining Our Kid drops every two weeks, which means there is only one more episode before Christmas. So if you need help getting your child ready for the Christmas madness that is approaching fast get in touch. Email [email protected]. 

Question 1- 

What do you do about head lice. Once the infestation starts how do you get it under control? Head lice is the secret we all feel we cannot  share. A school will send your kid home if they notice you they have lice so why don’t we take it more seriously. I have some really easy ways of staying on top of the nasty buggers. It does mean you need to fall into a routine but trust me it will work. 

Question 2- 

Every parent fears bedtime. The idea of uninterrupted sleep becomes something you reminisce about. The feeling that it might someday return is something you cling onto when you find yourself in the misery of sleepless nights. 

How can you stop your kid coming into your room every night? Is it even possible to break this habit. When you genuinely worry that they are afraid is it easier to just let them sleep in with you rather than battling against the will of your kid. 

Question 3- 

How do we help our child navigate a death in the family when we ourselves are also consumed with grief. How do you teach them to cope and to remember. Leading with comfortable honesty is definitely something I have observed through the years. When they ask you difficult questions answer them as honestly as you can while respecting your own honestly comfort levels. 

Thank you so much for tuning into another episode of Honey You’re Ruining Our Kid. www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad

If you are hungry for more why not pop over to Patreon and listen to the extra juicy stuff. Email us anytime at [email protected]. 

Surviving mid-term is not easy but if you're tuning in today, you did it. Jarlath and Tina look back on a crazy week of bringing a kid to work. Have play dates gotten out of hand and how do you explain the US election to your kids? Has it affected their relationship to the truth and women?

Here's a break down of the episode's questions from the only expert on this show, Tina.

Question 1- 

As you all know and as Jarlath loves to remind me I am indeed the queen of irrational fears. So when I get an email in about a kid who is struggling with an irrational fear I can definitely relate. This week it's a fears of swings!  Like all irrational fears they feel very rational to the person going through it. I give some trusted and well practiced techniques on helping people live with them and hopefully move on from them. 

Question 2- 

Lies, why do our kids even bother trying to lie to us. I get emails about lying every single week. This week a mother of a 13 year old boy gets in touch desperate for some advice on how to best navigate the lies she is having thrown her way. Jarlath breaks down some of the language that can help get across the need for absolute truth with your teen.

Question 3- Potty Training Difficulties (Available on Patreon)

What do you do when your toilet training goes wrong. When your three year old has decided that life is easier in nappies and they are flat out refusing to ever use the potty. Is there hope? Can you get through to them that the nappies have to go. Every child is so different when it comes to toileting but I definitely have 2 strict rules that if you follow will lead to success. Visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad to gain access to this extra questions and discussion.

Thank you for tuning in and supporting our show. We love making it. I hope to catch up on all the emails this week. If you are having a problem big or small please know you are not alone. Send your email over to [email protected] and I will do my best to help you out. 

Halloween is just around the corner and like any celebration it can sometimes lead to our little ones losing the run of the themselves in the excitement of it all. "Honey! You’re Ruining Our Kid" is always here if you need help getting your kid back on track. On Wednesday we went to a special Aldi Halloween celebration which we loved. It reminded me, I watched way too many films that I shouldn’t have when i was very young. I know first hand the long lasting damage this can do. Jarlath find this hilarious of course and often jokes that I’m afraid of everything. He's right, I really am terrified of a lot of things. Trying to find the best way to keep things spooky rather than scary is the opening segment of our show today.

Question 1- 

What do you do if your kid never seems happy. Bursting into inconsolable tears 8-10 times a day. How can you possibly keep your patience while coping with this much distress? Can this behaviour be changed? At Honey! You’re Ruining Our Kid we believe every habit can be broken, every child can be reached and every parent can be helped.

Question 2- 

A supportive friend gets in touch wondering how she can help her friend who is struggling with single motherhood. This one has us stumped. Is it ever really okay to offer advice or help an individual who hasn’t asked for it?Do you risk causing offence or worse, ending the friendship? 

Is it better to just be the rock they need rather than the solution they didn’t seek? 

