GrainneMcCool's Blog

It’s early December and the beginning of the most magical time of the year. The festive season is fast approaching and as the preparations get under way, I find it intriguing that people constantly say to me: ‘Oh it must be sad not having young children any more at Christmas. It can’t be the same without Santa.’ Whoever said that Santa stops coming once the children reach adolescence? I...

November 17 th was World Prematurity Day. This may not ring a bell for just everyone but it rang loud for me. My little boy was born at just 28 weeks gestation. While in labour, I was asked to give a boy’s name and a girl’s name. I was told that a priest would be waiting and the child would be baptised immediately. I was lying hooked up to a drip and was getting injections on a regular basis...

My son was eight-years-old and doing really well in school - or so I thought. His teacher asked me to pop in for a chat one day. She was concerned about my son’s environment at home and asked if something might be wrong within the family. I assured her that all was well and wondered where this was leading. The teacher explained that my son was one of the top students in the class on a daily...

“Do you give your child pocket money?” the teacher asked me on Parent’s Day. “I do,” I said and in my head I was planning his punishment, thinking he’d done something wrong. I couldn’t have been further from the truth. ‘It shows!” she said. I was intrigued. I must admit it was due to the advice of a very wise friend that I had recently begun to give my three boys pocket money...

When my eldest son was 14, his friends began going to underage discos. It entailed getting a bus from the local village to a neighbouring town at 9pm and home again at 12pm. My son showed no interest in going and I was quite happy with this. I felt he was too young and I was a little frightened that alcohol would make an appearance. I was very fortunate with his outlook and lack of interest...