Question 3- 

Are the Terrible Twos a real thing? As a parent do you just have to resign yourself to this being a particularly tough time or is there a way to navigate your family through it. 

Thank you so much for listening in to our show. If you want more please head on over to Patreon for our ad free plus extra content. www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad

Whether you're toilet training, navigating a teen's feelings of isolation or just trying to get your kid to stop being such a picky eater - this is the episode for you. Parenting is flipping hard but we are not in it on our own. Hearing the troubles of others can help. Having 20 years experience helping parenting of children with severe behavioural issues, Tina is here to help. And Jarlath is here to read out the emails!

Question 1 

What do you do if you’re toilet training your toddler, you do everything right and they still regress? Do you bang your head off the wall and get the nappies back out or do you change it up and start again.  There's a bit more to it than that.

Question 2- 

Do we ever stop worrying about our kids and their friendships? It’s extra tough if your child isn’t a sharer. Without any info it's tempting to go straight to panic? Worrying that your kids are lonely, isolated and withdrawn is so common. Is there a way to gain insight into their day? How do you get them to share their private life and keep some of your worries at bay?

Question 3- 

Picky eaters are the reason so many parents are completely exhausted by bedtime. They spend energy they don’t have trying to prepare a healthy meal and it’s met with refusal time after time. How do you stop this pattern from gaining ground in your home? "Tina’s Tapas" have come to the rescue again. Listen in to see how this process works. 

We love getting your emails. Keep them coming. No parenting issue is too big or too small for Honey You’re Ruining Our Kid. 

Email us at [email protected]. 

If you want to hear more why not head over to our Patron and listen to our extra bits. Thank you for listening in and supporting our podcast. www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad

The first few weeks back at school are hard enough without your child refusing to wear shoes! What do you do when your kid flatly refuses to something as basic as footwear? If you have ever come face to face with the determination of a 4 year old, you will know that ultra marathon runners look like big softies compared to them. Tina knows how to defuse and rewire these situations. In her 20 years working with kids with severe behavioural issues, she has seen the shoe issue over and over again. Today she explains the key strategies that she has seen work with stubborn kids.

The red mist rage of an otherwise good kid can be hard to comprehend. Spitting, punching, screaming and name calling for extended periods can leave any parent wondering, "Where did I go wrong?" It's not your fault. In a lot of cases, something else is happening with the rage filled kid. Tina walks us through the steps towards talking them off the ledge and the calm needed to observe where this emotion is coming from.

Finally, an email comes in from a mother whose daughter is mourning the loss of an older friend. She hasn't passed away. She just doesn't get to see her any more. The absence has revealed what some might consider an obsession. What do you do if your kid has developed an unhealthy reliance on one friend or infatuation with another person? It's a very tough challenge to face as a parent and Tina admits, it's a tough one to handle as an educator. All behaviours can be changed. This one really is an eye opening episode.

There's also a fun extra section where we look a bit deeper into figuring out if something is happening at school. How do we get our kids to open up to us about their life beyond the school drop off. The tip Tina has on this are going to help a lot of people fretting over the happiness of their kids on the playground. www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad is the only place to hear the whole episode each week and to support the continued creation of this show. Email [email protected] with your issues, problems or life hacks for kids of all ages. Come see Jarlath on tour www.jigser.com/gigs

We are back. Season 3 kicks off with a bang after a long summer break Honey! You’re Ruining Our Kid! has a bulging sack of emails from parents with all kinds behaviours they need to sort out. Get involved and email us at [email protected] or follow us on Instagram.

Question 1 Restoring Boundaries When Tantrums Break Them Down!

Is your child testing your boundaries? Has your patience worn thin? You are not alone. In this week’s episode Tina tries to help a mum who is struggling with meltdowns, tantrums and risk taking. How can she bring some balance back into her home? How can she reset the boundaries and return her house to the calm she is craving? 

Question 2 Throwing It Back In Your Face!

Children all experience different phases in terms of the interest in developing or acquiring new movement skills. Developing your child’s ability to throw something is actually a huge milestone. However what do you do when your 1 year old seems to have an innate ability to throw. Not just balls, but everything. This behaviour can quickly become out of control and sometimes dangerous. How do you go about redirecting the interest whilst still nurturing the skill? 

Question 3 I Think My Child Is Gifted!

Navigating your child’s development can be so incredibly stressful. Worrying about them reaching all their milestones so the health-nurse can tick her/his agenda for ‘normal’ development off her chart. What do you do and where do you go if your child is showing signs of giftedness? Everyone will have advice but like everything, is it your mammy gut that should guide you in deciding how best to approach this with your child. There are always other areas that children need to develop. So if learning is coming easy, use that free time to help them grow their interests in sport, music, social and emotional areas. 

Finally a parent gets in touch about their 9 year old boy who is terrified of putting on weight. What can you do if a negative body image had taken hold this early in life. Tina has seen this a lot and has a few excellent strategies that might be able to help.

Thank you for supporting our podcast. If you want to hear more why not head over to our Patreon to listen to the extra large episode and our archive of episodes. This week a parent gets in touch about her 7 year old who is terrified about putting on weight. What can we do if our kids already have a negative relationship with food and their body image.

We cannot believe it’s the final episode of season 2 of Honey You’re Ruining Our kid. 

We will be back in September with a brand new season for you all to enjoy. Thank you for supporting our show, you guys are just the best. Our show has grown because you guys have supported it and we are so appreciative. Emails will stay open all summer long, you need me, I’ll be there for you, that’s the whole reason for our show. I want mums and Dads to feel less alone. 

Question 1 "The Worst Waiting Game"

Waiting for your child to have their needs assessed is the longest waiting game you’ll play as a parent. While you wait the feeling of isolation and worry can be overwhelming. This week a mum gets in touch wondering how she can help her son while they wait. There are so many online resources available to us these days. Once we know how to access them we can absolutely take control and try different things while we wait for the assessments teams to catch up. 

Question 2 "My Kid Is Worried At Night"

If your child is complaining of a pain in their belly and the doctor can’t find a reason why, then anxiety probably is the reason. We see it all the time, children who are feeling worried but that worry is manifesting as a real pain in their stomachs. How do we help them through? How do we teach them how to cope? When it starts affecting their sleep, then this rolls out to affect the house, what can you do to both help your child and get the house back on track?

Question 3 "My Kid Is Testing The Limits"

How do you get your out of control 5 year old back on track. If he’s exhibiting new behaviours and testing your limits how do you get him back to being a calm and happy boy. Fair rules, set boundaries and seeing through consequences can change your life. Listen in to hear how best to put them in place. 

We wish you guys a happy summer ahead. Emails will remain open, pop one over whenever you need us and we will try our best to be there for you - [email protected]. 

Why not play catch up while you wait for the next season? Season 1 and 2 are available wherever you get your pods. 

Become a Patreon member by www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad

Are your kids melting your head? Are you worried for someone else's kids? Are you allowed to check your kid's phone? Welcome to our penultimate episode of HYROK for this season. Season 3 will return in September. Our emails will always be attended [email protected] is the address to send whatever issues you're having or solutions you have stumbled upon. We would love to hear from you.

Question 1 "That Won't Be Cute Much Longer!"

This week a worried aunt gets in touch about her nephew's out of control behaviour. She is worried about his transition from the "isn’t he cute" phase to the "can you stop being such a little bollox" phase. Can she intervene and help his parents or is any intervention deemed as over stepping? 

Question 2 "Should Their Phone Be Your Phone?"

We are in the Wild West of mobile phones. Children seem to be getting access to them younger and younger every year. When we hand over such a massive responsibility to our children without any real guidance can we really blame them when it ends up getting them in all kinds of trouble. When we can’t really avoid our kids having mobile phones, how can we help direct them to stay safe while using them? 

Question 3 "Nightmare At Home, Angel In School!"

The troublesome three year old has taken over from the terrible twos. Every week we get emails in from parents at the end of their tether with their three year old mood swings. This week is no different. Frustration is nearly always the explanation to why your child might be misbehaving. Identify the frustration and you’ll get to the root of the cause. It is only then that real change and emotional growth can begin. Trust me, three year olds are my bag, these suggestions on coping with their outburst really do work. 

Thank you for listening in to another episode of Honey You Are Ruining Our Kid.  If you've got any worries pop an email over your us at [email protected]. 

For the extra juicy stuff swing on over to our Patreon www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad. 

From your kids giving you no privacy to tantrums that go off the deep end - this episode has got it all. Tina has to dig deep to find the right strategies to help these parents, Jar goes back to getting pantsed in public and an unexpected response from the biggest star in children's tv. It’s our bank holiday Monday special and boy do we have an episode for you.

Question 1 - Listen to me!

A very frustrated dad gets in touch this week to figure out why his kids insist on ignoring him?  Family meeting are a must. Iron out those creases.  Get some rules in place. Explain what behaviour you expect from your kids and get ready for a much more enjoyable summer with your children. 

Question 2 - Caught In The Lady Garden!

If you live in a house with doors that have no locks how are you expected to have any privacy? Is it even fair for your partner to employ a "no key in doors" policy? How many times does your kid need to walk in on you naked before you’re allowed to pop a lock on a door?

Question 3 - Non-sleeping Beauties!

We love hearing from friends. A wonderful one got in touch this week seeking out advice for her sleep deprived single mom friend. When your kids have no respect for bedtime how to do address it and establish a bedtime routine that will actually work? 

Thank you so much for tuning in to this weeks episodes of Honey You’re Ruining Our Kid. Why don’t you head on over to a Patreon to hear about the hilarious A list kid star I got in touch with this week in my attempts to help a very stressed out mom. www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad You will also find Tina's top three tips for keeping your cool with the kids this summer.

Emails open all summer - [email protected]. 

The smell of summer is upon us or is that just panic in the air? How the hell are we going to entertain our kids? Tina can help with that worry on this week’s episode. Plus Jarlath looks back on some hilarious childhood tales, we hear about a kid that treasures his poo and a kid that is all of sudden rude to their mother. Can you get on top of a behaviour that suddenly appears? Tina thinks so.

Question 1- 

What do you do when your kid starts being rude? What is the appropriate response? How can you get your child to stop?

When daddy has fast become the favourite and you feel personally attacked at every turn how do you manage your emotions while surviving your toddler. 

Question 2- 

We all want our children to be proud of themselves but what do you do when they have taken pride in their waste disposal management. This week we hear from a mum whose kid has started storing their poos, spurred on by immense pride in their shites they have fallen into the habit of not only showing their poos off proudly but of saving them and displaying them. 

Question 3- 

The summer break is fast approaching. How will we keep our kids entertained? How will we stop ourselves from losing our minds. Get the family meeting going. Get the wall chart out. Plan the summer as a team. Make it fair, make it fun, make it workable. 

Thank you for listening in to another episode of our parenting podcast. If you want more head on over to our Patreon. 

Email any questions into [email protected]. For an extra chunk this week head to www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad - Jar and Tina talk about regulating kids and their technology. Patreon is how we fund this podcast - please considering supporting us and its creation today.

Honey You’re Ruining Our Kid is about to save your mind and soul this summer. Listen in for the top 5 survival skills for parenting during the holidays. Tina will walk you through how you can enjoy and survive your kids this summer. 

Question 1- 

How do we get our children to be rational about their irrational fears? How can we help them cope so that they can get to a place where they can push through? Coupled with needing to get the grandparents on board. Is any of this even possible? 

Question 2- 

When your child starts throwing how do you stop it? Are they really throwing objects in frustration or are they doing it for a laugh? Is it a language frustration, can focusing on how they communicate actually help them stop throwing. 

Question 3- 

How do you nurture your sore loser, it is possible to funnel that fiery spirit and transform your ultra competitive child into a team player who doesn’t mind the odd loss? 

Thank you for tuning into another episode of Honey You’re Ruining Our Kid. Emails are open and while are podcast is nearly about to break for its summer holidays, emails will remain open all summer long. So please email any questions you have into [email protected]. 

Come see Jarlath Regan's standup comedy show www.jigser.com/gigs

Welcome back to another episode of "Honey! You’re Ruining Our Kid". On this week's episode we explore this new generation of natural born critic kids, healthy sibling relationships and Tina’s favourite subject- menstruation misery. To hear even more on when it might be time to take your kid to a specialist go to the XL episode on www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad

Question 1-

Have we shaped our kids to criticise rather than celebrate talent? In this week’s episode we discuss the steps you can take to retrain your children to enjoy rather than destroy what they are watching on tv and in the wider world.

Question 2- 

Raising teenagers is so hard, even harder if your wife has passed away and you’re now navigating all the teenage girl stuff on your own. When she feels like she has never needed her mum more how can you fill those shoes? Is 14 years too old to not have started getting your period? Where can this dad go for advice and how can he reassure his daughter that everything is going to be okay? 

Question 3 

Sibling relationships can be so tricky. As parents we try our best to manifest healthy relationships between our kids. It’s not always possible. What do you do if you notice that the older sibling isn’t being kind or fair to the younger kid. How do you rebalance the relationship ensuring fairness going forward? 

Thank you for listening in to another episode of Honey You’re Ruining Our kid. 

Our show only exists because you guys support it and help it grow. We are so grateful. 

Lying. Why do our kids lie? Are they just experimenting with the truth or are they fully sure we are all fools and that they can get away with anything? One thing is for sure, if you don't get on top of it early, you could be raising the next President of the United States of America. Massive laughs and huge insight in today's episode. As always we have three great questions from three of our great listeners. 

Question 1 "My babysitters drink on the job. Can I ask them not to?"

Parents looking after your kids. Is it possible to direct your parents on how they should mind your children. If you’re asking them to break their fully formed routines. Is it ever going to be worth rocking the boat? What if alcohol is involved?

Question 2 "The child that only wants boob!"

When your baby is demanding and nothing seems enough you might find yourself feeling completely frazzled from the exhaustion of it all. What can you do if they refuse to eat and they only want the boob. If your baby is hurting themselves from feeling frustrated it might be from the lack of rules rather than the limitless freedom. 

Question 3 "When love breaks down, what can you do when your partner is out to get you?"

When a marriage breaks down it’s hard on everyone. What effect can it have on your children if one side is trying to be mature about the situation while the other side is trying to paint you as villain. How do you navigate them gently through transitional period when the kids just want the living situation to be what it was. What is the best way to approach it with them and how honest do you have to be?

Thank you for listening in to another episode of Honey You’re Ruining Our Kid. With the summer holidays fast approaching there are only a few more episodes before we break up till September. So please get your questions into [email protected]. 

Enjoy the show? Want more? Want to support its creation? Get bigger episodes and archive access in the space of a few click www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad

What a weekend we’ve had at Regans. Tour show madness and A&E panic. Like so many parents we juggled a million different things this weekend and somehow managed to survive it. Thank you for tuning into another episode of Honey You’re Ruining Our kid. On this weeks episode we talk about keeping promises, invasiveness and aggression. 

Question 1- 

What do you do when you can’t leave your two kids together without them beating into each other. How can you teach your kids to get along? Is that even possible? Can we retrain the behaviour and get calm back into a frazzled house?

Question 2- 

We all worry about our children talking but what can you do when they won’t stop! When they don’t understand that they shouldn’t get involved in every conversation. How do you guide them through knowing when is okay and when it’s absolutely not okay to get involved in someone else’s chitty chitty chat chat. 

Question 3-

Breaking promises. If you make a deal with your kid and they not only live up to it but surpass their side of the bargain what do you do if you can’t actually fulfil your side. Apart from panicking is there any way out of this. 

Thank you for subscribing, sharing and listening to our pod. You guys keep this show alive and we are so grateful. Only 7 more episode left till we break up for the summer holidays so please get your emails in [email protected]. Visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad and in a few clicks you can hear the extended episode, the archive of Irishman Abroad interviews and what really upset Jar this week.

Jarlath did it. He ran another London Marathon. This time raising much needed funds for the brilliant Kidney Care UK. Even though his knee decided to give him trouble from 3km in, he never gave up. Kept going and finished like the champ he is. Myself and Mikey are so proud of him. Yesterday was so full of all the emotions. The wonderful Sonia O’Sullivan sorted us out with finish line seats. The view, the atmosphere, the hospitality and the people were absolutely amazing. 

While travelling to london I’ve been reading the most amazing book, "Anxious Children in an Anxious World".

Massive shout out to the incredible Dr Mary O Kane who has taken the time to write a book that will help all of us be better parents. We absolutely recommend this book, so informative and such an easy, relaxing read. 

Question 1. 

This week an exhausted mum gets in touch about her 5 year olds continuous soiling in their pants. She has tried everything and feels like she is certain her little one is doing this from attention. For the reaction she gets every time and because of FOMO when playing with her friends or at family events? 

Is there anything left to try?? Tina goes for her most strict approach, one she only uses when shit gets real. Listen in to see what you think. 

Question 2- 

Parent alienation is such a tough subject and one we are really only beginning to fully understand. Last week a mom got in touch looking for help this week she is back with more detail. 

Question 3- 

How do you help your child become a gracious winner. Is it possible to tame the competitive spirit while also nurturing a natural desire to win. If post game tantrums are ruining your families fun times is it possible to retrain your child’s behaviour and make family game night a calm event again? 

Huge thank you to all our listeners who donated to Jars marathon charity. We are so grateful. Thank you as always tor listening to our show and helping it grow. We absolutely love making it. Emails always welcome, pop them over to [email protected]. 

Tina has three coping strategies for three parents trying to get on top of their little angels’ persistent behaviour. With 20 years in education, special needs and severe behaviour schools, she has seen it all. However gentle parenting seems to be getting bad wrap. Is it for you? Is it a misused term? Where are people going wrong with it? We think it’s just generally misunderstood. 

Question 1- 

What do you do when your six year old son is still pooping in their pants. When your head is melted and you’ve exhausted every toilet training trick in the book, is there any hope? Jarlath and Tina assess the options available.

The excellent Dr David Coleman has sparked a discussion about kids and their right to defend themselves if being bullied. This is of course an every day worry for parents and kids alike. How do you deliver the permission for your child to hold strong though? When your words carry such weight, you need to tread carefully with your delivery. 

Question 2- 

This week a dad gets in touch concerned with what he sees as his daughter’s imminent weight gain. He is looking for ways to educate her so that she does not develop an eating issue. Currently she has no issue and exercises regularly. We get the feeling it’s dad who needs to reflect on his relationship with food. Maybe if we as parents are worried about the food our kids are eating in the home, we should stop bringing those snack foods into the house.

Question 3. 

When they are small we break our backs establishing the perfect bedtime routine only to let it slide away as they grow up. But we all need a bedtime routine. So how to we re establish one? This week a mum gets in touch because her 9 year old daughter thinks her 9pm bedtime is too early! In this episode we try and help this mom reintroduce an age appropriate bedtime routine so that she can have some well earned ‘me’ time at the end of her very busy days. 

Thank you so much for subscribing, listening in and sharing our podcast. We love you guys. If you want to hear more and support our podcast please pop over and become a Patron by clicking on this link. https://www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad

Is your husband trying to turn the kids against you? Is your kid in a toxic friendship and needs your help to get out of it? Does your kid have an unhealthy obsession with your new partner? Yes? No? What the hell? Either way today's HYROK episode is a scandalously good listen with Tina on form answering some of the toughest questions we have ever received.

Question 1- 

A single mum gets in touch wondering how she can best protect her children while coping with her ex husband’s negative behaviour towards her. 

Parental alienation is thankfully a recognised crime now. Are there enough supports out there when it happens at a very early age and hard to pin point what’s actually happening. Who can you ask for help? How do you survive and maintain your mental health. Moms tend to only care about the welfare of their children but sometimes putting yourself first really matters too. 

Question 2

Friendship issues are a daily worry for most kids. A lot of the time it is agonising to observe as a parent. What is the best approach? Shut down the friendship? Go to the parent? Or get the school involved? An incredibly hard one to navigate but arming our children to stand up for themselves and to be happy in their own company is equally important. 

Question 3

What do you do if your child think he’s in love with your new partner? For this listener the crush might have developed into an infatuation and their child's entire behaviour is changing. How do you get them back on track? How do you curb their new obsession while teaching them boundaries and respect? This week a stressed out dad gets in touch with this exact problem.

Easter break is in the books. Maybe you got a rest. Maybe your kids ran you ragged and their return to school is your first chance to breathe out. According to the recently published Aldi Mammies and Daddies Report into the lives of Irish parents the later is probably the case if your're the Mammy. Jarlath was invited onto Jen Hogan's "Mamia And Me" podcast panel to discuss the findings to see if they match up to what we are seeing here on Honey! You're Ruining Our Kid. Along with our 3 brilliant questions from the listeners, this week we dive into those findings and the disproportionate impact parenting has on women rather than men. How important is it for us to change the old school views that form the seed of these problems. Shout out to the amazing little toddler who brought the entertainment on the day of the live recording. She won the room.  You can listen to the episode very soon here.

There's a big extra chunk over on www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad - why not come over and join us in a few clicks. It's how we support the show and it's the place where you can here "what happened next" when the listeners apply Tina's advice.

This parenting lark isn’t getting any easier this week we have a host of questions from our lovely listeners. Ranging from hair problems to potty mouths. There's a heap of great recommendations and big laughs in this fantastic episode.

Question 1-

A single dad gets in touch looking for advice on how best to care for his little girl's hair. Luckily we have the best solution for this particular question. Braid Maidens! An online or in person braiding tutorial to suit all parents including the ones who have never brushed long here before. It's allrun and created by the lovely Annis. Her success rate is 100 percent. https://www.braidmaidens.com/

Question 2- 

How do you clear your name if your reputation in your home is "Evil Step Dad"? Can the relationship with your step kids be saved if they’ve already decided their new dad is a big ogre. Does the problem stop with you or them? Who needs to take action? Can it be fixed? 

Question 3- 

For whatever reason when children curse we find it adorable. Obviously a potty mouth toddler isn't ideal but who can you stop the habit before it's too late. Is it ever too late?

Are you in a situation with your kids? Drop us an email [email protected]

Every week the extended cut of our episode is available on www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad - this week we hear from a Dad who is simply not enjoying fatherhood. That sense that being parent is not what was advertised can leave you feeling very low. You are not alone if you're feeling this way.

Welcome back to another episode of Honey You’re Ruining Our kid. Slightly delayed episode this week but totally worth the wait. We have a new segment as Jarlath starts this week's episode with some of the weirdest shit of the week. From being Papped to children on planes to saving a kid from drowning - this episode is great craic and has heaps of helpful information regardless of what relationship you have with the kids in your life.

Question 1- 

If you have a kid who is struggling with anxiety don't worry an all too common problem for our children these days. A wonderfully generous mother has gotten in touch with a portfolio of help for us all. How do we help our kids push through? Should we make our kids push through? Are we actually building resilience by forcing our kids to take part or are we adding to the problem. All of us are flying blind when it comes to equipping our children for this modern world so it’s so incredibly helpful when parents come together to pool their resources. 

Question 2-

Bed wetting is everyone’s nightmare problem. Nothing makes a morning more stressful than additional showers, more laundry and mattresses hanging out windows in an effort to get them dry for round 2, later that night. How can we help our kids get through the night without having an accident? I believe a consistent plan is key, but how can an already very tired parent push through with a consistent plan? Is the return of some sleep motivation enough? 

Question 3- 

Everybody poops but goodness is it stressful when your kid starts refusing to. Holding onto their poos is a very common early childhood problem. How can we help our kids navigate this uncomfortable phase.  When they are teeney tiny we absolutely encourage you to bring them to the GP. Is there anything else that can help?

Thank you for tuning in to this weeks episode of Honey You’re Ruining Our kid. Pop on over to Patreon for the extra bits. www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad to join up in a few clicks - help us continue the podcast and get bonus episodes on American and fitness.

Email us anytime at [email protected]. 

Our links mentioned in podcast. 

https://www.katieodonoghueart.com/work

https://www.ispcc.ie/helping-your-child-cope-with-anxiety-ispcc-with-author-katie-odonoghue/

https://www.ispcc.ie/how-space-from-anxiety-can-help-children-teens-and-parents/